UC Davis athletes of every skill level looking for some healthy competition need not try out for official Aggie teams to get involved in their favorite sports. Intramural (IM) sports have you covered.
Campus Recreation offers men’s, women’s and coed sports ranging from basketball to floor hockey to inner tube water polo.
All UC Davis undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to play, and UC Davis faculty, staff, alumni and university affiliates must purchase an IM card to participate. In the 2010-11 school year, 20,000 UC Davis affiliates participated in 27 different sport activities.
This year, UC Davis Student Housing is implementing a new program, the Res Hall Cup, for students living in the residence halls.
“We got feedback from students last year who were asking for a better way to participate in not only intramural sports, but also within their resident community,” said Richard Ronquillo, assistant director for Student Housing.
For students living in Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto, Student Housing will pay the entry fee for one team per sport for 65 housing communities. A housing community might consist of a single floor or an entire building, depending on the number of residents.
Each intramural team must register with a resident advisor and participate in the Res Hall league to earn points.
“It’s almost like a decathlon, where you can earn points for how you do in a variety of sports,” said Ben Dao, Campus Recreation intramural sports coordinator.
The housing community with the most points over all of the intramural sports wins the Res Hall Cup, a trophy that will have the community’s name and year engraved. Team members will receive free IM T-shirts and a group photograph that will join other winners lining the Wall of Fame in the entrance of the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC).
“The goal of the program is to get students involved in intramurals for the rest of their time here,” Ronquillo said.
Campus Recreation hosts various intramural games on Sundays from 1 to 11 p.m. and Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. They are also planning for Thursday and Friday Res Hall league games.
Besides the intramural sports that run throughout the quarter, there are also tournaments on select weekends. This quarter, there will be cornhole, badminton and futsal tournaments. This is the first year futsal, a version of indoor soccer, will be offered.
“We don’t really have space or resource to offer [the tournaments] for 10 weeks, but you still have the same incentives to participate in those programs,” Dao said.
IM league play is typically five weeks long, with each team playing one game per week. Based on record, fair play and rating score, teams are seeded in a playoff bracket, which lasts one to three weeks.
The “B” division is the most popular, with “A” being the more competitive of the two.
“[The divisions] are just an opportunity for those teams to play against teams of similar ability and skill,” Dao said.
The entry fee for non-officiated or officiated team sports is $30 or $50 per team, respectively. Individual or dual sports cost $10 per team. Campus Recreation trains and hires referees at the beginning of every quarter.
League winners earn free t-shirts and a group photograph on the Wall of Fame.
“It’s fun to have a free t-shirt and to know that you were the best out of everyone that you played, and it’s cool to have your picture in the ARC,” said Michelle Sims, junior international relations and Spanish double major.
According to Dao, participating in intramural sports not only benefits players’ health, but it can also create a sense of community and belonging.
“You have the opportunity to network and socialize with your friends in a fun and competitive environment,” Dao said.
Dao also said most teams typically do not practice between games.
“The beauty of IM is it’s pretty informal. It’s just a chance for people to take a break.”
Sims said intramurals are a good way to meet people and enjoy the sport without as much pressure.
“It’s also a good way to play a sport that you like without having to dedicate as much time as would be required if you were on a club,” she said.
GRACE BENEFIELD can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
