Throughout the academic year, hundreds of students, staff and faculty members participate in dozens of intramural sports in hopes of winning the coveted championship t-shirt.
Anthony Outman | Summer Arg
Participants in the first season of intramural sand volleyball play together on June 17. Sand volleyball is the only intramural sport offered during the summer.
Once most students leave campus and the sun comes out, that competitive spirit gets a little more laid back and the Vandals who remain in Moscow hit the sand for a short summer volleyball intramural season.
Director of Intramural Sports Butch Fealy said sand volleyball has been a popular summer sport because it doesn’t require an extensive skill set or knowledge of the game to have a good time.
“Volleyball works well because you only need three other people or less to play and … you can just get out and enjoy the sun,” Fealy said. “You don’t need a high volleyball IQ to get out and have fun, where some people think with basketball or other sports you really need to have a high sports IQ to play.”
Fealy said the intramural program has tried a number of different summer sports including ultimate Frisbee, soccer, softball and basketball, but sand volleyball is consistently the only the one that’s been successful throughout the years.
“The tricky part with intramurals in the summer is what our audience is,” Fealy said. “We’ve tried to do a lot of different things and sand volleyball has been the one kind of common sport that everyone has seemed to gravitate to. I think it’s hard for a student to find 10 other people to play softball with let alone during intramural season but also in the summer.”
Other challenges with scheduling more summer intramurals include limitations to facilities with summer camps and renovations taking precedence over intramural competition. Fealy said the inconsistent availability of space makes scheduling difficult.
This summer there will be two seasons of sand volleyball. The first recently ended with playoff competition concluding the four-week season, and the second will begin after the July 4 holiday.
Elicia Hunt, a UI junior, participated in the first season with her team — The Original Giraffes. She said although her team has yet to win a single match, they will definitely be participating in the next summer season.
“It’s a lot of fun, I really enjoy it,” Hunt said. “Everyone who shows up to play is there to have fun and that makes it what it is. It’s relaxed and super enjoyable.”
Hunt said it is her first summer participating in intramurals but is glad she chose to get a team together.
“We’ve had a lot of fun,” Hunt said. “It’s good to just get involved. It’s a great way to get outside and stay active in the summer and meet new people.”
Fealy said everyone is invited to play summer intramurals including alumni, faculty, staff and possibly incoming freshmen.
“We want as many people playing as possible, so if you have any affiliation with the university at all we consider you eligible to play intramurals in the summer,” Fealy said. “I think it’s really about just getting out and enjoying some good weather and meeting people. I think people are much more laid back in the summer intramurals and especially with sand volleyball just because the weather is warm … the competition level is a little lower, more laid back.”
Fealy said any teams who participated in the first summer season don’t need to resubmit paperwork to be eligible for the second season as long as teams notify him by the June 28 deadline. Play will begin July 8.
Kaitlyn Krasselt can be reached at [email protected]
More info:
To submit an entry form pick one up at the Student Recreation Center or visit www.uidaho.edu/studentaffairs/campus-recreation/intramurals/Summer-Intramurals/sand-volleyball.