Intramurals promote fitness, sportsmanship at Winthrop
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 10:00PM By Chris McFadden
mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com
The Hurricanes played Man Down in a recent Flag football game. Flag football is one of 14 sports offered through Winthrop recreational services office. Photos by Paul Ricciardi • ricciardip@thejohnsonian.com Students scream as a fellow classmate catches a pass from his quarterback and dives into the endzone.
This isn’t a dream sequence from one of Winthrop’s die-hard football fans whose heart skips a beat at the mere mention of possibly playing football on campus.
No, this is a real life football game taking place at one of the university’s recreational fields.
The only caveat it’s flag football.
Flag football is one of the 14 league sports Winthrop offers through its intramural program.
“They are usually four weeks in length and end with a single elimination tournament,” program director for intramural and club sports Neil Ostlund said.
Winners of the tournament receive an intramural championship T-shirt and bragging rights.
An all-campus championship title is given to one male and one female team that gain the most points from participating in multiple intramural events.
In addition to the league sports, there are 24 special events/tournaments during the school year.
These include: a spades tournament, captain’s choice golf and a disc golf tournament.
Intramural sports have long been offered at Winthrop as a way for students to get exercise as well as participate in sports they love.
“I’m not exactly sure how long they have been here, but they have been here for more than 25 years,” Ostlund said.
Photos by Paul Ricciardi • ricciardip@thejohnsonian.comIntramural sports are popular and have become embedded in colleges all over the country.
The NIRSA, which Winthrop is a member of, may be one of the reasons for this growth.
“The National Intramural Recreational Sports Association brought on the idea of recreation and helped make that idea grow on campuses across the country,” Ostlund said.
According to its website, NIRSA was founded in 1950 and has embarked on a journey to promote ethical and healthy lifestyle choices.
The recreational services department knows there are health benefits to participating in intramurals, but it also thnks there are other benefits intramural sports can provide.
“The first thing we hope is the student has fun. Also, we believe students will be able to relieve stress from the classroom,” Ostlund said.
“Intramurals provide opportunities for leadership and teamwork,” he said.
“They give students an opportunity to demonstrate sportsmanship by maintaining their composure and a calm attitude while they compete.”
Whether students are looking for a novel way to introduce exercise into their daily routine or simply like the thrill of competition, intramural sports may be the way to go.
“We want students to have fun,” Ostlund said.
