The men's intramural program at Harding Univers ity provides the opportunity for evetyone from skilled players to novices to participate in a variety of sports and contests, Both team and individual sports are open to students at all levels, and those who participated said the best part about being involved was not the game itse lf but the chance to get to know and be involved with other students. "The games are fun, but it's ' more about just getting out there and doing something with the guys," senior Matt Tibbles, who participa'ted in a va riety of intramural programs, said. "It doesn't ma tter what skill level you are on . Almost everybody is just out to meet others and have a good time, and the game just goes o n in the process," Team sports, including softba ll , football , volleyball and basketball , are a major part of the intramural program. Students sign up and a re placed on teams that often include people they have never met before. Senior Rick Blair said that , Opportunities for everyone when he is put on a new team, sometimes he knows a few of the guys, but often most of them are new to him. "I t's kind of neat to get together w ith a group of guys who you only see on the playi ng field and just have fun together. "A lot of the time I will get to know the guys on the other team just as well as my own teammates because thi ngs are usually more casual when we play intramurals," Blair sa id . In addition to the team sports, a variety of individual contests are available to the students. Activities range from table tennis and racquetba ll to archery tournaments . Senior Chad Joice said, "Sometimes the individual sports are fun because you get todo things you may have never tried before." The intramural program was especially benefi cial to students who could not play club sports, either because [hey were nO[ in a club or because there was not enough interest within their club to form a team. "If I couldn't my club is too sma ll ," junio r Nei l Chilson said. "This is my first semester to play intramurals. I li ke it because it's all scheduled. I don' t have to get a group of friends togethe r every time I want to play." Finding time for all of the intramural sports was difficult with a busy schedule, as sophomore Jyusef Larry discovered. "I rea lly wish I could be more involved in sports, but sOI)letimes there just isn't enough time to do eve lyth ing," he said. Lar!)' still played some intramural sports but said he wished he had the time to do more of the individual competitions. All of the intramu ral athletes , regardless of which sport they played, seemed to have a commo n outlook on why they made the time and took the ene rgy to participate. Sophomore Brya n Jobe summed it up, saying, "It's more than just a group of guys playing once a week because, through the games, fri endships develop, and that 's really what intramurals p lay intramurals, I wouldn 't be are all about. " able to play basketball because - Scott Loft is RUlmersget offlo a great slart. Several sllldentsPC,,1icipaled in the annual cross countlY run, a required event for those wbo competed/or an i11lramural jacket. PbOIO by Krist; BurtIS. tlliY 234 Sports " The games are fun, but it's more about just getting out there an~ ~oing something with the guys. " MAtt TibbieJ " $ometimes the in~ivi~ual sports are fun because you get to ~o things you may have never trie~ before. " " , really wish' ,oul~ be more involve~ in sports, but sometimes there just isn't enough time to ~o everything. " )""f Lorr,
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