As interest in intramural sports at Norwich fades, the university has come up with a solution: Combining intramural sports with club sports.
The combination would have both the funds of intramural sports and club sports, with the added guidance of the student activities director, said men’s lacrosse coach and director of intramurals, Neal Anderson.
Intramurals have suffered from lack of personnel.
Anderson took over as the director of intramurals three years ago. Before then, intramural sports had a full-time director. Now intramurals are “an extra responsibility,” Anderson said. “I’m kind of the caretaker of the position.”
Since the loss of a full-time staff person, interest in intramurals decreased, he said.
“We don’t have a full-time staff to support that league structure,” Anderson said, “We don’t have a person to make intramurals grow to where it needs to be, and we don’t have enough man power.”
Students don’t seem as interested in creating intramural leagues.
“Not as many students are saying, ‘I want to organize a basketball league,’ anymore,” Anderson said.
The university used to have as many as eight offerings, Anderson said.
“Intramural sports have to be driven by the students. They have to show that they want to do it,” said director of sports information, Charlie Crosby. “It’s student motivated.”
“There are a lot of students that want to play sports but aren’t good enough to play at the varsity level. But there should be something there for them to do,” said Crosby. “If you bring that forward, then it’s up to the school in that area to make it available for you.”
In the past year, the university has done quite few things to make intramurals more accessible to the students, including improvements to Plumley Armory.
“We have a lot of new equipment we made available to student on campus,” said Anderson. “Students … come up and sign out dodge ball, tennis rackets, snow shoes, soccer balls.”
Sleds can even be borrowed from the intramurals closet for fun in the winter months.
The equipment is open for use through the Norwich athletics webpage or students can sign equipment out at the front desk in the new Doyle Hall.
Anderson and his staff have made the equipment available for everyone to use at a moment’s notice. “I got a dozen footballs ready to go; I got pinnies, I got cones.”
Norwich recognizes the importance of supporting intramural teams; a committee last year on retention discussed how to keep students entertained while they are on campus, and activities like intramurals were identified.
“I think intramural sports are a huge part,” said Anderson.
For now, Anderson said “We try our best to advertise.”
“A lot of people just don’t know about this stuff, it’s about spreading the word and trying to advertise this equipment available,” Anderson said.