The Perks Of Participating In Intramural Sports In College

Going to college is never an easy move. College students that are having problems adjusting normally may find their experience as a student dreadful, defeating, lonely, stressful, and can at times lead to him or her getting involved with the wrong crowd. One of the best ways to making the college experience more bearable is by getting involved with intramural sports.

Intramural Sports as a Self-Esteem Booster

Getting involved with intramural sports is a great way to participate in the sports you enjoy without the pressures of collegiate level sports. You can choose the sports you enjoy, join an intramural sports club and make friends all while showing who you are and what you can do. Gaining recognition from peers and coaches for a job well done is a natural self-esteem booster making the college experience seem less daunting.

Providing Endless Opportunities to Make Friends

As a new student at a college or university it may be difficult to make friends. You may not meet anyone that shares the same interests or viewpoints that you hold making it difficult to hold a basic conversation. By getting involved with intramural sports you are joining a group of people that enjoy doing the same things you do making it easier to build friendships that last long after intramural season is over. Having something in common with other people makes conversations much easier and it also helps cushion the blow of the possibility of rejection from peers. Joining intramural sports makes it so much easier to make friends while getting involved in an organization or club that looks great on your resume.

Just as holds true with any sports organization, getting involved with intramural sports in college essentially forces you to spend a lot of time with your teammates. The time spent in practice can carry over outside of practice and then eventually in between seasons. Teammates often become very close friends giving you socialization skills and allowing you to come out of your shell a little more. It also makes you more approachable by others.

Staying Healthy in Both Mind and Body

Another benefit of intramural sports for college students is that it keeps both your mind and body healthy. Not only are you getting physical exercise but you are keeping your mind and body stress-free. Joining sports that you love to play is a great way to relieve stress. Exercise is a natural producer of endorphins which stimulates your brain to release the "happy hormones" making you feel good about yourself and the choices you make. Also, as mentioned above, you will have the ability to make friends that you have something in common with allowing you to feel less lonely and more accepted. This in itself combats depression making your daily activities much easier to handle.

Gaining Leadership Skills and Discipline through Intramural Sports

Intramural sports foster the development of discipline and leadership skills in individuals of all ages. The entire team wins the game, not just one person. Even though one person can’t win a game leaders are generated and born through playing sports. Those individuals begin to emerge by motivating the team and setting a good example for others. This carries over into a college student’s daily activities. Playing intramural sports helps those natural born leaders develop their skills.

Discipline is also a key component to playing any type of sport. A person must focus on the game and put in the effort and time during practice. This allows the opportunity for any student to learn how to manage his or her time and balance both academics and sports making them successful in all areas of his or her college career.

College students can learn a lot from intramural sports. They gain many skills on managing life on their own and many characteristics can emerge that he or she never knew they had. This will help make them more responsible for their own lives and with academic performance through the development of discipline and leadership.

Author Bio
Steven Doumet is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to athletics. In this article, he describes a few benefits of participating in intramural sports in college and aims to encourage further study with an OU Masters Degree Coaching.