Trinity students of all years and concentrations gathered together to kick off the 2018 intramural season earlier this week. According to intramural director Kristen Harrison, Trinity is no stranger to intramural sports.

“Trinity has a long standing tradition of intramurals starting with the first full-time intramural director Jim Potter in 1967,” Harrison wrote in an email interview.

Intramurals (IMs) are a successful component of athletic life at Trinity because competitive and casual athletes alike can compete at a comfortable level against like-minded opponents. Prior to spring break, Trinity offers basketball and soccer on the intramural menu. After the break, the list will include sand volleyball, flag football and dodgeball.

“We have four different divisions for basketball (men’s, women’s, CoRec and recreational) and three divisions for soccer (men’s, women’s and CoRec),” Harrison wrote.

CoRec is a fun way for guys and girls to compete directly against each other, something that is not possible in organized competition. 

“I’m in CoRec because I thought it would be more fun to play with all my friends, not just girls,” said Camila Zapater, first-year.

The format of Trinity intramural soccer is not too demanding, with two 25 minute halves and just one game per week. Intramural soccer provides a fun opportunity for those who have previously played soccer, but do not play for Trinity’s varsity team.

“I signed up because a lot of my friends were doing IM soccer and I used to play soccer in high school, so I thought it would be fun,” said Claire Carlson, first-year.  

In fact, even those with very little soccer experience find happiness in playing intramural soccer. Evan Eisenberg, first-year, has not played soccer since he was three years old, but decided to join a CoRec soccer team at the request of a group of his friends. The result was not the prettiest for Eisenberg and his team, but the game was not a total loss for the first-year.

“We lost 24-1, but I still had a blast hanging with my friends,” Eisenberg said.

Meanwhile, in the Bell Center, intramural basketball is also underway. Basketball can be a nostalgic game for some participants who want to relive their glory years from middle and high school.

“I love playing basketball and I miss playing organized basketball. I played every year from third to eighth grade,” said Matthew Claybrook, sophomore.

Claybrook is on a team in the recreational league, which is the least competitive men’s league. But, just because the recreational league is more relaxed does not mean that Claybrook and his teammates don’t give it their all every time they step on the court.

“I’m mostly playing IM for fun, but I always want my team to be competitive in games,” Claybrook said.

Playing at your highest level pays off for participants. In addition to the satisfaction that comes with winning an IM league, winners get T-shirts and a gift card to split at Bombay Bicycle Club.