After a year and a half on hold, intramural sports at DePauw are making a comeback. Julia Proctor, dean of Student Wellness and deputy Title Nine coordinator, and four of DePauw’s coaches kicked off intramurals this past Sunday.
“We are very excited to begin recreational sports again, these activities have a fun but competitive atmosphere that seem to bring energy to students,” Proctor said.
Introducing Intramurals
Proctor explained the beginning of the season will look a bit different than in years past. Prior to COVID-19, intramurals were largely focused on league play, relying on students to submit teams. This year, they are accommodating for free agents, students who want to play but do not necessarily have a group connection. The first half of the Fall semester will primarily focus on this community building in first-year students, although all students are encouraged to join. Events will take place in the South Quad near first-year housing on Sunday afternoons and evenings. Games offered will include spikeball, cornhole, kickball, and other potential activities such as water sports and tennis.
Post Fall Break
After fall break, intramurals will transition into league play. This phase will be more dependent on student interest and welcome both free agents and established teams. Sports such as football, soccer, volleyball, and basketball will take place on weeknights in tournament style and accommodate students who are interested in a five to six week league.
The Staff
The Women's Assistant Basketball Coach, Annie Bourne, is one of the coaches that will be assisting with intramurals.
Bourne has been coaching women's basketball at DePauw for seven years, but this is her first year on the intramural staff. She shares her hopes for this semester, “We plan on ordering tie-dye t-shirts and hopefully even hold a championship tournament near the end of the season,” Bourne said.
She is looking forward to working with other assistant coaches and being involved in a variety of sports that she has not had the opportunity to participate in recent years.
Other coaches involved include the Men’s Assistant Soccer Coach, Keagan Angevin, the Women's Assistant Lacrosse Coach, Corey Reese, and the Women’s Assistant Soccer Coach, Amanda Grant.
The intramural staff is also looking for student interns. They predict four to five work study positions are needed for the season. Student interns will assist with scheduling, setting up and taking down equipment, and referring games. If interested, students should contact Julia Proctor for more information.
COVID-19 Protocols
Proctor also serves on DePauw’s COVID-19 mitigation team and explained that intramurals follow different guidelines than the NCAA sports. Intramural sports are focusing on outdoor play as much as possible to stay COVID-19 safe. If they move indoors in the later months, masks will be required in spaces that exceed 50 people.
Student Feedback
First-year Mia Davis is excited for intramurals to begin.
“I came here not knowing many people, and for someone who’s not outgoing I think intramurals are a great way to create a sense of community. So that when you’re walking around campus there’s some people you can say ‘hi’ to,” Davis said.
Davis is not a member of a sports team at DePauw but was very athletically involved throughout high school. She played lacrosse, volleyball, and competitive cheer but was not able to participate as normal during her senior year due to COVID-19 precautions. She shared her excitement about the chance to play volleyball again but without the time commitment and stress of coaches.
As DePauw gets back into the swing of pre-pandemic campus activity, intramural sports are another enjoyment to look forward to. A spikeball tournament will kick off the season this Sunday, September 12 at 4:00 PM and future intramural activities can be found on the Campus Labs website.