Athletes find Sports Diversity through Intramurals

Staff Writer

   Not every college athlete plays basketball for the Cotton Blossoms or football for the Boll Weevils. A wide variety of students who enjoy athletics have the opportunity to play the sport they love through intramural sports.

   The term intramural, which means “within the walls,” gives students the opportunity to go head-to-head against other students from their own campus.

Photo by Eric Bell

Dodgeball - Several students competed in the dodgeball tournament recently.  Dodgeball is a new intramural sport available to students with a love for athletics and competition.

   According to University of Arkansas at Monticello Intramurals Director Julie Gentry, the sports activities give students more than just a chance to show-off their basketball, football or other sport skill.

   “It’s an avenue to meet people, stay in shape and learn or develop life skills,” Gentry said.

   Gentry, Intramurals director since 1983, moved to Monticello after completing her master’s at the University of Michigan. Tired of living in the northern part of the United States, Gentry searched the position postings in the “Chronicle of Higher Education” and decided to apply for jobs in Texas and California in addition to the job at UAM.

   “I’ve been here ever since,” Gentry said.

   A sports-fan herself, Gentry ran track and cross country in high school and college. The first year she ran in college was prior to Title 9. The women’s track team was actually a “club.”

   While attending University of Michigan, Gentry became employed as a student worker in Intramurals.

   “I liked the job. I got lots of encouragement from my supervisors, and I enjoyed the work,” Gentry said.

   A UAM student who feels the same about her student worker position on campus is Carrie Crutchfield. A senior finance major from Sheridan, Crutchfield checks student identification cards in the John F. Gibson University Center and serves as a referee for a variety of intramural sports.

   Crutchfield, who played on her high school softball and basketball teams, has worked in Intramurals since her first year at UAM.

   “I started working here my first week of school,” Crutchfield said. “Someone from Admissions said I should come by and check about a job. I did, I liked it, and I’ve been here ever since.”

   While UAM offers a variety of intramural sports, including flag football, basketball, volleyball, softball and table tennis, softball is still Crutchfield’s favorite sport to officiate.

   “I just like to be outside, and I love the atmosphere of the game,” Crutchfield said.

   Students who have background knowledge in some type of officiating are sought as referees - this can include little league officiating. Classes are also offered before each sporting season to review the rules of the game along with personal conduct.

   “It takes a special kind of person to be a ref,” Gentry said. “It helps if they are taught right in junior high and high school. If there were more behavior-oriented rules taught when athletes were younger, it really helps when they get older.”

   According to Crutchfield, rules are often different in Intramurals then in regular league play. One such rule is the service return in volleyball.

   “In Intramurals we have to return the serve with a ‘bump.’ In regular high school or college volleyball you don’t,” Crutchfield said.

   However, like league sports, there are sometimes fans or teams who make officiating difficult. Crutchfield says that typically comes from frustration in a close competition.

   To diversify the number of people who participate, efforts are continually made to incorporate the campus’ wishes for new intramural sports. One such addition is an annual bowling tournament.

   “An actual league wasn’t feasible because people couldn’t always bowl every Monday night,” Gentry said.

   To reach the group interested in the sport, a one-night tournament has been held annually for the past four-or-five years at Timberlodge Bowling Alley in Monticello.

   Another addition to the intramural list is dodgeball. According to Gentry, students requested a dodgeball tournament for several years due to the recent popularity of the sport. Now that new rules have been implemented and modified, a tournament is scheduled.

   “A sportsmanship rule has been added in. We don’t want someone just throwing the ball to hurt someone,” Gentry said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

   While injuries do not often occur in Intramurals, they do sometimes happen. That is why at least one official on the field or court must have CPR and first aid certifications.

   In Crutchfield’s four years of officiating, ambulances have been called on three separate occasions.

   “I don’t think anyone’s ever left in an ambulance. But I have had to call them to come check out a player,” Crutchfield said.

   Any interested student, faculty or staff member can create a team to compete in intramural sports. Individuals who want to participate but don’t have a team are encouraged to attend Manager’s Meetings. Dates for these meetings are distributed campus-wide through fliers and campus e-mail.

   “If there are sports activities they (students, faculty or staff) would like to see us offer we are open to suggestions,” Gentry said. “If we can do something, we will.”

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