Most Mississippi State students have not perfected the Kobe Bryant fadeaway or the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sky hook, but assistant director of intramural and club sports Nick Tasich has a simple message.
“Come out and play,” he said. “Does not matter who you are or how good you are, just come out and play.”
With 28 leagues lined up for the spring semester, MSU’s Department of Recreational Sports offers something for just about every student.
Tasich pointed out that, while he will always have leagues for the most popular sports such as basketball, Ultimate Frisbee and soccer, he is always open to new ideas from students.
“If there is a strong student desire for a sport, or we see something interesting at another school, we try to see if we can get it going,” Tasich said.
The newest addition to the intramural sports lineup is a tarp shooting league that will begin in late March. Wallyball, now in its second year, is back after a successful run last spring that saw 10 teams participate.
For the many who do not know, wallyball is a volleyball game played in a racquetball court where the ball can be played off all the walls on the court.
“It’s pretty much the basic rules of a volleyball game, but the ball can be played off the wall,” Tasich said. “It’s kind of like volleyball in a cage more or less.”
There will also be leagues for inner-tube water polo, indoor wiffleball and even a homerun derby night in early April.
Students can also test their prediction skills in a March Madness pick ‘em contest for the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Tasich said he usually receives positive feedback from students about the many events his department puts on, although the bulk of the complaints are aimed at the officiating.
For senior Timothy Rorie, a mechanical engineering major from Corinth, intramurals may not be sports’ biggest stage, but they are still something he has enjoyed for the last four years.
“I may never be able to win a Super Bowl, retire, come out of retirement, and then retire again, but I can win an awesome shirt playing Ultimate Frisbee with my friends,” he said.
Even when teams may not be winning very many games, just taking time out of her daily routine to play a game is something senior Molly Moon enjoys. Moon, a senior graphic design major from Amory, has been playing intramural softball for three years.
“It’s a good break from the stress of school and work to just go play a team sport with your friends,” Moon said.
There is also a “free agent” system where individuals who do not have a team are paired up with a team looking to fill out its roster.
Free agents can put their names on a list in the Sanderson Center, and Tasich encouraged all free agents to come to the league manager meetings for the sport they want to play in.
The Department of Recreational Sports employs dozens of officials and scorekeepers. Applications and job information can be found at recsports.msstate.edu.
A complete list of all sports, entry fees, sign-up dates and managers meetings can be found at the same address.
Important dates to know coming up:
11-on-11 soccer: Men’s, women’s, and co-rec. Sign-ups are Jan. 10-13, and the registration fee is $30 per team. Managers meeting is Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. Play starts on Jan. 24.
Inner-tube water polo: Men’s, women’s and co-rec. Sign-ups are Jan. 10-13, and the registration fee is $20 per team. Managers meeting is Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. Play starts on Jan. 24.
Basketball: Men’s, women’s, and co-rec. Sign-ups are Jan. 17-20, and the registration fee is $30 per team. Managers meeting is Jan 26 at 5 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Play starts Jan. 31.
Racquetball (Singles): Men’s and women’s. Sign-ups are Jan. 17-20, and the registration fee is $5 per person. Managers meeting is Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Play starts Jan. 31.
Racquetball (Doubles): Men’s, women’s, co-rec. Sign ups are Jan. 17-20, and the registration fee is $4 per person. Managers meeting is Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Play starts Jan. 31.
Wallyball: Men’s, women’s, and co-rec. Sign-ups are Jan. 17-20, and the registration fee is $10 per team. Managers meeting is Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Play starts Jan. 31.