Intramural sports

Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution,^[1][2] or a set geographic area. The term, which is chiefly North American,^[2] derives from the Latin words intramuros meaning "within walls",^[3][4][5] and was used to describe sports matches and contests that took place among teams from "within the walls" of an institution or area. The term dates to the 1840s.^[4][5] It is contrasted with extramural, varsity or intercollegiate sports, which are played between teams from different educational institutions.^[6] The word intermural, which also correctly means "between institutions",^[7] is a common error for "intramural".^[8]

Elmer D. Mitchell, University of Michigan Director of Intramural Athletics, 1919

Ohio State University and the University of Michigan^[9] created the first intramural sports departments in 1913. Elmer Mitchell, a graduate student, at the time, was named the first Director of Intramural Sports at the University of Michigan in 1919 and the first recreational sports facility in the country opened at the University of Michigan.^[10] Mitchell is considered the "father of intramural sports" and taught a class in intramural sports taken by William Wasson, founder of the National Intramural Association (NIA), the forerunner to the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA).^[11]

Mitchell later authored Intramural Athletics (ED Mitchell - AS Barnes, 1928), and Intramural Sports.^[12] He co-authored Intramural Sports with Pat Mueller.^[13]

Today, "intramural" tournaments are still organized within a specific community or municipal area, between teams of equivalent age or athletic ability. For example, intramural sports programs are often organized on college campuses to promote competition and fun among the students and teachers sometimes.

For most schools and campuses, intramural sports are used to promote wellness and allow students who do not compete on a national (NCAA) level an opportunity to be active.

Intramural sports in the United States

NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation, formerly known as the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association, a professional organization based in Corvallis, Oregon, provides a network of more than 4,500 highly trained professionals, students and Associate Members in the recreational sports field throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. In most of the world outside North America, sports scholarships and college sports on the North American model do not exist so the distinction between college and intramural sports has no relevance and is not made.

Intramural Sports in Colleges or Universities

Intramurals sports is designed for faculty, staff, and students at a school or university who wants to play basketball for fun. It is not required for them to join it is just a very extracurricular thing for them to play or do while in college. Many students believe it is for the students to have fun and not be as stressed during college. Almost every college has intramural sports, it can be basketball, baseball, soccer, and many other sports. Not only you play the game you like, you can also meet new people and find many friends, you can even find long lasting friend, you never know. That’s why being involve in sports that are just for fun and active is very helpful to the community or to individuals alone, it helps them create friendship and rivals at the same time. It was created for a reason and that reason is to have everyone who played sports be involve in some kind of competitive event. It doesn’t mean you are not good enough to play on the actual team. it is not a junior varsity team. this is not high school. All you have to do is sign up, get involve, go to practice, and you will play in real competitive games or events, such as, tournaments. You are not paying to play either, it is a non-profit university or college club meaning the school provides everything, including the jerseys or supplies that is needed to start up the intramural sport. Speaking of starting the intramural sport, it is not hard, if you know how to play a certain sport and you know many other people do as well, then there is a good possibility that you can start up a cub and start practices, meetings, and competitive games. All it takes is for you to put the game out there for people to see if they are interested in joining. You don’t need to know how to play, maybe you can join and learn the game, that is how you will find many friends and important people in your life. You also need a council to build up from. For example, you would need someone to be the supervisor (president) to control what is happening and to get people involve. You also need someone to control the money (treasurer) or to start up fundraiser to get more money for equipment and other important things for the team. These are things that can build up a team for intramural sports from scratch. Just one person can spread out the words and if people are interested they will join. Intramural sports been around since the early 1900s and there have not been any problem with it and students have been getting involve ever since. Sometimes Intramural sports are created to become an actual college team, division 1, division 2, or even division 3 college team. A perfect example would be University of Texas in San Antonio because the school started in 1969 and 20 years later they already have sports team being created but, not well known, and then finally after 40 years, the school is now a division 1 college team. It all started from scratch.^[14]

Intramural sports in Canada

The Canadian Intramural Recreation Association (CIRA) organized intramurals within Canada from 1976-2002. CIRA Ontario has been the major intramural organization in the Canadian province of Ontario since 1969. CIRA Ontario is an incorporated, non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage, promote, and develop active living, healthy lifestyles and personal growth through intramural and recreation programs within the education and recreation communities. They fulfill their mandate through resources, workshops, conferences, newsletters, awards, and other means.^[15]

See also

• Physical education class
• Team sport

References

Cited references

General references