Are you looking for something fun to do with your friends? Something to keep you active? Something that isn’t too much of a time commitment? If so, intramural sports are the thing for you!
What are intramurals, you ask? According to the intramural sports page, the program “provides Winona State University and Southeast Technical College students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to participate in a variety of competitive and recreational activities.”
WSU offers many different options for intramurals from women’s basketball to coed soccer. There will be eleven different sports leagues this semester alone, so you are bound to find your fit.
You may be thinking, “Competitive? Um, no way.” Or, “I never played sports in high school, why would I play now?” But don’t let the fear of not being good enough hold you back from joining. Intramurals welcome everyone no matter what your skill level is.
Last year I played basketball with many girls that had never played before. As it turns out, they were the girls that had the most fun and ended up being some of our best players on the team! Trust me when I say all skill levels are welcome.
Another thing that often holds students back from joining intramurals is time. As midterms are quickly approaching, you may find yourself itching to get out of your stuffy dorm. However, the stack of textbooks on your desk and the ridiculous amount of homework that keeps piling up makes you feel guilty for wanting to get out and be active. The feeling is mutual. I often want to go play basketball with my friends or go for a run or simply go walk around for some fresh air, but then I shame myself for neglecting my studies.
However, I have found that the days I take time to get some exercise, I am more focused and more productive. As college students, we really need to make sure that we are being active and not cooping ourselves up. Intramurals are an easy way to do that!
Intramurals are not a very big commitment. It is only one hour of your time each week. More often than not, there are substitutes on your team that can fill in for you if you are absolutely swamped and unable to come. I love intramurals for this reason. It is one scheduled hour in my week that I know I am being active and getting some good exercise, all while having some fun with my friends.
I was a three-sport athlete in high school. Softball, basketball, volleyball and even a year of cross-country mixed in there. However, when I came to college last year I had no desire to play any sports. I didn’t even want to play a pick-up game of basketball. I was burnt out, honestly. Nevertheless, after taking a break from organized sports for almost a whole year, I started to get “the itch” again…the competitive itch to lace up my sneakers, step out on the court, and be part of a team again.
Last year I joined a women’s basketball intramural team made up of my close friends from my campus ministry, Chi Alpha. It was a ball, pun intended. Playing the game I love (second to softball of course), getting some good exercise, and having fun with my friends in the process was a wonderful experience. I loved it so much that I even joined a coed volleyball intramural team with my friends for the second half of the year!
I have had a great experience with intramurals here at WSU so far. I would strongly encourage you to check it out this semester because I think you will have a great experience just as I did. I think you will be surprised by the welcoming atmosphere and by how much fun you can have in just one hour in a sweaty, smelly gym. That may not sound too convincing, but trust me, you should sign up!
To get involved with WSU intramurals this semester, check out the entire semester schedule.
In order to play, you need to join a team and sign a roster. Just be prepared to give a $40 deposit when signing up a team, but you will get this money back as long as your team doesn’t forfeit.
So, clear one hour out of your weekly schedule to have some fun, be active, make some friends and even re-live your high school glory years. You won’t regret it!