Intramural sports: the all in one self-help remedy
Intramural sports are back in swing, or they’re kicking off, or they’re … catching on? Whatever sports pun you want to use, intramural sports have begun this semester with sand volleyball and ultimate frisbee.
Senior North Greenville University digital media major and current sand volleyball intramural participant Gary Wenzel has been an intramural participator since his freshmen year.
“Intramural sports are fun! It’s a good opportunity to get out of the dorm and meet new people and compete,” he said.
Intramural sports are a time-tested tradition at NGU. On a broader scale, intramural sports have been found to increase, “social interaction, time management, ability to work within a team, overall happiness, sense of belonging, and feelings of self-worth” (Sturts, Ross, 2013).
Physically, regular exercise has been found to assist with physical well being. Namely cardiovascular health, which reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. As well as metabolic health, which helps to control body weight, reduce blood sugar levels, and reduces risk of diabetes.
Mentally, countless studies have linked physical activity to a wide range of mental benefits. “Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood” (Robinson, Segal, Smith, 2025).
Socially, intramural sports offer the ability to meet many new people. At a small, private, Christian university, it can be difficult to find community, and intramural sports provide an opportunity to find people to connect with.
Already have a good group? Sign up together for a great opportunity to get closer and have a consistent time to hangout each week.
Don’t want to play sports but still want to be social? Come watch and hangout! Current interim intramural director, Nathaniel Knox said he wants intramural sports to be a place for people to come and hangout regardless of if they’re playing or not.
“We’re pushing to have music out there playing, have pickleball out there, so it’s a place where people want to invite friends and come watch and hangout,” Knox said.
If you’re looking to sign up to play intramural sports, make an account and sign up through IM leagues. Soccer and flag football start up the week after homecoming. Games are on Mondays and Tuesdays, soccer on Mondays and Flag football on Tuesdays. Games can be anytime between 7-11 p.m. on each day and most teams get one to two games per week.
The leagues are, as Knox described, “competitive, but not too competitive.”
The goal is for people to have fun and make memories, but still want to win while they’re at it. They want to be flexible as well, if people are not a fan of one thing or another, or want different sports, they’re open to change.
