Interested in playing sports at a recreational level in college? West Chester University has you covered! They offer a wide variety of intramural sports for students to participate in during the course of the academic year. Sports are offered during every season, and students have the option to form teams with their friends and classmates and compete for fun with minimal commitment.
During the fall, West Chester’s most popular intramural sports include flag football, basketball, indoor volleyball, dodgeball and indoor soccer. Sports and video game tournaments are also available for students to join and compete in. Video game tournaments include “Madden,” “NBA 2K” and “FIFA.” In addition to semester-long seasons, West Chester also hosts short tournaments for several sports. These tournaments include 3×3 basketball, ping pong, racquetball and table tennis. In the spring, sports such as floor hockey, softball, 6×6 volleyball and outdoor soccer are available for students to participate in as well.
Each sport requires a small fee to play, and the cost is split up amongst team members. Costs range from $15-$35 depending on the sport you choose to play. The captain of each team is required to attend a meeting before the season starts where they are explained the leagues rules and expectations. These meetings take place at Brandywine Hall and are in the form of a presentation. Additionally, captains are responsible for setting their roster, explaining these rules to their players and making sure that the team is disciplined and following all instructions.
Each intramural sports league teaches students discipline and sportsmanship. No matter their record, each team will make the playoffs pending their sportsmanship rating. They must receive at least a 3.0 on a four-point scale in order to qualify for the playoffs. Teams are assigned this rating based on how they treat officials and opponents. Additionally, if teams forfeit a match, or are late attending the game, their rating will decrease as well. League winners will receive a free t-shirt that will be given to them the night of the championship.
Students can sign up to play in any of the leagues via the IMLeagues website or app where you can create or join a team. Leagues are divided into several divisions such as open, women’s, co-rec and fraternity and sorority life. For more popular sports such as flag football and basketball, you are given the option to compete in a high or low competition division so that you can play opponents with the skill level that you prefer. West Chester alumni and students who are currently participating in a varsity sport or have participated in one within the last year are unable to participate in intramural contests.
If you are interested in playing collegiate sports and don’t want to spend an extensive amount of time preparing for them, then West Chester’s intramural program is for you. Playing intramural sports provides a fun-filled experience and allows students to make many new friends along the way. WCU has a great program for these sports, and it is definitely worth taking a look at.
Erick Klambara is a fourth-year media and culture major with a minor in journalism. EK924666@wcupa.edu