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By the students, for the studentsIntramurals are all about you, you, you. Go team!by Laura YlijokiPhotos by Jennifer Bennett You were the star of your high school athletic team. But somehow you didn't get that four-year, full scholarship to play in college, right? You're not alone. A lot of other Gators got the shaft, too.
The list of possible sports to participate in is endless, according to Dr. Douglas DeMichele, assistant director of recreational sports. Besides the before mentioned sports, basketball, softball, tennis, racquetball, golf, track and swimming round out the list. Last year, more than 24,000 students took advantage of the intramural program. That's a lot of future Michael Jordans, Steve Youngs, Sammy Sosas, and Mia Hamms running around. Teams in most sports compete in round-robin season games and in single-elimination playoffs. Several special events take place once a semester. For basketball enthusiasts there is a 3-point shoot out, and for baseball fans a homerun contest is held. For the student who simply doesn't have the time to play once a week, the intramural program hasn't forgotten about you. Several one- or three-day tournaments take place throughout the school year, including a flag football tournament, softball classic and golf tournament. These tournaments also are open to non-UF students. So, if your best friend goes to Santa Fe Community College, he or she can participate, too. We know, we know, you're thinking, "There are way too many exciting sports to choose from to showcase my athletic abilities." The choices actually are just beginning. Besides choosing a name for your team, like the Barenaked Gators or the Sisters With Attitude (real team names, we promise), or which one of you should act as captain, now you also have to choose which league to join. Should you star in the women's or men's individual leagues, the sorority or fraternity leagues, the recreational men's or women's leagues (which aren't quite as competitive because they have no playoffs). Or maybe you classify into the grad student/faculty/staff league? Then, you need to choose if you want both gals and guys on your team, and if you want to play in the co-ed competitive or the co-ed recreational. Oy! If you want to play singles games so you can bask in the glory of a win or suck up the bitterness of a defeat alone, then racquetball and tennis offer individual matches. If you like to go to the Swamp to celebrate a win with your Campus Club buddies, then there is team racquetball and tennis, 3-on-3 basketball, 3-on-3 flag football, 3-on-3 volleyball.
Wow. So many choices, so little time. The flip side to this is not all of the sports are offered in every league so be sure to check all the facts before you and your eight Jennings Hall pals sign up. Oh yeah, you still want to know what the heck pickleball is, don't you? DeMichele says it is played like tennis but on a badminton court with wiffle paddles. "Everyone has fun doing it," DeMichele says, so you have no excuse not to try it on for size. You never know when it, too, might turn into an Olympic sport. Crazier things have. Table tennis? Synchronized swimming? And instead of gold-plated trophies like those presented at the end-of-the-year high school banquet, you get a free T-shirt if you win. Win the entire campus championship, that is. Nothing for you good sports who finished in fifteenth. Thanks for playing, bud. The T-shirt makes a great workout shirt says economics senior Amy Freeman, who was a member of the campus champ volleyball team her freshman year. Some winners do get exta-incredible prizes. Last year, both the men's and women's league winners the Red Zone Challenge won free tickets to the SEC Championship in Atlanta. Makes you want to go sign up right now and play, doesn't it?
By now, if you are not interested in playing intramurals and you're still reading this, we're impressed. For you, there's a cool alternative. You can be an official University of Florida referee. Do this only if you are a fair, patient person. It causes headaches for everyone involved if you're not. Greg Hare, a senior in advertising, has had his share of bad refs. "My sophomore year I played for the Chi Phi soccer team," Hare says. "We were playing and the refs were being very inconsistent. We had a lot of fans out there, and when the refs started missing calls, which led to the opposition scoring a goal to take the lead." The fans started to become rowdy and the refs failed to mention to the crowd that their rowdiness could result in the loss of participation points, which are crucial in making the playoffs. "Once the refs took away our points, we had to ask our fans not to come to the remainder of our games so we could make it to the playoffs." That just sucks. But if you know you would never make such a blunder, then head over to room 200 of the SWRC at the beginning of the semester. You will be trained by competent UF staff and be on your merry way. Last but definitely not least, if none of the above holds any interest for you, be a spectator. All games and matches are played on campus at the SWRC and Norman, McGuire, Hume, Lake Alice and Flavet fields. You might even meet the future star shortstop of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays playing slow pitch softball on a warm spring night. After four or five years here at good ol' UF, there better be one heck of a good reason you didn't play intramurals at least one semester. It's a great way to meet people, get exercise and fresh air. Really, why not? You're paying for it anyway.
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There's still a way to show off your SportsCenter Clip-of-the-Week talents. The University of Florida Intramural Department has a place for all you superstars. Whether you have skills in volleyball, soccer, or football - or a more unusual expertise in wallyball, bowling or pickleball - intramurals are the way to go.
Here's how: At the beginning of each semester, read The Independent Florida Alligatorfor registration times of the various sports. Then make your way to the Southwest Recreation Center or the Student Health and Fitness Center and sign up. There is also info on the web at