Inside intramurals

"I am really pumped for floor hockey at EMU; it is an opportunity for friendly competition and team building...and they are just plain fun," said senior Jason Rutt.

Rutt is captain of an A-League team for floor hockey, one of the upcoming fall intramurals. Along with floor hockey, intramural tennis--both singles and doubles--and men's basketball will kick off the intramurals for EMU. Seasons for these sports begin Sept. 14, with the captains' meetings for floor hockey and basketball taking place on Sept.12.

Registration has already begun for the above-mentioned intramurals, and the last day to register is this coming Sunday. For anyone unfamiliar with the registration process, it is as simple as going to the Rec Sports webpage and following the steps to register. There are two ways to register: you can register as a member of a team, or individually, which means you will be placed on a team. The purpose of intramurals is to go out and have fun while making new friends and relaxing from what can be strenuous academic schedules.

Intramurals at EMU involve a great deal of the student body. According to Director of Recreational Sports Laurie Miller, approximately 63% of last years' students participated in at least one sport. One of Miller's goals for this upcoming year for intramurals is to take the "two new sports started last year [flag football and co-ed dodgeball], refine them and make them a permanent part of the overall program." In addition to the new sports added last year, this year has one new addition. A one-day sand volleyball tournament will be held October 8. Other fall intramurals that are not currently underway include golf, co-ed indoor soccer, flag football and midnight madness volleyball.

EMU's recreational sports department still has a few kinks that it has to work out in order for intramurals to run a little more smoothly. As of right now, the website is not complete, but when it is the website will show team standings, schedules, rules per sport and pictures of the champions in their victory shirts. Also, there is a current shortage in numbers for officials for the upcoming sports. Officials do not have to be work-study eligible and the pay is $10 for an A League game and $6 for a B League. If you have any interest in officiating contact Laurie Miller through the Rec Sports page online.

It is fun to have intramurals because of their diversity and sheer number. However, sometimes the sports overlap and students aren't able to participate like they want to. According to Miller, "last spring we were at maximum capacity during soccer, women's basketball and dodgeball," which all ran at the same time. The difficulty in adding new sports to the intramural lineup is having to deal with the overlaps. This can leave students having to choose which sport is more important.

The issue of fan participation, specifically during co-ed soccer, has yet to be fixed. Besides being able to play in intramurals, students also find it exciting to go and cheer on their friends as they compete. Most of the intramurals have good places for the fans to stand and participate. Floor hockey has the sidewalk, while all turf field sports have bleachers. Co-ed soccer is played in the gym, and the indoor track is the perfect place to stand as a fan. The problem is that after nine p.m. the track is closed and students must leave the area. That leaves students crowding downstairs to find a good viewing spot while trying not to get in the way of the games. The Rec Sports department is trying to find a way to fix this situation, but it is not completely in their control, as the Commons Council has oversight for the building. Miller did note that they would bring the issue up at the next meeting.