Whether you are a big time Chicago Bears Fan or don’t really care to watch professional sports, you have probably played a sport at some time in your life.  If you ask almost anyone they could tell you they played on a local soccer team in their childhood or played tee ball in the summers of their youth. As we grow older, however; it seems less and less people prioritize their time around sports.  The selectivity of some competitive high school sports teams along with the major time commitment they require limits the amount of students partaking in these physical activities. Intramural sports have provided another option to those who love to play sports, but might not possess the physical skill or time flexibility demanded by a high school coach.  While many students enjoy playing intramural sports, the question about their importance when compared to competitive sports is asked time and time again. Are intramural sports really necessary?  

Patrick Schumacher, a senior at Saint Viator, plays on the Varsity basketball team.  He also helps coach an intramural team of the Palatine Park District known as Elite. He believes competitive sports are more important as “they give you a more communal feel when you are a part of them.”  He views his teammates on the Varsity team “as family” who “work together to achieve success.”

Patrick also gives a different point of view supporting intramural sports in his mention of them as an outlet if a student “had a falling out with a sport due to a coach or some other reason.”

As a student who puts forth time for both competitive and intramural sports, his opinion speaks volumes.  Sports, in general, are physical activity played in a competitive way with the common goal of winning. Despite the different ways to play sports (intramural vs competitive) they share this purpose in common as well as another goal of having fun.  While winning is satisfying and makes a team feel accomplished, enjoying the sport you play is extremely important. For this reason, and others, competitive and intramural sports are important in their own ways.

I have played both intramural and competitive sports and understand how difficult it can be to manage school and at-home-life with competitive, school sports.  Intramural sports have given me a great opportunity to play without great amounts of pressure and stress. I urge students to experiment with intramural sports at least one time in their lifetime and take advantage of their many great benefits.  College is an amazing place to explore the world of intramural sports. Almost every college offers sports for their students who want to try something new or continue playing a sport they loved in high school. It’s safe to say competitive sports and intramural sports are different for many reasons, but intramural sports are still important in their own way.