Students feed athletic fantasies with IM sports

Let’s face it, incoming freshmen ““ unless you are in
the special orientation session held for incoming varsity athletes,
your glory days of athletic competition have ended.

The days of practicing relentlessly with high school teammates
in order to strive for that state championship are long gone, and
that dreaded “freshman fifteen” begins to make an
unwanted appearance.

You are now confined to the sidelines, destined not to make
headlines but to brag to friends about what some Bruin athlete did
at a sporting event. Your athletic life as you know it has ended,
right? Not necessarily.

UCLA boasts one of the most inclusive and competitive intramural
programs in California. Run by the Recreation Center staff and
students, the UCLA IM Office (also known as “the
Clubhouse”) offers multiple sports each quarter, from flag
football in the fall to softball and outdoor soccer in the
spring.

“You have just got to love the IM sports on this
campus,” third-year student Chris Hatfield said. “The
facilities are nice, the sports are run professionally, and the
games keep you in great shape.”

Most of the outdoor sports are played on the large grass field
wedged between Drake Stadium and the Wooden Center, only about a
three-wood from the dorms. The IM field hosts sports from soccer to
softball and is also used by UCLA’s marching band.

As for indoor sports such as basketball and indoor soccer, the
IM office runs games in the Wooden Center, the Student Activities
Center or Pauley Pavilion.

“The best thing about the IM basketball season (other than
the basketball) is being able to play games on the floor of
Pauley,” said fourth-year Kyle Walberg. “It’s
awesome to play on the same court that UCLA’s varsity program
once dominated on.”

Each IM game is refereed by a student employee of the IM Office.
The student referees, though far from perfect, provide a
professional atmosphere that make IM games a big step up from a
regular pick-up game.

Most sports offered by the IM office are offered in three
different skill levels. The A league is intended for the fiercest
of competitors. Most athletes in the A-level leagues have long,
drawn-out stories about the time their team made it to the city
finals or about how they could have played at a Division II school
but came to UCLA for the education.

No matter how exaggerated these glory stories become, the fact
remains most IM participants in the A leagues are the best athletes
never to suit up for a UCLA varsity team.

“The A-League games can be pretty intense,” Walberg
said. “A lot of guys really care about the outcomes, and it
shows by how extreme the competition is.”

The B leagues are a significant step down from the
competitiveness of the A leagues. These middle leagues are mostly
filled by teams that list winning a title second on their list of
priorities, right behind having a good time.

C-league games are considered far and away the most fun to
compete in. Designed to attract those with little skill or
experience in the sport, C league is the most low-key level.

“I hate it when guys that know what they’re doing
play in C league,” second-year Cory Hendrickson said.
“It’s like that cliché, “˜pick on some one
your own size.'”

There are two distinct types of teams that sign up for C-league
IM sports: teams that don’t know what they’re doing and
drunken fraternity guys.

For those who do not impair their coordination and judgment
enough to compete on a level playing field with beginners, it is
recommended to sign up for B league. There is no IM sports taboo
greater than signing up for a C league sport, taking it seriously,
and not making a fool of yourself.

Participating in UCLA’s IM sports program is a great way
to relive past athletic glories as well as create new memories with
new friends. The Clubhouse runs each sport professionally and
effectively, providing UCLA students with an excellent environment
in which to compete.

IM sports at UCLA are a defining factor of campus life in
Westwood. They extend the opportunity to excel at UCLA in more
aspects of life than simply academics. They are an example of the
quality of life incoming freshmen can look forward to enjoying at
UCLA.