With the spring quarter well underway, student clubs, events and activities are in full bloom. Among them is spring intramural sports, a prized facilitator of student involvement at Western Washington University.
Any night from Sunday to Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight, teams can be found scattered throughout campus recreation facilities, courts and fields competing and having fun playing their respective sports.
The intramural team fosters fun, sportsmanship and inclusivity throughout the program. Lucy Caples, intramural and youth camps coordinator, said intramurals were made for students who don't consider themselves athletes. The intramural staff have made a point to enact specific rules to ensure all skill levels get equal opportunity to participate.
“We also sometimes divide leagues into competitive and recreational to encourage people to participate at the level they feel the most comfortable,” Caples said.
Each quarter, Western offers a new selection of organized sports and tournaments to students. Tournament play is a one-day occurrence where teams compete against each other in brackets, and the cost per team is $15. Team play leagues have play-times once a week. Students may sign up individually for free, or as a team for $100 or less.
Individuals who sign up for intramurals separate from an organized team are called free agents. They are sorted into teams lacking members, or if the number of free agents is high enough, they are sorted into a team made up of only free agents. This method of participation is beneficial for students who face financial barriers to participation or for those seeking to find new connections through recreation, said Jacob Lubkowski, student supervisor and official for intramural sports.
Though registration for regular team intramurals is currently closed, several upcoming competitions and tournaments are still open for sign-ups including 2-versus-2 spike ball, the 3-point shootout competition and 2-versus-2 cornhole. Sports offered in the spring include flag football, volleyball, soccer, baseball and basketball, with options for recreational, competitive and open play.
Caples said intramural sports allow all participants to play with the gender in which they identify, and most leagues are open for co-ed play.
Western provides four separate tiers of recreation and sport opportunities for students throughout each school year, said Caitlin Sommers, assistant director of campus recreation. This includes varsity sports, the highest competitive level available to students, as well as club sports that compete with other college club teams. The third tier of campus athletics is intramural sports, followed by open recreation play.
“We’re just trying to provide recreational opportunities for every student wherever that fits,” Sommers said.
While the Wade King Student Recreation Center is open every day of the week for pickup games, exercise classes, weightlifting or climbing, intramural sports offer experiences beyond open or individual play, and the organizational structure of the program is a notable draw toward intramurals said Eliot Kimbal, a frequent intramural basketball player.
“It's nice to have scheduled time to play,” Kimbal said. “It's nice to have that competitive, structured and refereed game once a week.”
The intramural staff and coordinators keep record of the teams sportsmanship during the games to ensure friendly and fun play. Student supervisors keep a record of the team’s attitudes and actions during games, and revoke points from a team if they do not display respect to other teams or employees. Teams start the season with four points, a number that contributes to their ability to make the playoffs.
“In order to make the playoffs, you have to maintain sportsmanship on your record. Just winning doesn't impact your ability to get in the playoffs; you can get knocked out if you're not being a good sport,” Lubkowski said. “You can even get a higher sportsmanship score if you're cheering on the other team, congratulating the other team and just having a good time overall.”
Beyond the ingrained rules and measures taken to ensure equal opportunity and fun, intramural team structures foster connection and community among students, said Caples.
“We have a very tight-knit community here at Western, so participating in intramural sports can make you feel a part of a different type of community,” Caples said. “When you participate with IMs, we do our best to encourage positive interaction between your own team and opponent. We hope that these respectful and positive interactions at a competitive level encourage participants to feel connected socially with their community.”
Most information regarding intramural sports can be found on the WWU intramurals Instagram page, the campus rec webpage and IMleagues, where teams or individuals may register to play.
Lynn Piefer (she/her) is a campus life reporter for The Front, she is a visual journalism major. Outside of her academics, Lynn is a practice player for the WWU club volleyball team, and a Lakewood Boathouse attendant. Beyond school, Lynn is typically found outside involved in some recreation activity or another, exploring Bellingham, or dropping in on events throughout town and campus. You can reach her at lynncpiefer.thefront@gmail.com.
