The NKU intramural program is in full swing this fall with teams currently competing in three sports: soccer, volleyball and racquetball.

Basketball, the most popular intramural sport, starts in December. Sports such as whiffleball and badminton are also offered. There are other sports events such as a sports trivia tournament, game night and game room tournaments. Last season there was a “Superbowl Madden Tournament.”

The increase in the number of available sports has spiked the interest in intramural sports even more.

NKU intramural program coordinator Jill Kleiser said that the number of students participating in intramural sports is growing, and it’s just a matter of getting the word out to other students to attract them to the intramural program.

“The NKU intramural program is a great outlet for students,” Kleiser said. “It’s a good stress reliever for them from their work and school.”

Markus Herder, a foreign exchange student from Germany, competes in intramural soccer playing goalie for his team. He said that he enjoys competing in the intramural league because it has given him the chance to make friends.

“The social life is a big part of the intramural program,” Kleiser said. “A lot of our officials who worked with us last year became friends and are now roommates.

“Also, a lot of the students become friends when playing on a team that they formed.”

Derek Schaefer and Matt Merchant also point to socializing as a major asset of the program.

“I enjoy participating in the intramural program because there are a lot of opportunities for students to partake in,” Schaefer said.

Merchant said, “I think this is a good outreach program for the students. Since NKU is not a Division I, it gives the students something to be a part of.”

Aside from meeting new people, it is a great way for students to exercise and have fun at the same time.

Senior Farhod Hamidov said that his previous experience as a soccer player was his motivation for joining the intramural soccer league.

The Campus Recreation intramural program has existed for about 20 years and continues to grow every year. Two of the newest events added to the intramural sports program are the Game Room Tournament and the Dodge Ball Tournament.

The Dodge Ball Tournament will be held at the Campus Recreation Center on Dec. 4. Last season was the first time intramural dodgeball was offered. It came as a replacement for the football championship that was cancelled because of weather problems.

The reward for winning in an intramural league is a T-shirt that everyone on the championship team receives.

Another reward in the Campus Recreation program is the Director’s Cup, which has a Men’s division and a Greek division.

The team that accumulates the most points in its division over the course of a season gets their name engraved on the Director’s Cup trophy which is located in the Campus Recreation Center.

The first Director’s Cup was given out following the 2003-2004 season.

The belief is that the reward will increase participation, reward sportsmanship and officially recognize an intramural champion on campus.

For more information about NKU’s intramural sports, visit the Campus Recreation Web site at www.nku.edu/~campusrec.