Future for intramurals looks bright as flag football kicks off

Graduate student Jesus Garcia prepares for a throw in a game for last year’s intramural football program. Photo courtesy of Riley Grenier

Intramural sports is looking to amplify its impact on campus, with goals to expand on both the number of sports and students involved.

The program currently only offers football, with games held on Grellier Field on Saturday nights for the duration of the fall semester. Upcoming intramural sports include basketball, which will begin in the next few weeks, and potential for sports such as kickball, dodgeball, and pickleball to operate in the spring. There are currently 64 students involved in football, with hopes to increase that number as more sports are offered.

Currently running the intramural program is graduate student Riley Grenier. Grenier says he believes intramurals provide a great opportunity for all students to participate in athletics.

“It is a small school, and a lot of the people on campus are athletes, which I think is a big part of the sell. But I think a lot of people are not involved in athletics as well,” said Grenier, “so it's kind of to give those people a chance to be involved in a structured athletics sort of thing without being on a varsity team. And for people who maybe don't have a lot of friends or are kind of introverted to have a chance to get out of their shell and get on a team and have that kind of team camaraderie.”

Graduate student Jesus Garcia claims intramurals have provided him an opportunity to participate in more sports on campus. “I love being on the men's volleyball team, but intramurals give me the chance to try or play other sports that I already did growing up. I'm able to just go out there and have fun without having to think about whether I'm doing the right thing or doing my role on my team,” said Garcia.

For the athlete population of the club, Grenier additionally stresses the way intramurals can translate into campus athletics.

Ryan Fuller participating in last years intramural football, which is being run again this semester with additional sports being introduced. Photo courtesy of Riley Grenier

“I want to try to intertwine the teams as much as possible because we're all in the same community. So I want to be sure everyone gets along with each other and is intermingling with each other. The more friends you have on other teams, the more you're going to support their games and you're gonna bring your friends and vice versa,” said Grenier.

Junior sports management major Pierce Clare says participating in intramural sports provides him with a break from all of his other responsibilities, explaining that “this is once a week for an hour, there is no downside if you lose, and it's just a great way to disconnect from anything negative that you're experiencing and enjoy time with your friends.”

While interest for the club seems to be steady, Grenier still has long term goals for expanding the number of people involved, particularly women.