Have you ever wondered how you can stay active at school, make new friends, and compete against your fellow UFV students? Well dear reader, you are in luck as Campus Recreation’s intramural sports are low pressure and plenty of fun, all while being located within the heart of campus.
Currently, Campus Rec. offers a co-ed futsal league and two co-ed volleyball leagues. Brooke Biggin, a student at UFV and the senior intramural assistant for Campus Rec. has been working for and participating in UFV’s intramurals for over three years. Biggin joined The Cascade in March to discuss her time with the program, and how it has grown in the time she has been there.
“When I first started … there were usually four [futsal] teams a semester. Last semester there [were] six teams and this [semester] there’s five teams, so there’s more participants in general. With volleyball we’ve been able to make a competitive league and a recreational league. We did that last semester, and it worked well, there were about twelve teams for volleyball.”
The steady growth of the intramural programs is due in large part to the hard-working staff at Campus Rec., but they also have the open courts to thank for bringing this community together. Campus Rec offers drop-in sports for students to come and play games such as basketball, pickleball, and badminton. Drop-ins are great ways for students to get together in a gym, play a new sport, and learn about UFV’s intramurals.
“Sometimes a few people will be interested in joining intramurals, but maybe they don’t have a team. Sometimes what will happen is they’ll meet someone from drop-in and say, ‘Hey why don’t we go on a team together?’ Drop-in is a great way to meet someone for intramurals.”
Putting yourself out there is always intimidating. From the fear of fitting in to self-doubt about your own skills, trying something new requires a leap into the unknown. Luckily for UFV students, Campus Rec. has created a friendly and welcoming environment for their intramural programs, making it the perfect atmosphere to go outside of your comfort zone and try a new sport.
“You can be any level and join intramurals and have fun. That’s the beauty of the rec. sports that we offer, everyone’s super welcoming so you never have to worry about any judgement. Everyone’s there to have fun, but at the same time there is still a little bit of competitiveness to it.”
While the intramural programs are designed for students to make community and enjoy playing sports, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any stakes. Every semester, UFV’s intramural champions take on the best teams from Trinity Western University in the Valley Cup to claim the title as the best intramural team in the Fraser Valley. It is competitions like these that help to solidify bonds between teammates and create lifelong memories that go beyond the gymnasium.
A saying that gets thrown around all the time is “school is what you make of it.” Trying new programs like intramurals is a great step toward making your post-secondary experience more than just going to class and doing homework. From making new friends to trying a new sport and even having a shot at winning the Valley Cup and bringing glory to UFV, intramurals are the best place to make memories and stay active while on campus.
