Popular athletic program pro\7ides competition for all The men's intramural program at Harding has been one ofthe most popular of its kind since it was initiated in 1939. The program gives Harding men the ability to play just about any sport in a highly competitive yet Christian environment. "I liked the competition and meeting the transfer students and new freshmen," said James Scott, winner ofthe 1996 Intramural Spirit Award. "Everybody can find something they're good at." Jim Gowen, director of the men's program, is in charge of putting together teams according to skill levels and arranging a game schedule. He has assistants to help in the process and to run the actual games. Students interested in playing a sport sign up in the student center, indicating their years of experience and skill level. They are assigned to teams in order to "even the playing field," Gowen said. Men with higher skill levels are combined with men of lower skill levels so that one team doesn't have an unfair advantage over another and the games can be competitive. Dwayne Seeber, a freshman from Newberg, Ore., played basketball in high school and found the intramural program at Harding to be a great way to continue playing competitively. "It lets you keep in shape, make new friends and have fun," Seeber said. Because he was the captain of his team, he was responsible for getting a referee for each game. "It's better for you than playing Nintendo," Seeber said. Each year, the winning team in its respective sport receives a trophy. The allstar team is voted on by the players in each sport, and three individual awards are presented each year: Intramural Spirit Award, Intramural Athlete of the Year and Sports Skill Champion. For years, Dr. Mike Pruitt was in charge of the intramural program. He also participated in the program as a student and was the Athlete of the Year in 1970. "There were so many different activities to choose from... the number ofpeople involved has gone up and the level ofcompetition has increased," he said. One ofthe best qualities ofthe intramural program, Gowen said, is that everyone who signs up is guaranteed to play. He said he is glad to be a part of such a great program. "It provides competition for students who competed in high school. They learn teamwork, self-control and discipline ... it gets them out of the dorm, too." - Jeff Krinks Micah Parkhurst returns a serve from Jamie McClay during an intense racquetball match. The intramural program at Harding provided men the opportunity to play just about any sport in a highly competitive yet Christian environment. Photo by Brian Hendricks. Men's Intramurals 281
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