IMS sports team celebrate their win after a soccer game
When logging in to Facebook and playing Xbox got boring, Liberty University Freshman Mario Evans figured he needed a better distraction. One that kept him fit and his senses sharp, so he decided to sign up with Liberty University’s (LU) Intramural Sports (IMS) program.
Evans played soccer in high school but never got to make the team so an opportunity that was as competitive seemed worthwhile.
“I play for the fun and to improve my skills as a soccer player,” Evans said. Most of the time, Evans is at the LU Indoor Soccer Complex making darting runs across the artificial turf field, pulling off quick dribbles with his lime-green Nike Mercurial cleats and taking vicious shots at the goalkeeper.
“For me, it’s the most free-flowing sport; I love the passion and energy in the game. I just love it,” Evans said.
IMS are organized recreational sports leagues that allow students at Liberty to participate in a variety of team and individual sports. Competition exists, but the real focus of intramural sports is health and exercise, social interaction, stress reduction, sportsmanship, and teamwork according to the Ultimate LU Web site. It has cemented itself as a natural and part of college life since 1986.
“The IMS program has allowed students the opportunity to participate in numerous sports leagues, alleviate stress from academics, and provides another chance to exercise,” IMS Supervisor Deanna Dewitt said who oversees and enforces the rules and regulations within IMS.
She has held this position since August 2009 but the first full-time employee position was not established until 2000. Dewitt was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She attended Liberty University from 2005 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and a minor in Business in May 2009. She is currently working on her MBA from Liberty as well. Over the years, IMS has expanded by adding new sports.
“We try to add sports that the students want to be involved in and with the highest interest,” Dewitt said.
Team sports ranging from Basketball, soccer, flag football, volleyball to softball rank as some of the most played in IMS.
She also added the IMS program strives to make noticeable improvements by updating and upgrading its facilities, adding new facilities and making other changes deemed necessary. “We really do our best to give students what they want,” Dewitt said.
“I heard they were going to add horseback riding, isn’t that crazy?” Freshman Carson Meares says to his friend.
“No man, somebody would fall and break their neck. It’s Student Activities that provide that,” Vincent To said, he also works as volleyball staff for IMS.
“Well, I still think it’d be cool if we had horseback riding,” Meares said with a chuckle.
Nonetheless, the IMS offers a vast array of sports that range from dodgeball, paintball to ultimate Frisbee.
Even though Evans enjoys playing intramural sports, he and other students feel that there is more room for improvement for IMS here at Liberty.
“I started playing this semester; I like it because everyone gets to play but the organization, the refs in particular show a lot of inexperience and that makes me angry sometimes. They could do better,” Evans said. Referees and regulations fair among the biggest complaints about IMS program.
“I swear some of the refs have it out for me and my team. Some of them are on an ego power trip so there is not much you can do,” Sophomore and basketball player Derick Robinson said, frustrated over a call he felt that cost his team a regular season game.
While IMS gives students the opportunities to be active and provides them with more things to do, another constraint may be the fact that there is always the factor of time-management. As a result, students have to prioritize.
“It interferes in a way because the games are set up during class times or conflict with class times. It’s hard because you really want to play. I even know some students who have skipped exams just to play a game. That’s really bad because for me, my academics come first,” Evans said.
Freshman and Evan’s teammate Gregory Adejinle also said the sportsmanship and behaviors of some other players are very hostile.
“I like to be competitive but there are some times when things get out of hand. Fights break out, people calling each other names, you can literally smell the hate between two teams when you are playing on the field and that’s sad, considering the fact that we are in a Christian school,” Adejinle said, reflecting on one time an opponent called him a faggot.
However, these are fairly common complaints, IMS has received its fair share of criticisms but the recreational organization looks for ways to always improve and that they always the enforce rules and regulation of IMS.
“We cannot make everyone happy with the decisions we choose [regarding the games]. However, our goal is to provide the best service possible to the student body,” Dewitt said after she and the IMS staff receive a flood-in of complaints about the refs and several regulations.
It is one of the stressful parts of her job but the staff Dewitt works with makes it all worthwhile. “It has been a pleasure working for the Intramural Sports staff thus far. Our staff is very friendly but also passionate and committed to their work. It’s a great experience working for the IMS Department.
Apart from the organization, competition and the games, it is more of way to just hang out, spend time with some friends or make new ones. Most students know about the IMS through word-of-mouth that spreads infectiously.
“When I saw Mario chest and volley a ball from 26 yards out and score I had to get him on my team, “Adejinle said.
Since then, they do not only play together on the team. They often eat together at the Rot and talk about Manchester United or help each other out with Math.
“Many students have also become lifelong friends from playing together within the program,” Dewitt said.
Sophomore Hillary Duncan did not have much to do until her friend persuaded her to get into volleyball.
“We were working out together in the gym and she just asked me to join her team and that sounded like fun to me,” Duncan said.
“I like the fact that we can play an organized sport but it’s more loose and relaxed than playing on a school team,” Sophomore and Hillary’s friend Robin Tapken said.
For both friends, IMS gives them something to do, keep them in shape and has become a necessary part of life.
“When you are at the rot, you hear a lot of people talk about their games and their teams. It’s a big part of LU. So I think it’s very important to have something like that because it gives us something to do,” Tapken said.
“Even though you may not be really good at sports, I think it’s a great way to meet people so I’d definitely recommend to anyone to pick it up,” Evans said before he was on his way to his play-off game with his friends.
For more information on IMS, students can visit www.liberty.edu/ims.