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At Trinity University, intramural (IM) and club sports are vital to the community. Whether it’s basketball, volleyball, flag football or rugby, these sports are great opportunities for students to connect with others over their passions. Associate athletic director Kristen Harrison has been at Trinity for over seven years, serving as the gateway to IM and club sports for students who love sports.
Harrison has been an important part of Trinity’s student athletics and is the person to talk to regarding student-led sports and clubs. “It’s my job,” Harrison said. “I say I’m the funsies side of the athletic department. That’s what I get to do, is help people have fun, whether it’s OREC (outdoor recreation) or club sports or intramurals. They’re all under my umbrella,” Harrison said.
IM sports are among the most popular activities for students looking to get involved in some competitive fun. Students are able to branch out and make friends through club sports — which also brings some health benefits.
“My favorite part about intramurals is creating opportunities for students,” Harrison said. “Whether it’s to get a little bit of stress release, playing with your friends, maybe it’s gaining leadership skills by managing a team or even getting to work with my student officials and helping train them and giving them an opportunity to maybe make a little extra money but also get the opportunity to meet new friends as well as continue to play or learn a new sport.”
As part of her role in athletics, Harrison loves working with students and watching their passions grow into something bigger than themselves. “[It’s the] same thing with club sports, seeing a group and how they connect, see how they do, how they compete, how they represent the university off campus and get a chance to continue a sport that they love,” Harrison said.
Harrison has witnessed the humble beginnings of a club that has transformed into something much bigger as funding and the amount increase. For example, Kristen Harrison described the story of the powerlifting club, which grew substantially through the pandemic.
“For powerlifting, for example, a few years ago, they started right at the beginning of COVID and were able to continue because they were an individual sport. They went out, and they raised their own funds for their organization to go ahead and compete at nationals. They had, I think it was five or six lifters, and so they were able to travel to Chicago at the time, and they were able to help themselves get there to be able to see the students take pride in their organization and compete at a national level.”
Although IM and club sports have been a fundamental aspect of student involvement for many years, there is always room for improvement. As for the future, Kristen Harrison gives people something to potentially look forward to — a renovation of the IM fields.
“I know we’re making strides because I think there’s a possibility, and it hasn’t been completely approved yet, but the intramural field might get resurfaced over the summer.”
Intramural and club sports are among the most popular activities for students, and Kristen Harrison plays a major role in helping students further their passions. Harrison continues to work hard to improve student’s lives through opportunities such as club sports and IMs. Her involvement in athletics at Trinity is a huge reason so many clubs and IMs are kickstarted and enjoyed on campus.