Flag football, soccer leagues get underway
Bosco is a senior English and Secondary Education double major and can be reached at haley.bosco@drake.edu
The fall intramural season continues to thrive with competitive spirit and ambitious dreamers.
After one full week of volleyball, the flag football and outdoor soccer leagues have finally commenced. The crisp chill in the air has players re-living their high school glory days on the field and basking in that authentic “Friday Night Lights” feeling (often sufficed with a Tuesday evening). The weather looks promising for as long as a 10-day forecast will tell, and the program is only wishing it does not experience a repeat of the 2010 season which had nearly 3 full weeks of outdoor cancellations due to inclement weather. With my last first season of intramurals underway, I will declare my predictions of the inevitably great fall season.
Volleyball has presented the most play thus far, yet the outcomes are still vague. Improvements in performance over time are typical for this sport, as the skills and execution of the game take some getting used to. Nevertheless, teams find ways to get the ball over the net. In an attempt to proclaim a champion, I will use my fall-back strategy of picking an all-freshman squad. In the event where the remarkable spirit of a veteran group does not prove victorious, look for the teams wearing shirts which say “All-State Volleyball” or “2011 National High School-Volleyball Champion” – they might be pretty good.
Soccer often exemplifies a different dynamic in the people the sport beckons. As the most internationally known game, the athletes are plentiful and un-assuming in their skill level. In other words, sometimes the older players are the best players. A few extra years of intramural outdoor soccer experience will benefit one greatly, as the fields and rules take some accommodation. In the men’s league, familiar names like “Toe Poke Express” and “The Dragons” will undoubtedly put some points on the board. Expectations for the fraternity men are high, as the FIJI team always brings new talent and Sig Ep can beat most anyone in a foot race. However, during the Greek community’s Fall Kill week, all games are unpredictable, as most players will flee at the sight of a Delta Gamma with a squirt gun.
In the women’s league, far fewer teams exist, but the competition is not absent. Three out of the five teams are sororities, and the others are still looking for a few more players. The women are typically equally competitive, and when enough players show up for each side, the games are bound to be close.
Flag football has over 20 teams scheduled to play each week, and it usually provides a very stimulating and exciting atmosphere. Here is a sport that finally allows girls to form their own football team and high school shadows to be in the starting line-up. The teams likely to have more tallies in the win column this year will be the fan favorites as well as the intramural regulars. Does “The Firm” sound familiar? What about “Flutie Pebbles?” If their association to Doug Flutie doesn’t work, perhaps their creativity will be of use. Look for great amounts of tight competition in the fraternity leagues this year and hopefully much lesser amounts of mass-confusion with the rules.
I hope the commencement of intramurals has sparked your interest in getting outside, being active and feeding that competitive spirit. If you’re still not hooked, don’t forget about our prized reward at the end of a victorious season. All champions receive a free T-shirt that is unique each year. If you are lucky enough to catch intramural coordinator Matt Gasser walking around, he is typically wearing one without even having won a sport yet. Talk about talent. The shirts are guaranteed to give you bragging rights and a lifetime of knowing you were once a Drake intramural champion. Go for the gold this year.
Until next time, please play by the rules.
