Spring is just around the corner, and so are intramural sports! UIS’s intramural program is structured for all students to take advantage of. It caters to diverse interests and skill levels, ensuring that every student has a chance to partake. Whether it is an experienced athlete wanting to try a new sport in their free time or a newcomer eager to be on a team, there is a place for everyone. Through teamwork and sportsmanship, UIS offers a plethora of different options. During the school year, there is soccer, basketball, badminton, and more. For April, the university will be offering slowpitch softball and volleyball. The Volleyball game is already in progress. It is set up 4v4 tournament style and games are held at night throughout April.
Through a third-party interactive website, Campus Recreation utilizes IMLeagues to manage the program. All intramural participants may simply use their net ID and password to register for Intramural Sports! Coming from two ladies with extremely different skill sets, partaking in intramural softball Spring 2023 semester was quite the experience.
Gianna Wolanin is a student who is not exactly on the athletic side, Ellie Shonkwiler has played softball all her life. We decided to take up the challenge and do something different on campus, to help relieve some of the stress surrounding our academic lives. Through the collection of different friends, a team was formed.
The way the intramural softball is set up is to optimize the team’s experience overall. A tournament is formed to find out the true winner. The games are played over the course of only one day. This makes it easier to fit into your schedule and make sure that all are available to play. We found this part enjoyable especially because we were just in it for the fun memories so getting it done in one day is ideal. As many of the people on our team had never played softball before we quickly found out that it was perfect for anyone to play. The ball used is the size of a softball but much softer. It is easier to hit, and you can catch it without a glove. You are still able to knock it into the outfield, but it allows people to be able to hit it easier. Our team enjoyed cheering each other on and the quick plays with each inning. Our game lasted roughly 40 minutes which was perfect. We got to hang out with friends and have many laughs along the way. Our team may not have won our games, but this year is one full of redemption.
This year the 2024 slow-pitch tournament is on April 28th, a Sunday. To register a team it must be done before the 23rd of April. You need a team name and 9 players, and you will be all set. If you follow this link here it will take you to the registration page https://www.imleagues.com/spa/member/login.
