Intramurals offer athletic opportunities for students of all skill levels

The McMaster Intramurals annual sports calendar has been released, detailing opportunities to partake in multiple indoor and outdoor sports for all students

On Aug 23, the McMaster Intramurals account (led by Athletics and Recreation), released the annual intramurals sports schedule that is available to students for the upcoming year. For the fall and winter terms, there will be a total of 21 and 17 sports available respectively. 

Intramurals are an opportunity for non-varsity athletes to partake in activities throughout the week on campus. They are open to McMaster students and alumni who wish to get active throughout the year.

For the fall semester, students will have the opportunity to register from Sep 4. to Sep. 18. for the activities they wish to partake in. While individuals are encouraged to register for as many activities as they wish, there are some rules in place to ensure a fair chance is provided to all participants. 

Participants will only be able to take part in one gendered league (open, men’s or women’s) and a co-ed league per sport, meaning that one can only join a maximum of two teams per sport. 

Most of the sports in the fall will have a mixture of PlayFun and PlayComp opportunities. PlayFun leagues are built for all participants, but the focus of these leagues is on the fun of the sport and teamwork, rather than competition with other groups. Experienced players are expected to support beginners throughout the league, which would promote a less competitive edge to the sport. 

PlayComp on the other hand has more competitive games that often results in a quicker and more intense league than PlayFun, yet always respectful. Teams are expected to have a good understanding of the rules and be ambitious. 

Whilst most of the sports in the fall will have a mixture of PlayFun and PlayComp opportunities, there are sports that will have nights for students to learn the sport called the Learn To Play Night. These are scheduled to be provided for flag football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, H20-Polo, H20-Basketball, Volleyball, and Floorball. 

For the winter, all of the sports will be indoor, including some of those sports held outside in the fall. Students can register for the winter semester sports from November, specifically Nov. 11-24. 

One thing that stands out compared to the previous years is the steep price increase for activities such as soccer and a general price increase for almost all other sports. 

In particular, soccer 11-a-side open registration went up from $165 for the 2023-2024 year, to $225 for the current year, a spike of 36 per cent. While an annual slight uptick in price is normal, it remains unknown as to why such a large rise has occurred, making the activity the most expensive one. 

Other sports that saw noticeable price changes include Flag Football, Volleyball and Floorball, with various subcategories, such as co-ed and open, increasing by up to 25 per cent.

To get involved with intramurals this year, students can sign up through the IMLeagues app or website, where they can access all the details. If students have an invite from an existing team, they can join if they first completing a quiz. They can also create their own team within a league of their choice and start inviting their friends or other students that are eligible (McMaster students or alumni) for intramurals. 

Additionally, students have the opportunity to sign up as agents. There they can describe their skills and give a brief description of themselves, which will provide team captains with information to choose them for their team. 

For more information about the upcoming intramurals program, students can reach out to McMaster Intramurals on Instagram or visit their home page.