Intramural (IM) sports have always been a great way to de-stress after a long day of classes or an afternoon in the Burke Library working on problem sets and lab reports. However, in recent years this outlet has become nearly obsolete for students at Hamilton College. Why? Students might say it is due to an increased workload or their need for an extra hour of sleep on a Wednesday night. Another possibility is the fact that over half of the student body participates in either varsity athletics or club sports. Whatever the case may be, it is undeniable that intramural sports have lost their shine in recent years. They are, though, hoping to make a rebound this fall.

Hamilton competes with other NESCAC schools at the highest level of academics, extracurriculars, and athletics, but now the Continentals’ intramural program is also on track for a major comeback. This year, the squad of IM Sports Commissioners has decided, alongside Director of Campus Wellness Dave Thompson, that they are going to make some changes to the program.

These changes include better methods of communication from the committee to team captains in order to ensure that the games are played, as well as adaptability with teams that are unable to make a game or that have to reschedule. In the past, the committee has struggled with teams forfeiting last minute, but this year the committee is choosing to hold teams accountable for missed regular season games. This year, IM sports has chosen to move contests to more convenient times during the week. This will be done to limit conflicts with work, office hours, and other commitments. Most of the game times will be on the weekends (Sunday afternoons) and early in the week before academic commitments begin to pile up. Additionally, last Friday was the Hamilton College Club Fair, which nearly every on-campus club attended in order to promote their clubs and inform students about their meeting times and content. This year, the IM Sports Committee attended the fair and reported that there was more interest than ever before. Furthermore, there was an interest meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 7:00 PM in the Taylor Science Center Auditorium for IM team captains to register and for free agents to join a team. This fall, the intramural sports offered include soccer, two-hand touch football, basketball, and volleyball.

One of the great things about IM Sports is that they not only give students the chance to be active, but also provide a certain level of competition that is hopefully balanced reasonably well with schoolwork. This year, IM athletes are confident that IM sports will run more smoothly than they ever have. Of course, the chase for the coveted IM Sports Championship t-shirts will act as an additional incentive. The first football and soccer games will be played this Sunday, Sept. 9.

Oftentimes, varsity sports teams have multiple players participate in an intramural sport that is not their own. However, there can only be one varsity athlete from the actual varsity team of the sport an athlete is playing in order to prevent an unfair contest. Although the level of competition is expected to rise, there was an incredible turnout of non-varsity athletes interested at the Club Fair, and more are certainly encouraged to participate.

Intramural sports have undoubtedly been a behind-the-scenes activity on campus in recent years. However, they are seeking interest and competition in big ways this fall. As IM Sports Commissioner Ellie Riehle ’20 says, “It’s low-key pressure, but high-key fun.”