Fall intramurals' second session kicked off

Football is one of the most watched sports on all levels. College football games can attract up to 100,000 fans for one game, and the same is true for the NFL.

All over campus, students play pickup football games, but many students wanted a league where they could play competitively. Even though EMU does not have an intercollegiate football team, Recreational Sports created an intramural football league.

When asked why he loves to play intramural football, junior Jason Troyer said, "Playing football lets me experience a game I love on a campus that doesn't have a football team." The response to an intramural football league was extremely positive, and there are currently seven teams in the A League and five in the B League. For safety reasons, A League is for guys only, while B League is co-ed. By having two leagues, there is an opportunity for everyone to find a team to play on where they will enjoy the experience. As senior Kevin Beachy said, "A League can sometimes get overly competitive, but B League is a nice outlet for those who aren't as competitive."

This season of intramurals also includes co-ed indoor soccer, which also has a competitive A League and a more-for-fun B League. The overwhelming popularity of intramural soccer is shown by the 28 teams that play in the two leagues, with games going on almost every night of the week in the two gymnasium courts.

Recreational Sports is also offering another Midnight Madness Volleyball tournament this year. Co-ed teams will play in the tournament on Nov. 18, and the captains' meeting will be tonight at 7 p.m.

Intramural sports aren't all about competitiveness. According to Beachy, intramurals are much more than that. "Participating in intramurals is as much of a social thing as anything. It's a blast to be on the same team as your friends," said Beachy.

Intramural team names come from a variety of sources. Some come from songs, such as "Balls to the Walls" or from movies, such as "Beavers and Ducks." Some teams get more creative with their names. According to Mike Miller, his intramural soccer team's name, "Gray Anchael" is a combination of his roommates and his names.

These are just a few examples of team names--check out the schedule on the wall outside the game room to see more.