Variety of intramural sports helps keep students active

By Gilbert Quiñonez
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

  Daily Bruin File Photo Athletic enthusiasts had to turn
elsewhere for a field in 2002 as the former Intramural Field was
ripped apart for a new parking structure.

Intramural sports leave great memories with those who have taken
part in them. Just ask UCLA alumnus and former IM football and
basketball player Brent Boyd.

“Playing intramural sports was a positive
experience,” Boyd said. “It was fun to go out and
compete on a team with your friends.”

Many UCLA students come here having played sports in high
school, or come here interested in sports. For those students, UCLA
was named the No. 1 jock school by Sports Illustrated and the
school features 18 intramural sports including men’s teams,
women’s teams and co-ed teams at different skill levels.

Various levels of competition are offered in intramural sports,
usually classified as A, B and C leagues.

“Those who were serious athletes in high school should
probably sign up for the “˜A’ league,” said Mick
DeLuca, Director of Cultural and Recreational Affairs at UCLA.
“All levels are open to anyone for recreation.”

The wide variety of intramural sports that UCLA offers ranges
from 4-on-4 flag football to squash and water polo. Several sports
are offered every quarter and are played all over campus.
Facilities include the North Athletic Field, Wooden Center, Sunset
Canyon Recreation Center and even the famous Pauley Pavilion, home
to 38 NCAA national championships.

Typically, each team plays a four-game season, and any team that
finishes with a .500 winning percentage or better qualifies for a
single-elimination tournament.

The exceptions to this rule are the tournaments that are
scheduled by UCLA Intramural Sports. These tournaments are held in
non-team sports or sports that aren’t in season and are
usually one day events.

Four-on-four flag football will likely be held in the fall, as
it is usually held in then. However, in the following quarters, a
4-on-4 flag football tournament will likely also be held, due to
its popularity.

Flag football was changed from a 7-on-7 format to a 4-on-4
because of space restrictions. Last year and this year, the sport
will be limited to grass space due to an underground parking lot
that is being built under the Intramural Field is.

“Initially, the response to the switch to 4-on-4 was not
favorable,” DeLuca said. “As the year went on, people
enjoyed it. It’s a quicker game, one of the reasons being
because there isn’t a huge offensive line. A lot of people
enjoyed that.”

The lack of the Intramural Field has had a big impact on
intramural sports as a whole. Football was obviously affected, with
a much different format than it normally had because of the move to
the North Athletic Field. Soccer and softball were also played at
the much smaller North Athletic Field.

Softball was modified greatly. In Major League Baseball, the
Colorado Rockies had problems with the ball flying out of the park
too often, so they use a humidor to store balls. UCLA Intramural
Sports has used a different approach. The Incrediball was used to
restrict flight and it worked beautifully. Balls that would
normally fly out of the outfield stayed in play.

When the Intramural Field finally comes back in August 2003, it
will be better than the old field. There will be more grass space
than the old field, and brand new turf grass will be used. Also,
the irrigation system will be improved and the field will be fully
lit.

“We’ll finally be able to use the whole
field,” DeLuca said.

There is at least one negative to intramural sports. Some people
take it way too seriously. It doesn’t happen often, but
fights have broken out in the past.

Still, most people do enjoy intramural sports.

“The most important thing is for everyone to stay
active,” DeLuca said.

For more information, stop by the Wooden Center or visit
http://www.recreation.ucla.edu.