AU students find a way to stay fit and competitive with intramural sports

Students participating in intramural sports said they provide positive experiences and a different environment for those who have been in class all day. (photo provided by Lucy O’Keefe)

By Lucy O’Keefe | Contributor

Allie Ristroph, senior business student, was looking for a way to continue playing the sport she loved in high school. When she discovered intramural sports, Ristroph said she felt excited and refreshed at the opportunity to play volleyball again.

“I love being able to play the sport again. I really missed it,” she said. “I love how intramural creates an environment for people who have a genuine love of the sport, but it’s still relaxed with a focus on fun.”

With volleyball, flag football and soccer, Augusta University offers a variety of intramural sports each semester to get students involved outside the classroom. Ristroph said she appreciates how intramural games are played in the gym at AU’s Wellness Center.

“It makes me feel like I am more than just a student, and I am actually part of the AU community,” she said. “I love that it creates a place for me to connect with people from classes outside of the classroom.”

Intramural sports provide a place for students to build community, especially for those foreign to Augusta. Senior nursing student Hayley Bouch, who is native to Camden County, N.J., said being involved on campus has been critical in creating a positive experience at AU.

“I love intramural sports because I’m able to meet a different dynamic of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and getting to be in the gym is a nice contrast after having spent all day in class,” said Bouch.

While intramural sports provide a place for students to be active and involved outside classes, it also offers on-campus jobs for those less interested in actively participating in sports. Starting out as a scorekeeper for various sports and later advancing to supervisor, Bouch said she easily became involved with intramurals her junior year without any prior training.

“They’ll train you how to referee, and it’s so nice to have a paid, on-campus job. I love being able to work for the school and connect with the people there,” she said.

Whether playing or refereeing, students can select which night works best for their schedules when signing up for an intramural sport of choice. Before playoffs, games are played one night a week for about 3-4 weeks.

Since seasons are typically a month long, students can participate in multiple sports each semester, which gives referees the opportunity to expand their skills in several games.

To some, intramural sports have proven to be an important aspect of college life, whether they choose to be on the court or on the sidelines. Even for students who’ve graduated, intramural sports have shown to be an influential part of their time at AU.

“It was so great to hang out with people my age and so cool to make friends that I still talk to a year later,” said Caleb Hawkins, an AU alumnus who played two semesters of intramural sports..

For involved students like Hawkins, who still reminisces on his memorable time with AU intramural sports, it can provide positive experiences and a different environment for those in class all day.

“If I hadn’t already graduated, I definitely would have done it again,” he said.

Contact Lucy O’Keefe at shokeefe@augusta.edu.