WEST LIBERTY, April 26, 2016 — It’s touted as the “Playground for Adults,” but it’s really called the Aerial Adventure Course at Grand Vue Park. Located about 40 minutes from WLU’s campus, in Moundsville, W.Va., Grand Vue includes lodging, an adventure park and more.
West Liberty University Health and Physical Education majors and Community Education majors in Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education Kathleen Wack’s PE 117 Lifetime and Recreational Sports class received a special treat recently, arranged by Grand Vue General Manager Craig White. They were able to test out the new park before it opened to the public, all at no cost to students.
“This opportunity added so much to their education here at WLU, we were grateful for the chance to explore and test the aerial course and see first hand an example of a professional setting for our students in these majors,” said Wack.
The aerial adventure course is a series of rope challenges that take place above the treetops—more than 60 feet in the air. Along with the physical challenges of improving strength, balance, coordination, and endurance, the high ropes course is more about the mental challenges.
The course creates metaphors for learning about risk-taking, thinking critically, taking on big tasks in little parts, and overcoming fear. Students also had a great time playing on the mega-jump, the euro trampoline, giant swing, climbing wall and rappelling wall.
Students also were led through the team building course, which consists of low ropes elements. All elements work on a series of target areas to strengthen communication, trust, teamwork, and respect within a group of individuals.
Initiatives included the trust fall, spider web, the wall, and the telephone pole challenge.
The “challenge by choice” mantra is in place throughout the day, which is another key concept in adventure programming, according to Wack.
“Such team-building activities are used often for athletic teams, schools, at-risk populations and business groups,” she said.
“The students finished the day-long adventure with a yummy dinner catered by Mason Dixon BBQ,” Wack said. WLU Alum Patrick Fisher started the barbecue restaurant after winning one of the Pitch Contests sponsored annually by the WLU Center for Entrepreneurship.
Students also listened to one of the trained team-building facilitators explain how to be a good instructor for these activities, sharing specifics about her career as an “adventure specialist.”
“It was a memorable, exciting opportunity for our students. We were thrilled to get an insider’s view of parks and recreation, the adventure tourism industry, and adventure education. These are three areas of career opportunities for physical education and/or community education majors, especially in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia,” said Wack.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos by Kathleen Wack.