Intramural Madness: Fighting Your Way to a Championship

My volleyball team after our first big win!

I’d first like to start with words from the inspirational and great athlete, Ricky Bobby: “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” Those six words have been my intramural volleyball team’s mantra for this past year. We have stuck to Ricky’s philosophy in the hopes of making an intramural championship run and winning the greatest of all trophies, a championship t-shirt. Although it sounds like you’re getting just another t-shirt, no words were ever more false.  At Fordham, an intramural championship shirt is a prized possession and a bucket list item for many.  Word around campus is that the legend, Vince Lombardi, once said he’d rather have a champs t-shirt than his name on the Super Bowl trophy.

Watch Top Gun for more volleyball inspiration

Although Lombardi may have never actually said that, intramurals and championship t-shirts are still very popular at Fordham.  Whether you were a Varsity All-State Champion in high school or always had aspirations of playing, there’s an option for you.  Intramurals are a great way for you to form a team with your group of friends and take on fellow Rams. You can show off your Steph Curry clutch 3-pointers in basketball, Odell Beckham Jr. worthy hands in flag football, your Misty May and Kerri Walsh gold medal V-Ball spikes, or your best skills in many other sports. As for me, my true passion lies on the volleyball court. Inspired at a young age by the prowess of Goose and Mav in Top Gun, I have always dreamed of one day making it to their master level. (For a full list, check out the official intramural page here.) 

The official Spike Lee team logo 

This year, Spike Lee, my volleyball team, has had a bit of a rough season. Rough season may be an understatement – we haven’t won a set yet. Back to the words of Ricky Bobby, we are last. Although, Ricky’s philosophy doesn’t take team spirit into account. In that category, we are easily first and deserving of a championship t-shirt. I believe the most important part of intramurals is to have fun with your friends, whether that means you don’t win a game or you win them all. College is a chance to form friendships that will last the test of time, and playing intramurals is a great way to make memories you’ll never forget. So remember, Top Gun high-five your way to a championship t-shirt or have fun losing.

Intramural Sports

One of Fordham's most popular recreational activities is intramural sports.  Three seasons of sports are held each year, with each season boasting three different sports.  Fall sports include flag football, soccer, and softball.  Winter teams are for volleyball, basketball, and dodgeball.  Spring sports are soccer, softball, and kickball.  (See more information here!)  Students can choose a sport, create a team, and play for whichever league they choose!

Besides being a fun release and a great nighttime break, intramural sports can serve as a great way to meet people.  In my freshman residence hall, an intramural soccer team was formed through a sign-up sheet in a community lunge during the first few weeks of the fall semester, allowing students with similar interests to meet and enjoy the game.

A recent night in the Lombardi Fieldhouse, where intramural volleyball
(far court) & basketball (first court) games were taking place!

Back in November, I joined a few friends on a Winter League Co-Rec Intramural Volleyball team (the Serve-ivors!).  Although our experience in playing volleyball varied from player to player, we enjoyed seeing our team improve over the course of the season.  We typically had one game each week, and the trips over to the Lombardi Fieldhouse served as a nice break from doing schoolwork for a little while.

Although we wound up losing in our first playoff game, we had a lot of fun playing each week, and we learned how fun intramural sports can be.

New Week, New Activities!

Happy Monday! It's the beginning of a new and fantastic week! I know many of us aren't fans of Monday mornings, but at Rose Hill we have no reason to dread them (even if we have to kiss goodbye an incredible homecoming weekend)!

Here's a quick recap of my weekend:

On Friday I had a blast attending Pres Ball with my friends, Saturday we enjoyed cheering on our football team, and on Sunday, we took the train up to Connecticut for a day of boating and sun!

I really like Mondays, I don't really catch a break until bedtime, but that's okay because I enjoy being busy! Today I had classes at 11:30, 2:30, and 5:30. They included Texts & Contexts: Contemporary American Fiction, Classic Jewish Texts, and Spanish. Each class went well! All of my professors are really engaging. I enjoy the way I was able to space out my class schedule because it allows me to get work done in between classes.

After my Spanish class, I was super excited to attend my first Club Volleyball meeting! I played volleyball for four years during high school, took a year off, and this year (as a sophomore) decided that I wanted to play again. The Fordham Club team meets for two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays. Today we ran drills, played 3 Vs. 3, and then ended practice with a scrimmage. I had a blast meeting new students and getting to play volleyball again. Anyone is welcome to come and play with us! Although most players have some experience playing the sport, newcomers are welcome too!

Once volleyball practice ended, I headed back to my dorm, which is where I am now. Before I head to sleep I'm going to get some reading done and call my family!