Intramurals, the less competitive alternative to varsity and club sports, have always attracted a large and diverse group of participants; some are novices interested in trying a new sport and others are skilled athletes reliving their high school glory days.
Currently, however, rookies and veterans alike may never make it to the field.
The Tufts Athletic Department has recently decided to limit the play of all intramural sports. Excluding the highly popular soccer and basketball, sports will only be offered either in the fall or spring. What intramural coordinator Cheryl Milligan refers to as "seasonalization" many students view as an unwelcome cancellation of their season.
Unsurprisingly, the discontinuation of the increasingly popular fall league has left many IM players scratching their heads. Thus far, the most vocal opposition of the Athletic Department's imminent plans hail from intramural softball, a sport known widely for its friendly competition and habitual weekend presence at Fletcher Field.
Despite the apparent finality of the Athletic Department's ruling, senior Benjamin Siegel-Wallace, a former competitive baseball player and captain of the defending IM softball victors, the Manhogs, has stepped up to the plate, leading the attempts to reinstate the fall 2006 league.
According to Siegel-Wallace, the decision to reduce IM softball to one season, despite its popularity and obvious student dedication, seems unwarranted.
"I think we have proved...that the members of IM softball are dedicated to making this league work," said Siegel-Wallace. "We are very committed to its continuation."
Intramural softball's popularity among students is undeniable; this year alone a record-breaking 15 teams have signed up to participate in the now nonexistent fall league.
According to Milligan, the decision to limit competition to one season of play was the result of a lack of resources. Although much of the communication responsibilities fall on team captains, the Athletic Department is largely responsible for the coordination and scheduling of game dates, as well as provision of equipment and referees.
Such considerations, as well as problems with field space, manpower, scheduling, and what was seen as a waning level of participation in several IM sports, all contributed to the Athletic Department's ultimate verdict.
Moreover, as Milligan notes, softball is not the only sport affected by the decision.
"Intramural softball was not specifically selected to be seasonalized,"Milligan said. "Rather, the decision was made to move all but a few intramural sports to one semester."
According to Milligan, Tufts offers an unrealistically large amount of athletic opportunities for a school of its size.
"There are no schools of our size that offer as many intramural sports as we do," Milligan said. "Not only is it unrealistic for us to provide so many athletics, but it is nearly impossible for us to sustain such an expansive program."
Nonetheless, Siegel-Wallace and fellow IM softball proponents remain determined to continue play, even without an official league. Students are shouldering scheduling, fundraising, and administrative responsibilities and organizing themselves into teams. Siegel-Wallace, who has participated in the supervision of previous softball leagues in his hometown of Philadelphia, has set the bar high for the unofficial fall 2006 season.
"Besides the restoration of fall softball, [we want] fans, field space, uniforms, you name it," Siegel-Wallace said.
