By Celeste Fendt
At Spring Arbor University (SAU), intramurals are not all about winning. They are recreational sports outside of the school’s athletic department meant to bring people together and grow the community. In addition to the healthy competition, intramurals promote exercise and outreach among students, since students from all grades can participate, including commuters.
“Our goal is to foster community and bring people together from different areas of campus to provide fun and exciting events,” Cecilia (C.C.) Said, the Intramural Director for the Student Government Association (SGA), said.
Teams are determined by SGA and are generally split up by floor, house or wing. However, some sports, like ultimate frisbee and basketball, give students the option of creating a co-ed team. Commuters also have their own team, but an individual commuter student may be drafted by another group. Faculty members, their spouses or even the president can be drafted as well.
Each season typically runs for three to four weeks. One or two weeks at the end are reserved for a single or double elimination tournament, depending on the sport and the student turnout.
Said has been involved with intramurals since her freshman year. For her first two years at SAU, Said took on the role of floor captain for the dorm she lived in.
Because of her love for sports, Said decided to apply for the Intramural Programmer position for her junior year, which is more hands-on.
“[The programmers are] the ones who are out on the field making sure that everything’s going well,” she said.
Now, as a senior, Said is the Director of Intramurals for SGA. Her job consists of creating schedules for all the intramural sports seasons and making sure the intramural mission is carried out.
Said encourages all students to participate. “We’re all there to just have a good time and make new friends,” she said. “Just go for it.”
The first intramural event, the Block Party, includes sand volleyball and basketball tournaments. It will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9. The first day of the sand volleyball season is the following Monday, Sept. 11.
For more information on how to become involved, come to the first volleyball game, visit the SAU app or contact an SGA representative.
