With the start of the second semester, Campus Recreation gets ready for a new season of intramural sports. Starting Jan. 26, intramural basketball commenced at the O’Pake Recreation Center, allowing students to play basketball against other groups in a five on five matchup.
The intramurals allow students to participate in a variety of sports in a men’s, women’s or co-ed league. Alex Kissinger, recreation coordinator for Campus Recreation, runs and organizes the programs throughout the year, including flag football, floor hockey, indoor soccer and others.
For some, intramural sports can be stress relieving yet also spark that competitive nature. With academics and other priorities, club sports may not be an option for everyone, Kissinger explained.
“For club sports, they need a specific GPA, they need to be at practices all the time, it costs a lot of money and the commitment is far higher,” Kissinger said. “Some students prefer the casual playstyle and just come out to have fun.”
Already capped in available teams and players, men’s intramural basketball tops the list in participation with 29 teams. Kissinger attributes the popularity to students having a history of playing the sport.
“I think a lot of students grew up playing recreational basketball or high school basketball,” Kissinger said. “So I think it grabs their attention because of the tournament atmosphere it brings.”
Senior Will Rietzke, captain of the Shanghai Sharks, joined for the love of basketball.
“I like playing competitive basketball,” Rietzke said. “I haven’t had the opportunity to do so since high school. It’s competitive but not over-competitive. It’s just guys that love basketball.”
Senior Alec Kerr said he plays to have fun, but also enjoys the competitiveness of the league.
“This is my third year playing intramural basketball and it’s been a blast,” Kerr said. “It’s a good way to play with your friends in an organized setting. With that said, it can get competitive at times as each team wants to come out on top.”
For those looking for even less competitive games, there’s also a recreation league that started on Jan. 27, and will play on every Monday.
“I don’t think many students here are aware of the intramural program here at St. Joe’s,” Kissinger said. “I think those that do participate and compete find it extremely important.”
The winner of both the co-ed and men’s intramural basketball leagues will go on to play in a tournament against the other City 6 schools.
