The bright lights of the Naimoli Athletic Complex suddenly turn on, shining brighter than ever. It’s 10 p.m. and only one thing is on your mind: the intramural game at hand. The cheers of faint applause from your three loyal fans can be heard in the distance as your team charges onto the field with more bravado than a Terry Crews Old Spice commercial. Classes are over for the day and it’s time to get down to business.
Yes, it’s only an intramural game, but to you, the casual sportsman, it’s everything. This is your chance to unwind, to show the world that music majors can play sports too, that biology aficionados can throw a pretty mean fastball and math nerds can do more than just keep score.
At UT, intramural sports are a common staple in the average student’s lifestyle. And why wouldn’t they be? Intramural sports require only a few hours of time per week out of your busy schedule and offer a chance for students to learn new skills–all without the rigorous pressures of being an NCAA athlete.
“I think students take intramurals so seriously because most [people] have played organized sports in the past and still have that competitive mindset when playing the game. Even though the outcome doesn’t actually count, they still want to win,” said freshman finance major John Tacconi.
It’s clear that the university also considers them to be a valuable commodity to the school, considering the newly built athletic complex is officially titled The Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex, and club sports are often emphasized by UT tour guides looking to persuade potential students to attend school here.
According to Chris Gottlick, UT’s resident intramural sports coordinator, nearly a third of UT’s population participated in intramural sports this year alone. “This year we’ve had close to 2,000 unique participants. When considering all sports across the board and repeat customers, there have been nearly 4,000 participations. We are very satisfied with those numbers, though we continue to strive to reach more students,” Gottlick said.
That being said, the University of Tampa is not the only school to have been taken captive by this national sports epidemic. In fact, almost every university across the country provides some kind of club sport program for students to enjoy, ranging all the way from flag football to quidditch. According to the Princeton Review, Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. ranked first in overall intramural sport participation in 2013, tallying about 92 percent of students participating in intramural sports at least once in their college careers.
Perhaps the biggest draw of intramural sports at UT is the ability to register and form a team with ease. Any student or faculty member can create a team on the third party website IMLeagues.com and must only render $20 forfeit deposit as collateral to create a team.
Though the system is fairly easy to access, the entire infrastructure is not flawless. Many believe improvement is needed in the refereeing department, since many of the players double as referees.
“It’s not fair to have students that play in the [particular] sport also reffing other games in that sport. It’s a conflict of interest,” said sophomore sports management major Mike Ames.
The website also allows students to see the schedule for the upcoming week and even displays every user’s win-loss record and career statistics, so you can boast about that one time you went undefeated in dodgeball.
Speaking of dodgeball, intramurals offer a wide variety of eclectic sports that aren’t often played at the collegiate or professional level. Where else can you play unique sports such as ultimate frisbee, floor hockey or indoor soccer in a competitive setting?
Once you’ve finally convinced your friends to join your latest athletic endeavor, it’s imperative that you and your cronies invent a creative nickname, preferably something that coincide with the sport you’re playing. A softball team nicknamed “Got the Runs” or an ultimate frisbee team named the “Disc-iples” are two prime examples of a perfect blend of creativity and originality.
It may sound peculiar, but intramural sports are like a buffet. They offer a wide range of selections and you can try all of them as long as you don’t put too much on your plate. Some leave a good taste, while others could have easily been skipped.
Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin.guinta@theminaretonline.com.