'It doesn't matter if you were a high school athlete,' IM sports offers something for everyone
Many new students will arrive with the idea that their days of playing sports competitively are behind them. Or so they think.
Students can keep their competitive nature alive, while hopefully avoiding the dreaded Freshman 15, by joining an intramural sport at Central Michigan University.
Intramural (IM) sports are organized sports and activities on campus ranging from familiar sports like football to activities like fantasy football and battleship.
Jen Nottingham, director of programs and administration for University Recreation, said she loves how these programs bring students together regardless of their athletic background.
“It doesn’t matter if you were a high school athlete,” Nottingham said. “It’s an opportunity to come together as a community and play and have some fun.”
Intramural sports team activities include basketball, flag football, volleyball and dodgeball for the fall. Individual activities include tennis, table tennis and fantasy football. Teams or individuals who win their sports championship matchup receive the coveted IM league championship T-shirt.
This year will also feature the programs inaugural euchre tournament, scheduled for Dec. 7.
“(Euchre) is a fun game that bring people together. Now you can try to win a shirt just by playing euchre,” Nottingham said.
CMU's intramural program offers a wide range of activities in attempt to include as many people as possible while creating activities to deal with a changing landscape.
“Sports are evolving,” Nottingham said. “Whether it’s a team sport to individual or duo sports, kind of the smaller one on one, to e-gaming, it’s a wide range of abilities and formats.”
Sparta junior Jared Gunhus began playing intramural sports as a freshman. He has participated in both indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball, volleyball and is trying flag football for the first time this fall.
“IM sports has helped me become more social due to my competitiveness,” Gunhus said.
Students can register teams or individuals at either urec.cmich.edu or imleagues.com/cmich. Sign-up periods for all fall sports are open now.
