Campus Recreation had one of its most competitive semesters this past spring. It offered eight intramural leagues—including indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball, dodgeball, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, racquetball and inner tube water polo— as well as five intramural tournaments: bowling, sand volleyball, tennis, softball and flag football.

Since Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Clint Jones came to St. Edward’s in September 2013, Campus Recreation has grown tremendously.

“The goal upon arrival was to help increase our team numbers, increase the level of organization within IM sports and start developing a culture of recreation on campus with the student body,” Jones said.

According to Jones, the Fall 2013 semester saw about 180 students participating in intramural events. This semester, that number has more than doubled to include over 400 students.

In addition to supervising intramural sports, Jones also serves as the head of informal recreation, the aquatics programs and Campus Recreation student employees.

But Jones is not without help. Intramural Sports Manager Jonathan Canales runs the day-to-day operations of the organization. He collects funds from participants, provides equipment for each sport and helps teams and individuals register on IMLeagues, a new online intramural management system.

Canales, a senior kinesiology major, wants to see even more Campus Recreation growth after he graduates.

“I would like almost every organization to be in an intramural sport,” he said.

In addition to increasing the size of the program, Jones worked to increase the qualifications and confidence of intramural officials.

According to Jones, referees are hired separately for each sport and are required to attend at least two training sessions and pass the rules test for that sport.

Intramural Official Michael Rubbo is a referee for multiple sports, including soccer, basketball and dodgeball.

Rubbo prefers to officiate soccer because he knows the sport better than any other.

“Dodgeball and basketball are the hardest sports to ref,” he said. “They are fast paced and you always have to be focusing on several different things at once.”

Rubbo also plays in multiple leagues and tournaments, including Ultimate Frisbee and softball.

Freshman Caitlin Laughlin is also an avid intramural participant and has played on six different teams this semester including soccer, volleyball and dodgeball.

Laughlin likes intramural sports because it provides the opportunity to bond with fellow teammates through physical activity.

“I like getting together and playing with teams and having fun,” Laughlin said. “I always joke with the refs.”

For next year, Jones is most excited about an idea that aims to implement a year-long competition between the residence halls, student organizations and independent groups on campus. At the end of the year, the winning team will be crowned the all sports cup champion.

Through this campus-wide competition, Jones aims to increase participation that will support the goal of creating an expansive culture of intramural sports and recreation.