Intramurals: creating a monster

Intramural champion. It has a good ring to it.

The shirts are pretty nice, too.

For every champion, however, there’s a winless team wondering what went wrong. A promising year can quickly turn into a headache without warning, from one mistake on the field to issues with teammates.

With this guide, however, you can start strong and avoid common pitfalls that ruin many teams.

Experience matters

Senior Chris Russell, center and wide receiver for Whiteout, the defending A-league flag football champions, says many new teams learn the hard way from lack of preparation.

“Some teams move up too fast,” Russell said. “You can have the best athletes, but you can’t recruit experience.”

Just because a team is new, however, doesn’t mean they can’t immediately challenge for the top spot.

Sophomore Joey Nipper hasn’t lost an A-league men’s softball game at GCSU. He credits off-season play for helping his softball team’s climb to the top.

“We spend at least half the year playing softball,” Nipper said, “and that keeps us in playing condition for the season’s beginning.”

Russell notes that intramural staff members and most A-league players are willing to answer questions and give advice.

“Watching the best teams play can provide invaluable insight,” Russell said. “And asking the best how they became a good team can only help.”

Put me in, coach

An often-overlooked aspect of playing is the coach’s position. Though a team may have new players, a coach brings experience and leadership that can ease the pressure of quickly learning a new sport.

“A coach can make the difference between winning and losing,” senior Rachel Pendergrast said. Pendergrast played for and now coaches Blue Light Special, which finished second in the co-ed softball division of the national intramural tournament last season.

“Coaches have a field-wide perspective and can correct any mistakes a player makes,” Pendergrast said. “They can sometimes catch an opponent’s tendency and use that information to make adjustments that turn into a big play.”

Nipper added that the best coaches will scout other teams and make a game plan days in advance, giving a team specific direction in practice that turns into better on-field play.

Mixing and matching

Having great team chemistry will pay huge dividends in the long run. Having a unified team front will keep the team loose and keep the fun in the game.

“Everybody wants to be a hero,” Nipper said, “but it’s much better when people are willing to work as a team to win.”

Sometimes, it can prevent the floodgates from opening.

“We had a ground ball go through an outfielder’s legs one time, and because we all thought the play should have been made, we started (thinking negatively) and it all went downhill,” Nipper said. “We finished that game in a tie, but would have won with a better mindset.”

Strategize

Playing experience can help when transitioning from a men’s or women’s team to co-ed, but planning for a game requires a different mindset.

“Girls are the key to success in co-ed,” Pendergrast said. “You’re up against male athletes who will be faster and stronger, and they have to be able to hold their own.”

Pendergrast also described how teams exploit holes in a defense.

“You really are only as good as your weakest link,” Pendergrast said. “Every team will have athletic guys, but not everyone has girls who are playmakers.”

In addition, having girls involved on touchdowns boosts the touchdown value from six to nine, which can make the difference between winning by two or losing by one.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 4 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry