Emerging Recreational Sports Leaders Conference - ERSLC

06/11/2025

SAVE THE DATE: We’re calling all Emerging recreational sports leaders to meet us in at Dallas College in TEXAS! Mark your calendars for February 19th 📆 The countdown is ON. NIRSA

08/22/2024

Save the date! We're excited to be at Howard University in February! Look for proposals to open in mid-September and registration beginning 10/1. More information soon!

05/14/2024

We are looking for people to join the ERSL committee!!! If you have an interest in joining please submit your resume & your area(s) of interest to [email protected] OR [email protected] NO LATER THAN May 24th!!!

04/29/2024

ICYMI‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ We are ELATED to announce the location of our 2025 Emerging Recreational Sports Leadership Conference….

Tell a friend to tell a friend‼️‼️‼️Save the date coming soon.

03/08/2024

Here is an all-call to all who are interested in bringing the great Emerging Recreational Sports Leadership Conference and its people to their campuses! Deadline to apply to host is Monday, April 1st‼️ We’d love to be WHERE YOU ARE‼️

Link in the bio to apply!

02/16/2024

Rewind….⏪⏪⏪ Our HBCU Summit and ERSL attendees had the choice of attending the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute as a pre-con‼️‼️‼️ What an amazing opportunity ✔️

02/16/2024

But first…before we proceed…let’s give a HUGE round of applause for our first time attendees‼️‼️‼️ 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

02/15/2024

Thank you to for being a meal sponsor at this year’s ‼️‼️‼️ Professionals and students be sure and come grab a quick bite and engage in conversations prior to Mock Interviews‼️‼️‼️

02/14/2024

The more you know‼️‼️‼️

The 2024 Emerging Recreational Sports Leaders Conference - ERSLC, happening at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB University Rec), starts tomorrow. The first Emerging Minority Leaders Workshop was held February 14-15, 1992, at Dillard University—site of the initial NIA gathering.

This annual event was established by The Office of Intramural Recreational Sports at Southern Illinois University–Carbondale and endorsed by NIRSA in 1992 as part of an effort by the Association to renew relations with historically black colleges and universities. Founding NIA member Horace W. Moody of Southern University was among the 16 professionals and 22 students who attended the inaugural workshop; NIRSA Honor Award recipient Juliette Moore delivered the keynote address.

The first Emerging Minority Leaders Workshop grew out of the recognition that NIRSA—which had been founded by professionals from HBCU schools and rooted in black institutions—had transformed by the early 1990s into an association whose membership was largely dominated by white males. The goal of the conference ever since has been to provide minority students who are interested in careers in collegiate recreation with the tools and network connections needed to succeed in this dynamic field.

Herman Williams, who retired from Recreational Sports and Services at Southern Illinois University–Carbondale is recognized as a leading founder of the ERSL Conference. He continues to be celebrated as an extraordinary contributor to the advancement of opportunities for minorities in NIRSA. In 2007, shortly before his retirement, he received not only NIRSA’s People of Color Distinguished Leadership Award for service to the association in creating a diverse and inclusive community, but he was also honored as the namesake for NIRSA’s Founders Outstanding Service Award—first awarded in 2003. It recognizes individuals who make significant contributions to the ERSL Conference and for minorities in the field.

This year’s event will kick off with an HBCU Summit and a tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and it will feature a keynote address by Herbert Wilkerson, Director of Student Multicultural & Diversity Programs at UAB.

02/13/2024

Thank you for being a Platinum Sponsor for , hosted by & ‼️‼️‼️

02/11/2024