Now what?

A9

Mitchell Bernard

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It was a sunny evening in June. Hundreds of fans lined the field as the players rucked and pushed their way throughout the evening. People were dashing, throwing themselves everywhere in the name of game. And when that final whistle blew, we'd come out on top "" we were the provincial champions of our high school rugby league.

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Coincidently, that final whistle ended not only the season, but as well a major part of my life. Competitive sport, my main drive and pastime for the last 17 years, was coming to a halt and I was totally ignorant to the fact.

It probably didn't hit me until my first week of school at university. As a high school sports star, I played them all: volleyball in the fall, hockey in winter, rugby in spring, and baseball in the summer. But the minute I hit university I came to a realization that, well, my abilities weren't up to par with these elite athletes.

And thus I began my search for something, anything at all, to allow me to exert that competitive nature I've carried with me my entire life. I mean really, where else was I going to use it? School? Nah. I need grit, character, and a good sweat every now and again.

I was able to keep active throughout the year by playing many sports offered by the campus recreation program at my university. I participated in many activities such as flag football (not quite rugby, but I could use my rugby cleats!), co-ed volleyball, intramural hockey, and softball. Afterwards, if I felt like the game didn't give me enough of that adrenaline I wanted, I'd take a run down to the weight room and pump out a few extra sets to get the blood flowing.

Like me, you too can find many opportunities on your campus to keep active. You might even find a new sport that wasn't offered in your area. For a small fee, you and a group of friends can create a team and join a league. If you live in a student residence, most houses have a sports co-ordinator whose job is to make sure you know of all the intramural opportunities offered, and to set you up on a house team.

But what if you don't know anyone willing to make a team? Most intramural programs will allow you to sign up and be placed on a team. This way you can meet new people and enjoy staying active while attending post-secondary education.

Each university has a different intramural sports program for you to explore. Besides the usual volleyball, basketball, soccer, and hockey openings, many universities allow you to try out a totally new sport. UNB in Fredericton offers broomball and waterpolo in the winter term, as well as a chance to rock climb throughout the year. Mount Allison offers an intramural league in curling, while UNBSJ has a competitive badminton league.

Worried about other players being more advanced than you are? Feel as though you'll look out of place trying to keep up with the other players? Most leagues offer different levels of competition so that more advanced players have a league of their own. This way you won't have to worry about the Scott Stevens look-a-like driving you through the boards, or tripping over the new exchange student who is skating for the first time. Each division should be suitable and match what you're looking to take away from the sport.

I say, so what if you're no longer talented enough to play sports at the university level? Instead of sweating in the gym for five hours a day, stressing out about the coach being on your back because of that awful mistake you made last game, why not join an intramural team and still reap the benefit of sports. You'll save on the cash in comparison to what you spent in your high school years, meet plenty of new people, and have more time for the other university activities in which you wish to partake.

For more information on your intramural sports program, contact your local Campus Recreation /Intramural sports offices. They can usually be found on your campus homepage.