Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor
It’s difficult to go to college without being aware of the myriad of different NCAA sports teams on campus. For students who aren’t inclined to go the NCAA route, Western is also home to intramural programs and club sports, both of which are open to students across campus.
Both IM and club sports are a way for members of the Western community to participate in recreational sports at varying levels of intensity.
Club Sports are run by students and go through the university’s campus recreation department. Some of the clubs offered include rugby, wrestling and rock climbing. Club Sports are a way for students to participate in structured games and practices, as well as travel and compete with other college students throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“Playing club sports here has opened so many doors that I never even thought it would,” said Lake Larsen, senior Lacrosse player and Club Sports Supervisor. “On the field I’ve been able to travel all over the west coast ranging from Las Vegas and San Francisco to Seattle and Boise.”
In addition to being part of a team, participating in club sports can also come with various responsibilities. Larsen, who was elected president of the Lacrosse team, can attest to this; “The biggest impact of club sports has come from my time off the field and behind the scenes … with this title I learned how to manage an annual budget of approximately $50K, hired a new coaching staff and have developed great relationships with people around the school.”
IM programs are less structured; they’re less likely to have a coach, and take on a more freeform nature. Unlike club sports, they are also open to Western faculty and staff.
“IM teams are usually a group of friends comprised of WOU students competing to have fun and try to win an Intramural championship T-Shirt,” said Andy Main, the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Intramural and Club Sports.
Some of the intramural sports programs, such as Flag Football and Basketball, cost students a registration fee of $50. The money paid by students goes back into the program to help pay for court and field maintenance, as well as to pay student workers.
“The largest portion of the Intramural budget goes to pay for Intramural student-employees,” said Main. “The intramural program requires about 30 student-employees to ensure that all competitions are officiated by referees and/or monitored by Intramural supervisors.”
What isn’t covered by the intramural fee is provided to the program by the Incidental Fee Committee.
Those interested in finding out more about IM programs or club sports, can do so by heading to wou.edu/campusrec or by looking up @wou_imsports and @wouclubsports on Instagram.
Students who are more interested in watching the sports than playing them, can view the schedules for both Intramural and club sports at IMLeagues.com/wou.
Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu
