Intramural sports available on campus

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Tweet Food industry management junior Ernest Madison takes advantage of the on-campus intramural sports facilities, usually three times a week to work out and play basketball.

"I like it because it's open to students," Madison said. "It's a great idea, it's inexpensive and you can come every day if you want."

Three sports facilities are available on campus — IM Sports-West, IM Sports-East and IM Sports-Circle — all of which are free for students.

The Intramural Sports and Recreative Services department offers numerous IM sports, such as basketball, volleyball and dodgeball.

"Anything you can think of, we have for IM sports," said Dennis Mayer, the associate director at IM Sports-East. "Hopefully, there's something for everybody. That's our biggest thing, is to try to have as many different things as we can offer. That way, any student that wants to can find what they want to do."

There are many benefits to joining an IM team, such as getting exercise and staying in shape, but Mayer believes IM sports help students socially and mentally, as well.

"The No. 1 benefit is you get to meet more people," he said. "Secondly, you can't study all the time. It's like anything — you need a diversion. You need some stress relief, and that's what recreation is for — to get away from things."

For education senior Rick Calleja, participating in IM sports has been a chance to stay active after high school.

"It's fun and competitive," said Calleja, who has participated in IM basketball, softball and dodgeball. "I played sports in high school, and it's a good way to stay in the competitive spirit."

For those who don't have the same competitive spirit as Calleja, the IM buildings also offer students an environment to play casual games with friends.

"We have informal open recreation, where you can come in the building and just play some pick-up basketball or volleyball," Mayer said. "We also have a huge fitness center if they want to exercise, or a swimming pool, if that's how they like to work out."

Although the basketball and volleyball courts, as well as the indoor swimming pool, are free to students, the students must pay to use the fitness center.

Calleja, who works out four times a week at IM Sports-West, said he believes purchasing a pass is a good idea.

"It's definitely worth it because the fitness center is all brand-new," he said. "It's a lot cheaper than anywhere else. The hours are kind of limited, but it's a lot better than anywhere else — plus it's on campus."

For communication senior Dan Piedra, the question of whether the price is worth it comes down to how much someone actually uses the pass.

"There's no pressure," he said of the low-key atmosphere. "It's people of all shapes and sizes."

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