SSports

What Is Intramural Sports? Techniques, Rules, Pros, And Cons

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  • March 3, 2024

One great way to stay fit as a student at college is by taking part in Intramural sports activities- These programs are organized within the school to keep students and staff motivated.

Rather than hiring a personal trainer, you can participate in IM sports, have fun, and also meet your health and fitness goals.

However, before you participate in any sporting activities, you must learn the rules and techniques and, the pros, cons, and, benefits involved in the game.

In this article, you will learn some skills and other interesting facts about IM sports that you never knew.

Table of contents

What Is Intramural Sports?

Intramural Sports are recreational sports organized within a particular constitution, usually an educational union, or a set geographic area. according to wikipedia.org.

Intramural (derives from the Latin words intra muros meaning) is the organized sports played within an area or institution, particularly colleges, and universities.

Multiple teams within one school will play against each other and not against teams from other colleges. Therefore, it’s not as competitive as teams affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Intramural sports include volleyball, basketball, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, floor hockey, football, and softball. Students can also participate in a sumo wrestling league.

A Brief History Of Intramural Sports

The first formal intramural departments started at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan in 1913. In the 1920s, Elmer Mitchell named the “father of intramural sports” wrote the first textbook on the subject.

The first recreational sports facility in the country opened at the University of Michigan. Today, “intramural” tournaments are organized within a specific college or community, between teams of equivalent age or athletic ability.

Why Intramural Sports?

Carrie Trexler, coordinator of sports clubs for Campus Recreation at the University of Califonia Davis says that “Many university students may have been competitive athletes in high school, but they may not have had an opportunity to participate in sports like rowing or lacrosse or cycling or martial arts”. This explains why intramural sports activity is necessary. other reasons are;

What Are The Different In Intramural sports techniques?

Intramural sport technique is the ability for a player to perform a sporting skill consistently well at speed, under fatigue and pressure conditions in competition within a school, or a set geographic area.

Using a good technique in sports promotes high performance and reduces the risk of injury. All sports contain activities that have an element of injury risk therefore knowing their various techniques will help overcome any form of injury.

The table below shows the different types of intramural sports and their techniques.

FootballDribbling, Juggling , Passing, Receiving
BasketballDribbling, Passing, Shooting, Rebounding, Defense.
Volleyball serving, passing, setting, hitting, blocking, and digging
TennisServe, Forehand Groundstroke, Backhandgroundstroke, Forehand volley, Backhand volley, and the Overhead smash.
SwimmingFront Crawl, Backstroke, Butterfly, Breaststroke

Rules In Intramural Sport

There are rules and regulations that govern intramural sporting activities. Each intramural activity is administered in accordance with rules set by a national governing body. These standards are sometimes modified to fit within the scope of the intramural sports program.

Below, you will find the modifications specific to each intramural activity.

Participant Eligibility

The criteria for participating in intramural leagues vary according to college. However, for most institutions, currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty or staff are eligible to participate in their intramural events.

In some cases, a spouse of a currently employed faculty or staff member may also participate. All participants must have a valid ID# and present their card at the intramural activity in which they participate.

Participant Eligibility

The criteria for participating in intramural leagues vary according to college. However, for most institutions, currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty or staff are eligible to participate in their intramural events.

In some cases, a spouse of a currently employed faculty or staff member may also participate. All participants must have a valid ID# and present their card at the intramural activity in which they participate.

Sportsmanship

In order to foster a healthy recreational atmosphere where violence and poor behavior are not tolerated, Team members and team captains must take responsibility for the behavior and sportsmanship.

However, players and spectators are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times.

Anyone who defaults will be suspended from competition for a length of time determined by the Intramural Sports Administrative Staff.

Ejections

Players and participants are expected to adhere to the following rules;

  • Any participant who is ejected from a game is required to meet with the Sports staff representative along with the team captain. 
  • Any player(s) ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior will be suspended immediately, and for at least one additional game following the meeting with the Intramural Sports Staff.
  • A second ejection for unsportsmanlike behavior will result in an immediate suspension for at least one calendar year following the meeting.
  • Any player committing a foul deemed flagrant by an official or Intramural Sports staff member will result in an automatic ejection from the game. 

Fighting

 Fighting during Intramural contests is highly prohibited. Any participants who strike, or attempt to strike an official, supervisor, spectator, or another participant or join a fight in progress will be automatically suspended from the time of the incident for at least a year and is also subject to criminal charges.

Any participant who abides by the rules and regulations guiding the Intramural Sports event will not have any cause to be evicted.

How Can I Plan A Successful Intramural Program

To plan any events successfully, you need organizational tips. Whether it’s sports or any program at all, you need to set your goal and work towards it. Below are the guidelines on how to set up intramural leagues.

  • Set Goal And Objectives- This covers physical and social skills, knowledge and understanding, attitudes and appreciation
  • Evaluate and draw a conclusion on each situation
  • Acquire administrative support and staff involvement: Invite administrators to visit and participate in intramural programs.
  • Organize equipment: Ensure everything is in place.
  • Decide on the use of officials and Awards
  • Establish recommendations for the future

What Are The Pros Of Playing Intramural Sports?

Playing intramural sports isn’t just good for the fun of it. Beyond Entertainment, there are other benefits in sports offer to athletes who engage in them. Some of these benefits are listed below.

  •  Intramural sports allow you to reap rewards for your health, social life, and even academic pursuits.
  • Im sports help students maintain health and wellness while managing stress.
  • Intramural leagues are used to promote wellness and offer students who do not compete on a national (NCAA) level an opportunity to be active
  • Research shows that physically active children do better in reading and math.
  • Involvement in Intramural sports helps students build character, allowing them to develop self-control and positive self-image

Although participation in intramural sports offers students a number of benefits, it can have negatives as well.

Disadvantage of Intramural Sport Events

The following are reasons intramural sports should be discouraged.

  • There can be lots of hidden expenses when participating in intramural sports. Clothing, club fees, coaching costs, and equipment lead to additional expenses. Most students may have to take up a side hustle so they don’t miss out.
  • Intramural sports usually result in injury, especially when participants are not skillful enough.
  • Intramural sports cause stress and sleep issues. Students do not have enough time to rest.
  • Im activities Lead to poor performance in academics. Students skip classes to attend club meetings.

What Are The Best Colleges for Intramural Sports?

Many schools offer a wide range of intramural sports to encourage teamwork among students. Our list comprises schools that abide by NIRSA (National authority on intramural sports)rules and regulations to promote universal standards for on-campus teams.

Although many schools follow NIRSA regulations, here are the top 10 that exhibit outstanding characteristics in each intramural program.

  • Gannon University
  • San Francisco State University
  • Loyola University of Chicago
  • Drexel University 
  • Rutgers University
  • Heidelberg University
  • Amherst College
  • Concordia University-Portland
  • Taylor University

Conclusion

This article provides what you need to know about Intramural sports including the History of Im sports, why it is necessary, and its benefits. You can participate in Im leagues injury-free If you apply the rules, skills, and techniques highlighted in this article.

References

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