I believe that intramural sports give students a second chance at college sports.
When I transferred to California Lutheran University, I was excited to see the sports culture that came with it. Being a volleyball player for six years of my life I thought I would be able to play, until I realized that I transferred too late. I was trying to find something to balance out my school and work stress, but still gave me the ability to keep my sport as my outlet.ย
โI did want to be a student-athlete here. Sadly, that hasn’t worked out this year, but this has given me a good chance just to run around with my friends, compete, and everything like that. Just feed that craving of being a competitive person,โ first-year Ryan Dominguez said.ย
Depending on the time they transfer, transfer students are unable to play on the school’s teams. However, intramural sports occur in the fall and spring semesters so transfer time isn’t restricting.
These intramural sports seasons allow students who donโt have the same time availability as those on a sports team to play, students who want an outlet to partake in friendly competition with friends or relieve daily stress. There are a variety of sports such as volleyball, basketball, and soccer to name a few. Not only did I get to play a sport, but I also was able to get a job through Cal Lutheran to referee for the games.
Not only do you stay in shape and have the ability to meet more students on campus, but intramural sports help with emotional management and can allow students to feel more secure on campus by building mutual friendships that can last long after the field or court time is up.
According to an article by Dr. Smitha Bhandari, โAbout 75% to 90% of doctor visits are for stress-related illnesses. Sports help manage stress. Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, the chemicals in your brain that relieve pain and stress. It also reduces the levels of stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline.”
With classes comes homework, so having a fun activity that is separate from a classroom allows students to have an escape from classroom activities.
โI’m usually busy, so having these times, at least once a week, playing soccer helps me just get my mind off classes and take my mind off of homework,โ first-year Uriel Velasquez said.ย
At times, competition can get real against our teams, however, it’s always a fun way to relieve me of the stress from my day or to see other students on teams who now know me. Not only is it a great exercise opportunity for any student, but it is also a great way to make friends and join like-minded activities with other Cal Lutheran students.
โIt helps me destress from school and also bond with my friends. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have met a lot of my friends if I hadnโt joined. I met them through intramural sports,โ said Velasquez.
Intramural sports can also help depression and addiction and create a better mental headspace.
The article states,ย โParticipation in sports can have long-term effects on your mental health. Researchers studied 9,688 children and found that those children who took part in team sports had better mental well-being when they were adultsโย Bhandari said.
It doesn’t impede school scheduling as it’s in the afternoons, three days a week, and that’s if you choose to participate in all three available sports that are in season at the time with no experience needed.ย
โI’ve never really been a soccer person, but this has given me a good chance to try it out, even though our team hasn’t been super successful. To say the least, it was still fun just to get out there and play,โ Dominguez said.
Students have the choice of playing either all three sports that are off-season or however many theyโd like to participate in as long as enough people can create a team.
โIt’s definitely an outlet, you can meet a lot of different people here. Definitely bonded with a couple more people. Like I said before, it’s a really good stress outlet. I’ve had a lot of fun playing,โ Dominguez said.ย
I believe intramural sports give students the chance to exercise which is good for mental health, while practicing their skills.
