You’re still trying to stay in shape, and not only do you not have the time—what with the part-time job, full-time school schedule and jam-packed social calendar—but maybe something about the gym environment turns you off and club sports seem too competitive.
We share a similar dilemma. I have been struggling to find solutions. As inches grow on my beltline, lately it seems I’m ruled by fear and trepidation…until now.
Starting this fall, the intramural sports program is making some changes to popular sports like soccer and basketball. In the past, the intramural program bracketed teams based on the level of competition, judged by each team’s first three games. Under this scheme it was conceivable to pair a hyper competitive team against a team playing for fun.
This year they retooled the Outdoor Soccer League by separating teams into competitive and recreational brackets before the first game was played.
With more control over their level of commitment, students have one less excuse to join. For instance, if you decided to play outdoor soccer this fall, you could just show up to games, play and be on your way.
If you’re like me, though, not aligned with a large group of friends, you might wonder how the teams are assembled. A captain might pick you from the free agent pool or, as Intramural Sports Coordinator Spencer Sorensen informed me, if there are enough free agents, they might end up all on one team.
The eight-on-eight outdoor soccer leagues begin Oct. 4, and four-on-four flag football starts Oct. 2. Sign-ups began Sept. 24, but the deadline isn’t until Oct. 4. The cost to join is $5 for free agents and $40 for a team.
Maybe you want to steer clear of the idea of team play, but still want the opportunity to run up and down a field and be involved in every play. Perhaps becoming an intramural sports official is your calling—but if you’re like me, fear of confrontation looms large.
“All of our games are student-officiated and trained in-house, so I think that’s one of the beauties of it; if we have a conduct issue where one of the players is choosing to be a poor sport toward the official, they’re being poor sports toward their fellow students. It certainly adds another level of accountability,” Sorensen said.
Traditional ball sports aren’t your bag? A Halloween dodgeball tournament (a new event) is slotted for this fall. Or maybe you and your friends have a better idea? If it’s reasonable and has legs beyond a one-time event, Sorensen is willing to field your suggestions.
Some of the more novel ideas coming later in the school year include an ultimate frisbee league and an indoor triathlon. The triathlon will be 20 minutes each of swimming, running and stationary cycling.
What a lot of people don’t know is that the triathlon can be performed as a team. Since you’re good at running, and I’m pretty good at swimming, maybe together we can find someone good at cycling and have a legitimate shot at this thing.
To learn more about the program, go to the intramurals office on the second floor of the Academic and Student Rec Center, or visit their website at pdx.edu/recreation/intramurals.