Strong competition draws individuals to be in the in tramural program Like women 's intramurals, the men 's intramural program follows a long tradition on the Harding campus. According to Dr. Mike Pruitt, director of the men 's program, there has been a high percentage of student participation for more than 50 years. "Students reap many rewards through involvement in intramurals, " Pruitt said. The intramural sports program is designed to give all students an opportunity to participate in a variety of recreational activities from which many skills can carry over into later life. "'Asport for every man, and every man in a sport' is our guiding theme, " Pruitt said. The intramural program exists for both beginners and experts. According to Pruitt, students who do not know how to play a certain activity are encouraged by members of the program to sign up and learn. "The entire program is dedicated to the idea that one who participates should be a better Christian for having done so," Pruitt said. Intramural sports provide an opportunity for fellowship , wholesome physical activity, athletic competition and development of a lifetime interest in sports. Intramurals offer a lot of different opportunities to different people. "Intramurals give us an avenue to relax and goof off at the same time. We can come out to play our favorite sports and enjoy each other," Terry Beasley, an intramural worker, said. Matthew Henderson fights off three tacklers in the officiating sight of Jeremy Luallen. Any student enrolled in at least six hours was eligible to participate in intramurals. Photo by Aaron Gillihan. Anyone involved in the intramural program must enjoy sports and great competition. Even though there is a lot of competition, all the players have the same goal in mind. They want to participate the best they possibly can and still enjoy what they are doing. The program hopes to provide a sport for everyone. "Intramurals is a fun way to get out of studying for awhile. It also gives you the opportunity to play the sports you love and meet new people in the process," sophomore Russ Turman said. The fall and spring semesters bring different sports, but both are filled with activities. The fall semester included softball , flag football and tennis. Spring brought out basketball and softball lovers. Volleyball was offered as an intramural sport during both the fall and spring semesters. In all the sports provided by the intramural program, leaders tried to have every sport as organized as possible. "We try to keep the games as cl ose to college games as possible. We use two offici als and all the top equipment. We put a lot into it and hope that it shows," Beasley said. The intramural program at Harding has been a tradition of excellence. The program can be summed up in the words of Pierre de Courbertin, "The important thing in athletic sports is not the winning, but the taking part. The essential thing is not conquering, but fighting well." - Shellie Morris
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