As this fall's intramural sports enter the heart of their season, they continue to be a popular part of undergraduate life.
Up to two-thirds of the student body takes part in intramural games throughout the year, with about a dozen programs running at any point. The most popular tend to be basketball, indoor and outdoor soccer, softball, flag football and tennis.
The program includes the First-Year Student Program, which designates events specifically for first-year students: soccer, volleyball, flag football, basketball. The program also includes an All-Sports Day early in the fall.
Some students said that aside from providing athletic activities, the program also builds camaraderie.
"It's a good way to build community in the dorm," said freshman Andrew Card. "Nothing brings kids in a dorm closer than athletic rivalries, and it's a fun way to get some exercise."
All leadership positions on teams are filled by students, and most scheduling for events is done online through the self-scheduling system. Roy Skinner, director of intramurals, said the system makes starting a team easy.
"A group of guys get together and say, OLets form a basketball team,'" Skinner said. "If they want to play serious or not serious, we enable a person to do that."
Like all organizations on campus, the intramurals program must deal with the issue of funding. However, by touching so many people, Skinner said that whenever an intramural sport requires more money--in order to use athletic space, for example--University funds are usually available.
"Suppose I had 300 basketball teams," Skinner said. "That would require more money."
Outdoor competitions take place on fields on East and West Campuses. Most indoor competitions take place in Brodie Gym, Wilson Recreation Center and the Intramurals Building.
"[WilRec] has really helped satisfy our indoor needs," Skinner said, adding that basketball uses much of the space. As many as 200 basketball teams take part in before-season fall competitions. Seven weeks of regular-season basketball follow, leading to playoffs in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
With a multitude of sports, a high percentage of the student population participating, and team captains ranging from independents to fraternity and sorority members, the intramural program receives widespread support both financially and socially. "I personally think we have a really good program," Skinner said. "It's well-received, and it's well-funded."
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