The Texas A&M Department of Recreational Sports is offering intramural sports leagues during the summer 2023 sessions with registration opening May 30 on their website.
The 3v3 outdoor basketball league starts Monday, June 5, at the West Campus Rec Center. The final summer league, table tennis, opens Aug. 2 before the fall 2023 semester begins. From outdoor soccer and sand volleyball to indoor corn hole, 4v4 dodgeball and Battleship played in canoes, many sports will be offered with sign-ups posted online as it gets closer to the beginning of the summer 2023 semester.
Intramural sports offer a sense of growth for some people, Director of Intramural Sports Nick Heiar said.
“Some people are trying to join for physical reasons,” Heiar said. “[Or for] creating long-lasting memories.”
Creating strong bonds with friends is important, Heiar said.
“If you just want to rip around with some of your dormmates, play recreational sports,” Heiar said.
Management freshman Isaac Cryer said he made long-lasting memories during the spring action ball league.
“It was awesome,” Cryer said. “It was really cool not just because I won. I had a couple older guys on my team that had been trying to win a tournament ever since they got into A&M, and to know I did that as a freshman was really cool.”
Intramural sports have something for everyone, even the game Battleship, played with 4-person canoe teams in a pool including buckets and ball “bombs” to sink opponents. Heiar said he encourages students to try something new.
Cryer, who was a team captain, said he didn’t realize there were summer leagues, and noted the only downside to intramurals is working through differences among teammates.
“It was definitely hard to manage people and their expectations to play, especially if you have a set plan,” Cryer said. “But they expect to play.”
Summer intramurals solve this problem as fewer people are at A&M to play, Heiar said.
“This place really slows down in the summer,” Heiar said. “Intramural sports during the summer is the same, but it is a bit condensed.”
If a student does not want to play, then signing up to become an official or applying for other student employment is an option, Heiar said.
Each year, more than 1,000 Aggies are employed by Rec Sports, according to its website.
“All of our entry-level positions are referees,” Heiar said.
Visit the Rec Sports website for more information about leagues and student employment opportunities.
Noah Vagis is a history junior and contributed this article from the course JOUR 359, Reporting Sports, to The Battalion.