The start of the school year has begun and it seems as if classes are already dragging along. Luckily, with the start of classes comes another fall season of intramural sports beginning at Laurier Brantford.

This fall semester, the Athletic and Recreation department will be offering leagues for softball, outdoor soccer, competitive and recreation volleyball, flag football and dodgeball, all with the goal to entice students of all kinds. Also starting this fall is the hockey program, an intramural program that is played throughout the whole year.

With so many sports offered, intramurals at Laurier Brantford have become an integral part of campus participation offering a fun atmosphere that allows students to meet new people while staying active.

Greg Stewart, Manager of Athletics and Recreation at Laurier Brantford sees intramural sports as an opportunity for many students to stay active both physically and through campus life.

“I think (intramurals) is an integral part because it provides an outlet for students to get involved and stay in shape and to avoid the freshman 15,” says Stewart.

He adds that intramurals here at Laurier Brantford are a “pinnacle aspect of the campus” that provides a strong balance to the school work that often consumes most of a student’s focus. Not only do intramurals provide an opportunity for students to compete, it also provides current students the chance to officiate in the various leagues and make some extra money over the course of the school year.

Many of the intramural sports that Laurier Brantford offers also come with unique features that continue to attract students each year. For example, co-ed softball includes 2 staff teams that allows students to play against faculty and other Laurier Brantford staff including, Special Constable Tammy Maertens, professor Geoff Spurr, External Relations coordinator Kevin Klein and the aforementioned Stewart.

Laurier Brantford’s hockey program is organized through a pre-season draft to evenly divide teams, a system that is not often used in other school’s intramural programs, let alone the Waterloo campus’. It is these unique features coupled with the increasing growth of the campus that has seen student participation increase steadily throughout the years providing each league with a wide variety of teams and healthy competition.

Whether a student decides to sign up as an individual or with a team of friends in any given sport organized through intramurals, (with the one exception being hockey) the choice to sign up often carries with it a plethora of benefits. Whether it be meeting new people, staying active or taking a break from studies, intramural sports at Laurier Brantford are a great way to continue to play the sports you love in a welcoming environment.

To sign up for fall intramurals or apply to officiate this semester, visit the Wilkes Recreation and Athletic Centre located on the south side of Darling beside the Student Centre. Registration starts this week.