Intramural sports at Texas A&M can be a great break from studying and have a positive impact on students physically, socially and mentally.
Intramural sports are divided into competitive and recreational leagues, which Director of Intramural Sports Nicholas Heiar explained have different purposes.
“Maybe you’re one of those people that played basketball in high school and you’re very competitive about it and you want to play a competitive league basketball so you join women’s competitive or men’s competitive or the fraternity league or whatever it might be,” Heiar said. “But maybe you’ve never played racquetball, or maybe you’ve never played softball and you wanted to try that out in a more casual fun laid-back atmosphere with your friends. Then you could join the recreational league for that.”
Heiar said the opportunity to compete is not the only benefit of joining intramural sports.
“There’s a huge element of social connectedness,” Heiar said. “We have about 15,000 students that participate in intramurals every year. … They’re having fun making friends and making lifelong connections and lasting relationships.”
Allied health sophomore and member of Orthodox Christian Campus Ministries intramural team Marina Banoub said playing and competing together has helped her team connect on a deeper level.
“It’s overall very enjoyable,” Banoub said. “And helps you get a good workout so I enjoy it very much.”
Civil engineering senior Monica Hanna said intramurals are no-stress organizations that offer the opportunity to get to know many other students.
“It’s just a fun way to interact with your friends in a loose way,” Hanna said. “You know you’re just hanging out and having fun. Whether you win or lose is not really important.”
Beyond the social benefits, Heiar said there is a mental health component to intramural sports too.
“Research shows that participating in physical activity in between studying, [helps students] come back to their studies more refreshed and ready to read and to learn at a more vigorous pace,” Heiar said. “So come out, get some exercise, take a mental break, take a load off for a while and then feel better about yourself.”