Much like professions, intramural teams have pre-game rituals to get themselves ready for upcoming games. Rather than running drills, dodgeball team Tri-State Bandits and Jim has a myriad of pre-game activities. Captain Vincent Mercandetti, a freshman broadcast journalism major, paces around the scorer’s table and thinks about the upcoming game. Eric Altena, a freshman a communications major, listens to music.

At Quinnipiac, there are three levels of intramural sports, division one, division two and division three. Division one is for students seeking a very competitive environment. Most students who participate in this division have either played the sport in high school or were cut from the college team. “Division one sports are really competitive here and a great way to continue playing the sport you played in high school,” said freshman business major Ryan Andreozzi.

Division two is for students looking for an overall competitive environment without the edge of division one. Most students in this division have experience in the sport but are just looking for a good time.

In division three, students can play with very little competitiveness. They care about playing the sport, but are not as concerned with winning in comparison to those in the other two divisions.

During the game, teams become extremely aggressive and captains assume their role. Andrew Turczak, a junior occupational therapy captain of the Sigma Phi Epsilon basketball team said, “A job of the captain is to tell the other players how to play.” The hardest part about being a captain, according to Turczak, is critiquing your players. “If they aren’t passing the ball, tell them to pass, if they are taking dumb shots, tell them to look for the open man.”

Teams also have post game rituals. Dodgeball team Diet Team Geese holds a group meeting after each game to discuss what worked and what did not.

Not all intramural athletes prepare the same way. Basketball teams observe their opponents to find weaknesses within the team, then scrimmage lightly to get themselves ready. A common theme of all teams is what happens right before the game. The team captains circle their teams and give a short motivational speech.

When asked about why people participate in intramurals sports, Jackie Cavanaugh, a freshman nursing major, said, “People do intramurals because it’s a more relaxed environment to play in, its more laid back then playing for the school. So much pressure is placed on the students who play on the school team it takes away from the fun of playing the game.”

Intramurals are also a great way to get exercise and make friends. College students often find themselves having very little time to go to the gym and intramural sports are a great way to stay in shape. The bonds formed through intramurals are also important and can last a lifetime. “I’ve made friends and memories that I will never forget through intramurals,” said David Palley sophomore interactive digital design major.

If you are looking for some fun with new friends, pick up a dodgeball or basketball and sign up for an intramural. It may fill that void you once had.