Intramural Sports are an integral part of student involvement at the University of Maine. With thousands of students registered to play each year, a large population of UMaine students are involved with the programs. None of this would be possible, however, without Erin Wool. Wool is the Coordinator of Intramurals and Youth Programming at the New Balance Rec Center. This means that she is the one who makes game schedules, assigns employee hours and creates playoff brackets for every intramural game on campus.
When asked about what she thinks intramural sports mean at UMaine, Wool was proud of the impact she feels the games have on the students.
“I think intramural sports are a super huge part of the culture here at the University of Maine. In all we have over a thousand participants which is a huge portion of the student population. I think it’s a great way for people to stay active in an unconventional way. Maybe you played sports in high school, maybe this is just something you do recreationally… it’s a great way to stay active and get involved with the community while you’re in college.”
Erin also wants students to know that if they are looking to participate in intramurals but aren’t able to round up enough players to create their own team, there are still ways to be involved. “If you don’t know anybody that participates in intramural sports you can sign up as a free agent and then you can reach out to teams (or they can reach out to you) if they are looking for more players. We also always have a bunch of awesome supervisors that are hanging around intramural sports. If you see them around the rec center, you’re always free to ask them questions and they’ll help you find a team.”
I am incredibly grateful for the experience that intramural sports has given me over the past four years. Some of my best college memories are from playing in close games and sneaking out tight victories over other companions who created their own intramural teams. Being a freshman, I didn’t know many people on campus. Intramural sports helped me make a ton of friends and feel comfortable in a new environment.
Whether it is a blistering cold Wednesday night in November when the fraternity football championships are being played, or a calm April afternoon with some friends gathering for a casual, coed softball game, there is always something for students to enjoy.
The next session of intramural sports will begin following spring break with Soccer, Flag Football, Volleyball and Softball all being offered. Please reach out to erin.wool@maine.edu with any questions.
