By Aaron O'Connell
Spring intramural sports are underway at the University of Portland, with 5x5 basketball well into its season, and doubles table tennis starting this week.
Intramural sports present a good opportunity for students and faculty of all skill levels to participate in various sports and compete for the illusive championship ?T-shirt.
This semester, the University offers 11 different intramural sports, the most popular of which are 5x5 basketball, outdoor soccer and 6x6 indoor volleyball. The sports are broken up into separate divisions in order to divide the more skilled players from those who just want to have fun.
Intramurals do not limit a participant to a certain amount of sports, and sometimes teams will stay together to compete in multiple intramurals-often against other teams who have also kept the same members.
"It's nice when there is a group like that," Director of Recreational Services, Brian Dezzani said. "A lot of teams keep the same players so there's a friendly rivalry there."
Dezzani stressed that the intramural program is geared to attract teams seeking skilled competition as well as teams that may be inexperienced. And generally, Dezzani believes that the program has a strong turnout of students who have competitive backgrounds and of those looking to try something new.
Ultimate Frisbee, for example, attracts a large group of players from the University's ultimate team, and the intramural program regulates the club players in order to not give any team too large of an advantage.
"We try to make it welcoming for the recreational player," Dezzani said. "But we also try to have a competitive outlet for the serious players."
The 5x5 men's basketball division two team, The Hahn Dynasty, is among those teams that does not take the competition too seriously.
Zach Uhles, a sophomore, described that the team has a three-part strategy to their game.
"Well first we have to make sure we have five guys," Uhles said. "We also try to predict the paper, rock, scissors so we can get the ball first. And we try to make sure we have five dollars in case (someone) says a cuss word and we get a technical."
Uhles plays other intramural sports, and in the past has won the bowling tournament, the golf tournament and most recently the division one flag football title.
But the team he currently plays for does not have its eye on the championship. The Hahn Dynasty is currently 2-3, one of their only wins coming from a forfeit.
"(In games) we generally...uh," Uhles said, and then stopped himself. "We have fun every game let's just say that."
Sophomore Nick Moran, another player for The Hahn Dynasty alleges that their current standing is not a surprise even though most players have some basketball experience which stems from high-school.
"This is about where we thought we'd be sitting," Moran said. "We didn't have very high expectations."
Unlike Uhles, Moran doesn't believe that the team has any game-winning tactics in place.
"We don't really have a strategy," Moran said. "We just go out and have fun. We try and get people to play with us the day of the game."
Uhles believes that the team would be better had a personal friend of his been allowed to play. The intramural program denied Uhles' friend because he had walked on to the Pilot's basketball team his freshman year, and the program has a policy that a student-athlete cannot compete in their specific sport in the intramural league for a full year following their departure from his or her sport.
Despite Uhles' grievance, he still wholly enjoys the University's intramurals.
"I think they have a good selection (of intramurals) and they are spaced out pretty well." Uhles said. "Yeah, we have a good program."
