At most schools, Fairfield included, athletic notoriety belongs to the select few who achieve the Division I status. However, at Fairfield, there are between 600 and 900 students participating in intramural athletics.
“Well right now we’re having basketball and floor hockey. We have men’s A, men’s B and co-ed for basketball. We have a total of 53 teams just with basketball and for floor hockey we have 13 teams,” said Ian Diaz ‘13, the Graduate Assistant for Recreation.
Intramurals finished up their fall season where they ran flag football, soccer and volleyball. After the winter season, they will move onto spring intramurals and indoor soccer and softball.
Beyond the sports that are run through intramurals, there are also events that are open to all students and are a collaborative effort between intramurals and other organizations on campus.
“We just had an event with Cancer Crusher, a dodgeball tournament. It was a great turnout. We had music,” said Diaz. “We had a bunch of teams that came; it was great.”
Regardless of what the event is with intramurals, the positive effect they have had on the participants is palpable.
“It’s a way to get out of the dorm. It’s a way to compete with your classmates. It’s a way to get new friends. You know, one of my closest friends, I met them playing soccer with them. So it’s obviously great. It’s competition and it obviously helps you stay fit,” said Diaz.
There are clear benefits to the hundreds of students who turn out every week for intramurals. It brings students together into teams, and promotes a healthy competition between students at the university.
It also bridges gaps between grades, as well as between commuters and on-campus students.
“I would definitely really like to get the commuter population more here at the RecPlex. I would definitely say we want to increase diversity with bringing commuters and increasing the [participation of the] female population,” said Diaz.
For the people that have already been involved with intramurals, there is an opportunity to get leadership experience might not be available in a classroom setting.
“Our goal, and what I believe intramurals is, is you want a break from the academic life. We want to give kids leadership experience, but not really tie them into classroom leadership,” said Diaz.
Regardless of whether you are one of the athletes or a leader, intramurals are a valuable asset to students across Fairfield’s campus.
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