Barry is a junior radio-television and secondary education double major and can be reached at [email protected].

Outdoor season wrapped up last week, and co-recreational basketball is underway. Within co-rec basketball, there are two league options to choose. One option is the competitive league, and the second option is the recreational league. Yes, there is such a thing as a co-recreational recreational basketball league.

Basketball season is a great example of the sometimes complicated, infrastructure of intramurals. The following article is a guide to help all of you future intramural participants navigate your way through the complexities of intramurals. Below, I have provided a quick summary of the three most common leagues within intramural play. For those of you unsure of your intramural match, here is a guide to help you choose a league for optimal fun.

Recreational league

Recreational league is a plain, simple, good time. For those of you who might not be as athletic as you were in high school or who are not athletic at all, rec league is a great place to play. The only potential issue in rec league is the various levels of competition within the league. Sometimes, teams have a sense of false modesty. They believe their teams are not good enough to be in competitive league, so they sign up for rec league.

Competitive league

Competitive league is for all of you former all-state stars. If you are looking for the biggest and best of intramural athletes, look no further this league. Competitive league is for those of you who stay late in the Bell Center working out to maintain you physique. This league is not for the faint-hearted. Everyone in this league come to play and play hard.

Fraternity/Sorority league

Currently, in co-rec basketball, there is no fraternity/sorority league. This might seem a little self-explanatory, but Fraternity/Sorority league is specifically for members of the Greek system at Drake. Everyone within this league knows how the system works, but those outside of it may be confused as to why Greeks have their own league. Usually, the number of teams supplied by fraternities and sororities is equivalent to the total number of teams in the competitive leagues. It naturally becomes easier to move them into their own league because of their large size. Also, having a separate Greek league provides the opportunity to have an All-University Championship. This allows the competitive league to face off with the Greek league in an epic battle for the t-shirts.

Intramurals welcomes athletes of all levels. It does not matter if you are a former all-conference athlete or the last to get picked for basketball at recess. There is a spot for everyone at intramurals.

As I wrap up this article up, here is a quick rule reminder for co-rec basketball. In co-rec, when women score, baskets for a typical two-point shot counts for three points. When women shoot a typical three-point shot, they receive four points. Most people are aware of this rule. What many people do not know is when a women gets fouled in the process of shooting, they get three free throws. These free throws are only worth one point each. As always stay safe and play ball!