Exploring Extra-Curriculars: What are Intramural Sports?

Hey guys, I've heard the term 'intramural sports' thrown around a lot when looking into college life. Can anyone explain what intramural sports are and how they function in college? Thanks in advance!

Intramural sports are organized sports activities that occur within the same educational institution. These are separate from varsity or club sports and offer students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to participate in team and individual sports on a recreational level.

Here's how they function: students form teams amongst themselves—maybe with people from their dorm, classes, or social groups—and they compete against other teams within the same college or university. The level of play varies widely. Some teams might be made up of former high school athletes and are very competitive, while other teams are just about having fun and being active.

These programs are typically supervised by the university's recreational sports department which provides the structure for the sports leagues, schedules games, and facilitates equipment if necessary. The sports offered can vary widely by school and can include anything from traditional sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball, to other activities like dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, or even e-sports.

Participating in intramural sports can be a great way to stay active, make friends with similar interests, and build a sense of community. It's also a great stress-reliever and a fun way to break up the academic grind.

Remember, though, while intramural sports are fun and engaging, colleges are most interested in your Tier 1 and 2 extracurriculars when it comes to admissions. Intramural sports would likely fall into Tier 3 or 4 unless you held a significant leadership position or brought an innovative approach to the intramural sports at your school.

But overall, intramural sports are an important part of college life for many students and are worth considering as you plan your college experience.