Flashback to last April. A championship softball game stands at 8-7 in the bottom of the 6th inning in a seven-inning game. There are runners on second and third base and two outs. After a productive day of two doubles and four RBI’s, he steps to the plate.
The pitch comes in, and he smacks one high into the air. Unfortunately, it is too high into the air, and it lands safely in the left fielder’s glove. The final score of that game, 8-7-good guys on the losing side.
Fast forward to the scene two Saturdays ago. We find him in a similar situation, but with much more at stake. Once again, we find him at bat in the championship game. It is the bottom of the sixth inning. His team is losing by one run with the go-ahead run in scoring position. But this isn’t just any team he’s playing. This is the New York Yankees of the Saint Louis University softball intramurals. This team has beaten him by a collective score of around 273-3 over the past four years. Yet there he stands, down one run, with another chance to be the hero.
He takes a moment to collect himself and scouts out the outfield. He flashes a slight grin and digs into the batters box. The pitch comes in and without hesitation, he sends it sailing through the air. But this time, nobody is going to get it. It flies into the outfield as our hero flies around the bases. When the dust clears, he is at third base and his team has taken the lead. It would turn out to be the game-winning hit.
And people tell me intramurals don’t mean anything.
Going to a school where the apathy can run as high as the humidity in August, it is always refreshing to find people getting involved with events on campus. And believe me, people get involved in SLU intramurals.
They offer something for almost everyone. If softball is not your thing, you can try your luck at basketball, flag football, volleyball or soccer. If you don’t feel like running around at all, there are intramurals for billiards and table tennis. Last year they even held an intramural golf tournament. As far as being competitive, I guess you have to be there to believe it.
There are times when I feel bad for those poor college kids who are refereeing these games. Just because the participants are not on scholarship for the sport, or making any money to play the sport, does not mean they like losing. While fun and sportsmanship are emphasized over winning in SLU intramurals, it does not keep the participants from giving 100 percent to win their game.
They also offer divisions within each sport for everyone. If you know you’re not very good at something, but you still love to play, there is a place for you too. They have Greek leagues, floor leagues, open leagues and competitive leagues. If you are just in the mood to go out and have fun, you can get some people from your floor and go have a great time. The fraternities often use intramurals to help promote healthy interfraternal rivalries. Or if you think you have the best five basketball players on SLU’s campus, sign up for the “A” division and prove it. There will be plenty of people ready to prove you wrong.
Being on an intramural team can help create a bond between people that might not otherwise exist. There is something special about playing with a core group of people for almost four years and finally winning the championship. I don’t care what level of competition it is, when you go through that amount of time and finally win, that is a great feeling.
Intramurals are a big part of SLU’s on-campus draw. No one should be intimidated by the sports that the intramural department offers. Trust me, if a lowly sports columnist can be a hero for a day on the softball field-anyone can.
