Intramural sports kicked off with a competitive edge this week, with flag football and 6-on-6 volleyball games taking place Monday night.

“I think we’re all competitors,” said Mike Hrusch, senior sports management major and member of the flag football team The Real Deal. “We want to keep those competitive juices flowing.”

The Fall 2007 season of intramural sports consists of six weeks of flag football, beach volleyball, 6-on-6 and 4-on-4 volleyball, softball, dodgeball and a holiday basketball tournament. Each sport has mens, womens and co-recs league.

But students, especially women, are not taking advantage of the availability of these leagues, said Greg Bailey, assistant director of intramural/club sports and community leagues for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

“I’d love to see an all-female league in dodgeball and flag football,” Bailey said. The center canceled the women’s league of flag football because of lack of interest, which also contributed to the canceling of beach volleyball and led to scheduling conflicts with 4-on-4 volleyball.

Bailey said he wants to see more students participating in intramural sports because they have many benefits for students.

“Primarily, it keeps them physically fit,” Bailey said. “People are so engaged in technology that they aren’t socializing.”

Bailey said intramural sports can help with stress, time management and leadership skills. But he said social networking is the biggest benefit to intramural sports.

Hrusch said it’s best to get involved early.

“The first two years I was missing out,” said Hrusch, who started playing his junior year and also plays basketball.

Students who want to participate but don’t have enough people for a team can join a freelance list. The student will be placed on a team that needs an extra person.

“Intramural is kind of like its own fraternity,” Bailey said. “There’s no requirement (except) to just have fun.”

Bailey stressed that students not “wait until the last day to register.” The most convenient times are taken first. Registration starts the first day of each semester.

Dodgeball and the holiday basketball tournament are still accepting entry applications. The entry deadline for dodgeball is Sept. 27 and the basketball tournament deadline is Nov. 16.

Contact Student Recreation and Wellness Center reporter Katelyn Luysterborg at [email protected].