Sco rebook PIONEER
AT H L E T I C N E W S
MITCH CASEY
INTRAMURALS, RECREATION PROGRAMS SURGING ON CAMPUS
M
ykal Leslie ’11 can’t fathom how far Marietta’s intramural program has evolved since the “Dark Ages” of the 1980s and 1990s. Few competitions, minimal student participation and limited space were all characteristics for nearly two decades. “I’ve heard alumni and some faculty talk about how bad it was then, but what I see now is completely different,” he says. “Surprisingly the people involved with intramurals actually have a fairly close-knit community and we all enjoy setting up the different sport seasons and going out on the field/court and competing with one another.” Since the opening of the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center in 2003, participation in intramurals and recreation has more than quadrupled, says DBRC Director Bill Vincent. Approximately 25 percent of the student body participates in intramurals—the most popular sports are vol-
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SPRING 2011
leyball (30 teams) and basketball (27 teams). Other intramural options usually include flag football, indoor soccer, softball, dodgeball, kick ball, wiffle ball, wallyball and racquetball with an outdoor sand volleyball court just built in April. A study by the National Intramurals Recreation Sports Association found that students involved in campus recreation, combined with a balanced schedule, showed greater alertness in classes and enjoyment of their college experience. “When a sport season approaches you always hear a lot of chatter amongst students everywhere on campus anxious to put a team together to showcase their skills or just have fun,” Leslie says. “I think in college there are many students who love to play sports and maybe don’t because they are more focused academically. Intramurals gives them an opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves no matter what