Intramural sports create opportunity for connection

Tyson Chupp shares about the value of intramural sports on campus.

The term intramurals is defined as “within the walls.” More commonly, intramurals are known as sports/activities done by the students that make up a campus. These are very popular at larger campuses such as the University of Kansas or Kansas State University, and give students at that school a chance to get involved, stay active, and meet new people.

Students playing ultimate frisbee on The Green - Photo by Andrew Graber

Like any organization, intramurals at Bethel need people to help them run. Intramural assistants are an important part of helping intramurals run smoothly. They help the teams find the correct opponent and make sure everyone is having a good experience. Freshman Tyson Chupp is one of the intramural assistants on campus this year.

When asked what he likes about intramural sports, Chupp spoke about the community aspect. “It allows people to get to know each other,” Chupp shared. “This allows you to meet people you might otherwise not interact with.”

Intramurals can be a great way for students to expand their social circles. “When you walk around campus you might see some people who you now know,” Chupp states. Not only do these activities allow people to get to know each other but according to Chupp, they also help to “build community,” making our small campus community feel a little bit bigger.

At schools with a larger student body, it is likely that people who already represent the school in a sport do not participate in intramurals. This is where Bethel differs the most.

A large number of Bethel's student body are student-athletes, so when intramurals are put on here, it’s not only non-athletes participating but also athletes of one sport attempting to try another. The most recent intramural event on campus was pickleball over on the tennis courts.

As a whole the pickleball tournament this past week was great for students from all different areas of expertise. It allowed them to show off their athleticism in a more unfamiliar sport.

This is often what is so enjoyable about intramurals, watching classmates attempt to compete in a sport they are less likely to be experienced in. If you are looking for something fun to get involved in on campus, check out an intramural sport!