Three percent. That’s the ratio of college students who are gifted and hard-working enough to play an NCAA sanctioned sport. The odds for us to be that talented are not too good.

However, do not give up your dreams of athletic glory yet. Saint Louis University students—intramurals are here for the rest of us to channel our inner competitor.

The Intramural Sports Department offers competitions in all kinds of sports throughout the school year.

In the fall, the beautiful St. Louis weather allows for a number of outdoor sports. Students can choose to participate in one or more of the following:  sand volleyball, kickball, softball, outdoor soccer or flag football. The most popular fall sports tend to be flag football and soccer, though participation has been rising in the others.

“Sand volleyball and flag football are usually the most competitive leagues, but the other sports are also very popular,” junior Bobby Ulliman, administrative assistant for the intramurals program said.

“Anyone can step in and play; there’s not a whole lot of athleticism involved. To be honest, it’s really just about having fun with friends.”

With such a rich soccer tradition here at SLU, many former soccer players are attracted to the University, and it shows on the intramural fields. Soccer has been one of the most competitive sports in the program, and most of the players are experienced on the pitch.

“Soccer definitely gets heated,” sophomore Mike Berens, a former soccer player, said. “It’s a physical game, and there’s a lot of pride out there, even though it’s only intramurals.”

There are [also] some friendly rivalries.”

Each sport has multiple leagues, as well. Among the offerings are men’s, women’s, co-recreational, residence hall and Greek leagues. The men’s and co-rec leagues are split into two subdivisions, A and B. The A-league is more competitive, as opposed to the B-league’s recreational feel.

The teams faceoff throughout the fall. After the regular season wraps up, play-off brackets are announced, and the competition really heats up. In years past, winners have received the coveted intramurals trophies and T-shirts flaunting their championship.

“The men’s leagues and Greek leagues get really intense, especially in sports like basketball and flag football,” Ulliman said.

In the winter, intramural leagues are available in volleyball, indoor soccer, dodge ball, basketball and new this year, floor hockey. The intramurals staff hopes that the implementation of a new sport will spark interest and bring fresh faces to the Simon Recreation Center.

“I think floor hockey would be a great idea for intramurals,” sophomore Eddie Desecki said. “A lot of kids probably played it growing up in gym class and had a lot of fun with it, so I think it will bring back some fun memories. I know I’ll be playing.”

Out of the winter sports, basketball is the crown jewel. Competition is fierce, and the turnout is huge—basketball is the most popular intramural sport at SLU.

This year, the intramural coordinators are raising the stakes when it comes to the basketball championship. The staff is making efforts to have the championship game of each division played in the West Pine gym, having it televised live on SLU-TV. Each league championship would be played on separate nights in the gym, giving each team its moment of uninterrupted glory.

When the weather picks up again in the spring, the focus will once again be shifted to outdoor sports. Many of the fall sports will be available in the spring, as well; flag football, sand volleyball, soccer and softball all return.

And the intramural program is about more than just athletics. It is about uniting the student body around a common interest and common involvement.

In an effort to help international students participate in intramurals and meet new people, the international intramural sports, plus sports such as badminton and ping-pong.

Basketball, like most other leagues, was a hit last year and shows no sign of decline. The program looks to draw from international students from around the world.

“Last year was the inaugural year for our international program. It was very lax, kind of a pick-up league, but the turnout was great, especially in basketball and ping-pong,” Ulliman said.

“It helps international students become comfortable playing intramurals and meet people from their home country.”

Aside from offering athletic leagues, the intramurals program leaders have been working busily to offer “extramural” events, such as the 3-on-3-basketball tournament and a golf tournament in Forest Park.

The 3-on-3-basketball tournament was extremely popular last year. For $10 a player, teams composed of three or four players had the chance to play for a cash prize.

Not only that, but each participant had the chance to meet New England Patriots star Laurence Maroney and received a free ticket to a Billikens basketball game.

Last year, the winners brought home $150 and were recognized at the Mardi Gras basketball game against Dayton.

But don’t sign up for that looking to just shoot around and have some fun—the 3-on-3 tournament is a big deal. The stakes are high, and the intensity is even higher. The tournament will likely take place in February.

The group also plans to collaborate with Billikens After Dark to bring back the Stride Dodgeball tournament this year.

The Stride tournament offers teams the chance to win $500 while playing America’s gym class pastime.

Overall, the intramurals program is as strong as ever.The schedules for all the games are available online at IMLeagues.com.

With the incoming freshman class as eager to play as the upperclassmen, intramurals will continue to be a staple at SLU.

“I’m definitely excited to get a shot to come out and play,” freshman Mark Ladd said. “It’s weird not having a sport to play while at school, so intramurals will be a cool thing to do.
“It just goes to show that it’s important to be well-rounded.”