18 September 2018
Robert Ryan
The deadlines for the September sports leagues have passed, as October’s leagues and tournaments are approaching.
The different club and intramural sports opportunities, as well as longer lasting sports leagues, provide opportunities for all students to continue playing a variety of sports throughout the semester.
Students do not need a scholarship to continue playing sports and staying active at UCCS.
Intramural Leagues follow a weekly round-robin schedule followed by a playoff, and provide students the opportunity to continue playing one sport over the course of several weeks. Leagues will be held in three different sports over the month of October: three-on-three basketball, six-on-six volleyball and five-on-five floor hockey. The deadline to register for these leagues is Oct. 17 with play starting the following week.
“Intramural leagues are great because you get to grow more as a team,” said Gwendolyn De Graaf, an assistant with the competitive Club Sports programs. “You get to practice more, you get to grow more in that specific sport and you get to grow more as a community with your team.”
Three-on-three basketball is split in separate men’s and women’s leagues. Players of all skill levels are encouraged to participate and each team may have up to six players on the roster.
Six-on-six volleyball is an open league with up to 12 players on the roster, and can be compromised of any combination of male and female players. League volleyball offers both a recreational and competitive division. The recreational division is primarily focused on having fun, and is great for players new to volleyball or those looking for a relaxed environment. The competitive division offers volleyball players a league more focused on winning games, with most participants having actively played volleyball in the past.
Five-on-five floor hockey is an open league with up to 14 players on each roster and is open to players of all skill and experience level.
For students who do not have the time to commit to a full season of play, tournaments offer competitions which usually only last one day, and allow participants to sign up on the day of the event. All competitions are open, and players of all skill levels are encouraged to participate.
“The one-day tournaments are really fun and can be pretty goofy,” said De Graaf. “There is a really relaxed atmosphere and its great if you’re looking for a way to spend a day.”
The first single-day events to be held next month will be a doubles table tennis tournament on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. To promote breast cancer awareness, a four-on-four Big Pink Volleyball tournament will take place the following week on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. Both competitions will take place at the Recreation and Wellness Center.
A nine-on-nine kickball tournament will take place on Oct. 20 at noon on Alpine Field.
To conclude October, an 8-Ball billiards tournament will be held on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in University Center.
Individuals without enough players to form a team are still encouraged to sign up through the free agent program. Teams looking for more players will be able to find free agents in the program, and staff members will assist free agents to form teams.
“It is still fantastic to try and play even if you go in as a free agent,” said De Graff. “Other teams are able to pick you up off the list, which definitely has its advantages. It’s a great opportunity to meet new students from different backgrounds.”
The cost of entry to any particular league or event is $7, however a Sport Pass is available to students who wish to be active in many of the different events. The Sport Pass costs $15 and allows unlimited access to all events for the remaining semester.