Central Challenge Course now open for enjoyment, wind not included

The big wooden structure just northeast of Central’s campus overlooking the baseball fields isn’t just for show, in fact, the fully functioning challenge course has been a part of Central’s recreation repertoire since first opening in 2007.

The Central Challenge Course is now open for the 2015 spring season.

Melissa Robertson, Central’s Challenge Course and climbing coordinator, said it is beneficial for the university to have a challenge course for both student and community use. Robertson oversees all of the challenge course staff, training, scheduling and programming.

She also teaches some academic courses for challenge course facilitation and leadership.

“When we think about the word challenge, we really want to think about stepping outside of our comfort zone and growing,” Robertson said. “Everything we do out there at the challenge course is intentional programming. It is not like a Disney World experience where we just go out there and have fun. Hopefully, we have fun as a result, but it is really the application to everyday life.”

A challenging collaboration

The Challenge Course is not just about climbing up an obstacle: it provides many opportunities for groups to work through a variety of tasks. According to Robertson, there are many aspects of teamwork that groups can work on at the Challenge Course.

“We have had a corporate group come in and focus on communication. Or maybe they are having some conflict in the workplace; it is how we deal with conflict,” Robertson said. “All of our programs out there can work on icebreakers, conflict and leadership. We have a lot of student groups, sports clubs, athletics, community, different school districts, lots of conferences and programs over the summer like summer camps. It is open to everybody.”

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Corrine Pruett, junior outdoor recreation management major, has been working at the Challenge course since January. Though Pruett hasn’t been working at the course long, it means a lot to her to have the opportunity to work with people.

“Being a facilitator for the course is really rewarding,” Pruett said. “If you do the programming successfully, you can see the growth of individuals, as well as the team dynamics.”

Pruett said she truly believes everyone should do the Challenge Course, since there are no athletic requirements for the course. There are things that everyone can do.

“I have seen how it connects total groups of strangers,” Pruett said. “The group I have right now is in a class together, but they don’t really know each other, and even after only two hours, they already connected more as fellow classmates. Whatever group you are a part of, I just think you grow so much personally and as a team.”

Pruitt said working as a facilitator has been extremely rewarding. It hasn’t taken her long to get comfortable despite being somewhat new.

“I love to help people, and I love to help them overcome different things personally, academically, professionally or whatever it might be,” Pruett said. “It is a perfect job.”

Training by the numbers

Hunter Dinsmore, freshman business major, did the Challenge Course last summer with his football team at the annual Central Football Camp. He remembers doing the course with his teammates and having a great time.

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“It was fun but scary- very scary,” Dinsmore said. “I hate heights, but by doing the course, it made me less afraid of them. I got more confidence by doing the challenge course and made more friends, since all of the groups were random.”

Dinsmore, who is a former offensive lineman, thought that, by doing the challenge course, it really helped the team bond and become even closer, on and off the football field.

“Even the non-climbing things, like the pieces of wood we used to get across to the other side, were fun, because having three big men on one small platform wasn’t easy,” Dinsmore said. “I really enjoyed the teambuilding activities.”