Intramurals sporty way to beat wintertime blues

By Jessica Boyd

Are you looking for a great way to stay fit and hang out with friends during winter quarter? Then intramurals is the thing for you. This quarter, Pat Malley Fitness Center is offering a number of intramural sports for students to participate in. They include basketball, table tennis and soccer. Although the deadline for signups has passed, there's always enough room for spectators.

Intramurals are a great way to stay in shape. What's even better is that you can get some exercise, have a great time and bond with friends all at the same time. Since intramurals are based on team signups and no one is just placed on a team. Intramurals are the perfect place to either create some memories for you and some friends or meet new people who share some type of common interest with you. Katie Hansen, who played intramural basketball winter 2002 and winter 2003, says "I definitely met new people during intramurals. I had a lot of fun meeting and becoming friends with my teammates, and finding out that we already had mutual friends. It was also fun playing against other teams where I knew people." Intramurals are an easy way to spend more time with friends, especially when busy schedules cut in on your hanging out time. What better way to hang out than on a court or on a field, getting some exercise and fresh air and just having fun?

Along with being an excuse to hang out, intramurals are a fun and easy way to get a workout. The best part is that you probably won't even think of it as a workout, but rather just a good time with friends. Between practices and games, you can't help but make some calories disappear and feel healthy overall, especially on game days. The only thing to remember with intramurals is that you'll get out what you put in. If you never practice, besides maybe losing a few games, you probably won't feel like you're getting a workout, unless you do some kind of other athletic activity. If you just play on game days and that's it, intramurals probably won't be the workout that it could be for you. Concerning intramurals as a substitute for a workout, Katie Hansen had this to say "On game days I definitely felt like I got a workout, but I also had cross country practice in the mornings, so maybe that had something to do with it. We never practiced on other days though, so I definitely don't think that just playing one intramural game a week is enough to stay fit."

Some pros and cons to intramurals are that you may not always win or feel like you're getting the experience out of it that you thought you would. Xavier Nazario, who played intramural basketball in winter 2003 and was captain of his softball team during spring 2003 had this to say, "Play in the least competitive division and just have fun. Intramurals are fun, competitive, a good way to exercise and if you win, you'll earn a t-shirt and bragging rights for the whole year." Whatever your sport, be it basketball, soccer or table tennis, odds are that somewhere you'll be able to find a niche in the wide world of intramurals. Offered each quarter, they are a great way to bond with friends and have a great time while at Santa Clara. So sign up and give them a try. The worst that can happen is that you'll lose a game, but you won't lose out on the experience.