The Relationship Between College Students’ Perceptions of Their Campus Recreation Center Climate to Their Thriving in Physical Activity

The college years are a critical period for students to adopt and strengthen health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA), that support their physical and mental health. This exploratory study examines the relationship between students' perceptions of a caring and task-involving climate (CTIC) at their campus recreation center (CRC) to their feelings of thriving, effort, and enjoyment. Students (N = 161) at a large Midwestern university volunteered to complete a brief survey. A canonical correlation analysis indicated students' perceptions of a CTIC were significantly and positively related to thriving (vitality and learning), effort, and enjoyment. Although future research is needed to further examine thriving in PA settings, the construct may be key in understanding college students' experiences at CRCs and the benefits that may result from experiencing a supportive environment, allowing individuals to focus on their personal effort and improvement as measures of success.