I’m sure you’ve already heard people telling you the importance of joining clubs and getting involved on campus, yet I have never heard specifics as to why. I can’t tell you about every club we have here at Winona State, but I can give you some very good reasons for one of the university’s more popular activities–intramural sports.
Photo by: Kelsa Katzfey ’21
WSU seniors Kevin Robertson and Brett Lubinski, both majoring in public relations and minoring in advertising, have been heavily involved in intramural sports their entire college career. So much so that Kevin is the Head Official for intramurals and Brett is the Student Director of intramural sports. So, naturally, I reached out to both of them to get their expert advice on how joining intramural sports can make you an overall better student.
Photo by Brooke Powell ’21
1. School Pride
“If you constantly battle with yourself on whether you chose the right school, I strongly encourage you to join intramurals! Being involved in your school will change your whole perspective. It changed mine. I feel a greater connection to the school, and met hundreds of people along the way. Not to mention the pride you feel when you get a big win, or even a coveted championship t-shirt. In my opinion, those are the greatest college memories.”
– Brett Lubinski ‘19
Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
2. Time Management
“I’ve learned great time management skills by joining IMs because I play and ref for basketball and football. So, juggling my schedule with these commitments has helped me both in and out of the classroom.”
– Kevin Robertson ‘19
Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
3. Sense of Community
Having friendships and a sense of community are key factors to succeeding academically and forming a support system. “I have made some great networking connections and lifelong friends from joining WSU intramurals. Everyone is out there to have a good time and get some good exercise.”
– Kevin Robertson ‘19
Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
4. Team Building
“If there is one thing about college, you need to be able to work as a team to complete things. Both in the classroom and on the playing field. Through playing intramural sports, you learn how to work together to reach a common goal. Recognizing how each person works on the team, or establishing team chemistry, is a huge part of your overall success. This can be applied to sports, and life as a whole.”
– Brett Lubinski ‘19
Photo by Kelsa Katzfey ’21
5. Relax
“I get really stressed out about my grades. I can never seem to shut off my brain about upcoming assignments. My outlet has been dance or going to the gym, but the positive impact that intramural sports has is the same. You have to focus on something else to take your mind off of the stress. Give your brain a break and your body a nice little dose of serotonin!”
– Sami Johnson ‘19
Photo by Kelsa Katzfey ’21
6. Exercise
“One of the most frustrating things about college is trying to find time to squeeze a workout in your busy schedule. Intramural sports are a fun, exciting way to get your exercise in. By the time the game is over, you will have worked up a sweat and more importantly, got your exercise in for the day.”
– Brett Lubinski ‘19
Still On the Fence?
“Just do it. You won’t regret it. I have made some of my best friends by joining intramurals and it has made my time here at WSU much more memorable.”
– Kevin Robertson ‘19
“Everyone that plays is very welcoming and accepting of all different talent levels.”
– Brett Lubinski ‘19
Photo by Kelsa Katzfey ’21
The next round of intramurals will happen after spring break so be sure to get signed up! All you have to do is go through the first floor of the IWC, and pick up the roster waiver and schedule. Then, you field your team for whatever sport you choose and turn the roster back in at the IWC front desk.
You can also follow @WinonaStateIMs on Twitter for updates on sign-ups and other information throughout the semester.
– Updated by Hailey Seipel (06/21/2019)
