USF and SportsArt Partnership is a Florida First

Submitted by J. Mikhail on Mon, 04/04/2022 - 23:59

The “Student Green Energy Fund” at the University of South Florida (USF) has funding and supports sustainable efforts throughout campus.

When Jay Souza, the director of Recreation and Wellness, became aware of SportsArt’s green equipment, he realized it easily met the criteria of the fund.

“As I prepared proposals for our students, they were very excited to have an opportunity to exercise and provide energy back to our usage,” said Souza. “As energy costs continue to rise, this equipment was a natural fit for the type of initiatives our campus wants to undertake.”

With the help of the fund, USF has been able to purchase and install 12 pieces of SportsArt equipment: four Verde treadmills, four G876 ellipticals and four G510 indoor cycles. The hope is to demonstrate the impact of use of this equipment as it pertains to energy savings.

Souza dives deeper into the USF and SportsArt partnership here:

Campus Rec: Can you describe the specific programs you’re looking to launch around SportsArt’s pieces?

Jay Souza: Once we are “fully operational” post-COVID, we are looking to launch a few fun competitions to see who can generate the most energy, potentially competing with other colleges/businesses, etc., and build a culture of enhanced well-being as it pertains to environmental wellness initiatives.

CR: What do you hope results from this USF and SportsArt partnership?

JS: We hope that, as the first university/college in Florida to acquire this equipment, we can demonstrate the student interest in helping our sustainable efforts at USF. With the use of this equipment, we also hope to instill a sense of “giving back,” as participants can see what they are generating — in terms of energy savings — therefore helping our campus community and beyond. This is something that can transcend their time at USF.

CR: What do you hope these programs do for your campus community?

JS: We hope it instills and demonstrates the direct impact of being conscious about what we are doing for our environment. As Recreation and Wellness, this is another component of holistic development we hope to show our community.