By Christina Sainovich and Najah Morgan
Jambar Contributors
Youngstown State University students can relieve stress and stay active through participating in intramural sports — nonvarsity sports where any student can participate.
“You don’t have to be super competitive to come out and enjoy having fun recreationally,” intramural coordinator Joe Conroy said.
YSU offers many intramural sports, but a few stand out to students, such as football, basketball and volleyball with soccer and cornhole are growing in popularity.
“We’ve had a growth in our cornhole tournament [in the spring 2019] semester … and one of the big ones that we have is soccer. Sometimes we don’t have enough time and/or fields to put all the soccer,” Conroy said.
Intramural sports provide an option for students who played sports in high school to remain active without the intensity of varsity athletics.
Joe Chepke, junior civil engineering major, works in the intramurals department and participates in football and basketball.
Chepke said he likes intramurals because they keep him involved in sports while he is in school.
“I played sports when I was in high school, and all growing up I was an active kid. Intramural sports just spiked my interest as a way to stay active and have a fun time with my friends,” he said.
C.J. Latronico, junior mechanical engineering major, also works in the intramurals department. He started by working in the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center and got involved with intramural sports from there.
Latronico said he participates in intramurals because he enjoys them.
“Soccer, volleyball, basketball, pretty much anything we offer, I’ll just do them all just because they are all pretty fun,” Latronico said.
He said volleyball is his favorite sport currently and that intramurals are fun whether he wins or loses.
“I mean we’re a bad team, but I have so much fun with all my friends. It’s always a great time,” Latronico said.
Chepke also said he enjoys intramurals because participating is a good way to keep in touch with friends.
“It’s a way to stay active and get together with everybody. When we all separate and go to different majors, it’s kind of hard sometimes to all get together. So, if you get a team with all your friends, it’s nice,” Chepke said.
There are no requirements for students to sign up, and all practices are in the evenings and on weekends.
Directions for registration are on the YSU intramurals website. Students are directed to go to IMLeagues.com and follow the steps online. Once registered, students can pick teams and see schedules and records.