Everyone’s familiar with intramural sports. The athletic activities of soccer, basketball, ultimate Frisbee and the newbie of the bunch, tennis. These sports allow the general populous of the college to participate in sports with one another in a competitive yet friendly setting. However, in some cases, the even keel of fairness has been tipped noticeably to one side. Often times, the rules which should be in place to foster a competitive and friendly setting are completely ignored by those in power in the intramural sports department.
I have some examples from personal experience to use. During the Challenge League basketball playoffs the other night, there was a clear change of personnel during the #2-7 seed match up between Shake n’ Bake and Team Starbury. Unlike when the teams had played previously during the regular season of the intramural season, Team Starbury had a surplus of players on the sidelines. In addition, there were some new faces out on the court during the start of the game. Why is this? Because in the playoffs, Starbury input a few players onto their roster that were not on the roster at the beginning of the season or playing in games during the regular season. For one reason or another, new kids on the team were dropping dimes for easy baskets or spashing down 3’s from beyond the arc.
Now this shouldn’t happen in a league with rules which promote fairness amongst their teams. Regulations should safeguard against teams doing this during playoff time. However, there were no rules which prevented this from happening. It was clear this provided Starbury with an extra edge in the game en route to their upset victory in the first round. This has to beg the question of where the authorities were to step in and stop this from happening. Referees? Intramural Coordinator? Scorekeeper? Who is making sure rules are followed during the most crucial time of year for IM sports?
I have another example of rule-breaking from a game played directly after the game I just mentioned. During the #1-8 matchup between The Bell Ends and Shawn Kemp’s Legit Children, a fiasco between players on both squads broke out. Coarse and derogatory language, pushing, arguing and physical play broke out between teams. Even still, jawing was going on between players and fans of the game. Where were the referees to step in and restore order? Why was the clock allowed to continuously run during times in play where the situation clearly dictated that the clock should be stopped? Why were derogatory terms allowed to fly around like a football in a game of 500?
Something is clearly wrong with this picture. There should be a hard line stance here to prevent the things which transpired from happening in the first place. I am sincerely disappointed in the way this IM season has been handled and the way the rules are treated by those of whom are supposed to enforce the rules. I have no suggestions on what to do. It is not my responsibility nor is it my place to tell IM what to do. All I can do is read into what I’ve seen. All I can do is respond to the behavior I’ve seen exhibited.
Apparently the message here is anything goes. So I must tell you, intramural athletes of Whitworth, do whatever you want; the IM staff is okay with it.
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