Intramural basketball started for me on Sunday, the time of year when college-aged burn-outs try to prove they still have some sort of athletic talent. Dusting off my basketball shoes was the first step, followed by bundling up and fighting the below-zero temperature on my walk over to the SERF.
Once I got there, I was introduced to my team of ladies. Half of them I played with for the past few years, and the other half replaced friends of mine who are now studying abroad or who are too busy to take an hour out of their schedules to play.
Throughout my middle-school and high-school years, teammates of mine were constantly fighting for attention and playing time. At the college intramural level, things are quite a bit different.
Nobody cares about how much playing time she gets, just as long as it is equal to the others on her team. Points don't matter so much and neither does winning or losing. For once, basketball is all about having fun and spending time with friends. I'm just trying to figure out if that is a good thing.
The starting five is determined by who raises their hand first or by who doesn't volunteer to sit out first. Prior to college, the starting five was always determined by the coach based on who matched up best against the opposing team and who was the most talented.
Furthermore, the team captain is rarely a position desired by intramural players. I remember a time when being named captain meant something. At this level, most players are too lazy to sign their names on a piece of paper and to talk with the officials before tip-off, so this leadership position is not desired.
During the first few possessions of the game, everyone has a smile on their face. Players are making small talk and everyone is having a good time.
Once the game picks up a little bit, you will notice some players take intramurals more seriously than others. A lot of eye-rolling will occur and small talk transforms into smack talk. The funny thing is, the nicest, most innocent girls are usually the ones with the most attitude on the court.
Additionally, no longer do players get angry when they are subbed out of the game. In fact, most players look forward to game breaks. I don't because I'm way too competitive.
It seems the most anticipated break is halftime, when very few words are exchanged about basketball. Those five minutes become a time to talk about what everybody did over the weekend while they try to stretch out the leg cramps and re-hydrate. The only other thing we decided on was to stop shooting from the outside, considering very few of our shots fell through the hoop.
This brings up another point: If you miss a shot, nobody really cares. For instance, I missed a lay-up early in the game and I was the only one to remember that at halftime. I was expecting my teammates to yell, Come on"" or ""How did you miss that?"" when it happened, but nobody said anything. If I would have missed that lay-up late in the game, reactions may have been a little bit more extreme.
With five minutes left on the clock, my team was losing by seven points. Tempers started to heat up on both ends of the court. Some players would foul opponents with authority, the type of authority that would earn them a seat on the bench if they were still in high school. In intramurals, members from both teams chuckle to each other, mumbling, ""Wow, that girl is way too intense.""
At the end of the game, win or lose, most players leave the gym with a sense of accomplishment. That forty minutes of running a basketball court not only gives players a great workout, but it reminds a lot of them how special basketball used to be.
Intramurals may be low-key and fun, but for those of us who made basketball a huge part of our lives throughout the past, it is a depressing substitution.
If any of you felt embarrassed about your intramural basketball performance this week, remember it is only the first week. But if you really need someone to talk to about it, e-mail Crystal at crowns@wisc.edu.
