While you may have been to a sporting event here on campus or have several student-athletes in your classes—some you may know personally—you probably do not realize that all around you, while you are walking around campus, there are athletes. While they may not be a part of an actual Valpo Athletics team, they are still valuable members to their respective teams. These athletes are a part of intramural sports.
Often overlooked, intramural sports are taken very seriously at Valpo and happen to have some of the most competitive atmospheres, potentially even more than some official sports. I had the chance to attend one of the intramural basketball games, and it was something that made me feel inspired and fired up.
Intramural basketball takes place on weeknights in the arena at the Valparaiso Athletics Recreation Center (ARC). Yes, they get to play on the same center court as the men’s and women’s basketball teams. I never truly understood to the extent how seriously students took their games until I finally got to be a fan watching in the bleachers for an 8 p.m. primetime matchup between Sigma Phi Epsilon and All Gas No Breaks.
When I planned on going, I was told that the game was going to be quite close, that this game was going to be the matchup of the night. When I arrived, both teams were warming up on their respective sides of the court, in their uniforms and talking about game strategy. Tipoff subsequently came, and both teams were off to the races to take the win.
Now, if you have ever seen a college basketball game live, you have witnessed the physicality of the game as well as the chippy atmosphere, filled with trash-talking and flashy plays. Intramural basketball is no different. Both teams were setting screens, doing the give-and-gos, and draining shots from behind the ARC. To my surprise (and not to sound rude), I found myself quite engaged in the game as a true basketball fan.
It is taken extremely seriously by the athletes as well as the people who run the games. Student referees go through extensive training to be certified to officiate the matchups. Two to three people work the score table, managing the game clock as well as taking individual stats for each player on the court. Each team had a coaching plan and lineups set up in order to be the best they could be.
“I’m here to have fun. Intramurals are very important to me. It helps get your cardio in and get better at basketball. I take it very seriously, more than I thought I would. Being able to play with my friends and be competitive again, it’s a great way for us past athletes to get out there again,” a member of All Gas No Breaks said.
If you are ever looking for something to do on a weeknight, stop by the ARC for some primetime basketball, brought to you by students across campus. While you are walking to class, you may not realize that you are walking right by some of the top intramural athletes at this university.
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