Intramurals let students keep their game
by Kristy Tiesing, posted Oct. 13, 2008
Not every high school sports star goes to college on a full ride ready for an exciting year of big games, screaming fans and the envy of all the “little” people. Although they are not playing, their love of the game continues. Now, what does one do when the game seems to have ended? This is your chance to discover one of the many wonderful benefits of college, intramurals.
Intramurals give students the chance to play almost any sport while staying competitive. There are many different ways to sign up, whether it is with a sorority or fraternity, a residence hall or just a group of friends interested in the sport.
I played club soccer throughout my childhood and into high school. Coming to college I was really upset at the thought of losing that. When the idea of intramurals was presented, my worries weren’t exactly at ease. I imagined a team consisting of people who thought it would be fun to play but had never actually touched a ball.
I was given the opportunity to play intramural soccer with my sorority. I had really missed the sport and couldn’t wait to get on the field for our first game. The intensity and level of competition really surprised me. All of the girls really got into it. There was hardly a difference between my intramural games and my high school games; except the field was significantly smaller than what I was used to in high school. My team practiced regularly, and each girl on the team had good dedication and expectations for our team.
College sports teams can be time consuming and intense, and it can be difficult to become involved. Intramurals are a way to continue to play the game, whether it be soccer, football, volleyball or another sport, in a laid back manner.
However, don’t think that intramurals are for people who have never even played a sport. They are competitive, but fun.
“I love getting to play soccer still, it was one of the things I missed most,” MU student Sara Spiess said. “The games are competitive and people really get into it.”
When you come to college, you may leave many things behind but thanks to intramurals, your game won’t be one of them.
