Were you a star athlete in high school, but got passed over by recruits? Do you pine for the days of recess and dodgeball? Hate working out but need some way to keep off the dreaded freshman fifteen?
Cal Poly intramural sports may be just what the doctor ordered. According to Greg Avakian, supervisor for the Recreation Center and head of IM sports, 10,000 participants played some form of intramural activity this year, making it one of the best ways on campus to escape from the stress of college.
“Our goal is to provide a non-academic outlet that provides a social atmosphere with a sense of competition and camaraderie,” Avakian said. “A place to leave your worries and studies behind for an hour and a half.”
The social atmosphere is one of the most valued aspects of the IM sports program.
“I really dig the attitudes of the competition; I’ve never had to play a dickhead team,” said business senior Ryan Crosbie, an IM participant for eight quarters.
The numbers break down to 3,500 players every quarter, although fall and spring participation is higher because of the availability of outdoor fields.
The actual number of students participating is unavailable due to students who compete in multiple leagues.
Participants can play as many sports as they like but are restricted to one team per sport.
A wide range of IM sports are offered at Cal Poly including basketball, flag football, soccer (9×9, indoor, and speed), slow-pitch softball and tennis.
The price for registering a team ranges from $100 to $150 depending on the number of referees needed for the game, with the exception of tennis, which is only $15 and is self-officiated.
Students have the choice of three divisions depending on their skill and the desired competition level.
“There are lots of variations with good competition, where you can compete against people of the same skill level,” Crosbie said.
Some of the most popular leagues are coed divisions; speed soccer (6×6 on a smaller field) had 771 participants last fall and 51.2 percent were female.
“I like intramurals because it gives me a chance to still play the sports I love without having to be very good,” mechanical engineering senior Lisa Dakis said.
Another option IM sports offers are one-day tournaments for off-beat competitions. The registration fee for all tournaments is $20 and possibilities include bowling, dodgeball, kickball, over the line (3×3 softball variation), sand volleyball, racquetball and whiffleball.
All members of winning teams, leagues and tournaments receive a free T-shirt proclaiming their athletic prowess.
If your competitive juices don’t flow this way and you’re too busy to get a job but need a few extra dollars on the side, all IM sports referees are students paid $8 per hour.
Intramural registration takes place during the first week of each quarter, with some leagues filling up in a matter of hours.