Who cares that you're not on a college sports team when you've got intramural sports?!

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Intramural Sports are on the Rise!
By Lynda Kessler

The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- You may not play a sport for your college team, but there's always a way to play the game. It's called intramural sports and these non-competitive games have actually become the newest trend. After all, there's less pressure, since the game is purely played for fun, and it's an activity you can enjoy by your rules.

"[With intramural sports], students have choices of times, days, and leagues in which to play," explains Mary Wafer-Johnston, director of recreational sports at University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK. "This means [that] someone working 30 hours per week and taking 15 [credit] hours can play Wednesday nights at 10 p.m.

"With more and more students working to pay for their education, trends in campus recreation are changing," Wafer-Johnston continues. "We are seeing less participation in fitness classes and more in informal recreation. However, intramural sports are booming."

Chris McLemore, a member of the intramural softball team at Kansas State University, attributes the boom to intramural sports' physical aspects and social factors.

"Intramurals provide relief from classes in a social setting that doesn't have the heavy pretension of the bar scene," he says. "You can meet friends easily and get social interaction that doesn't involve flirtatious pick-up lines."

Wafer-Johnston concurs. "When you're on your own, it's always great to go somewhere [where] you're appreciated and needed."

So, what are you waiting for?! Get playing!