Intramural Sports: A handful of intramural sports resume this semester from students to choose from, including basketball . Photo by Greg Clark.
Intramural sports are back this semester, but with a heavy emphasis on one thing: keeping the campus community safe.
Although the pandemic has not yet reached its end, the University of Rhode Island has approved a plan to offer more events to students this spring. However, as Intramural Sports Director Sean Butler puts it, this plan can only be seen all the way through if students are able to do their part to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Just because we are allowed to play this week, doesn’t mean we’re allowed to play next week,” Butler said. “We really need to make sure that we follow our regulations to get through the season.”
Most of the protocols put in place in the fall will remain, such as the wearing of face coverings and limited team sizes. Butler said there will also be some new measures added as well, which include regularly swapping out used equipment during games and shortening game lengths to allow for extra sanitation.
One new guideline from the Rhode Island Department of Health further restricts which type of face coverings will be allowed.
“Neck gaiters are not permitted,” Butler said. “If you show up in a gaiter, that’s fine. But we won’t let you participate in the gaiter.”
He added that the intramural sports department will have lots of disposable masks on hand for students who may need one.
With the lack of predictability that the pandemic brings, Butler hopes that by putting all of these regulations in place, more sports will be available, allowing for a level of normalcy to be restored for students in the coming months.
“My biggest thing is making sure that our participants have a safe and secure space that they can recreate, destress and have an outlet of relief for something that they love,” Butler said.
While the restrictions are frustrating, many students understand that taking these measures seriously is necessary in order to play. Freshman Ryan McIver, who is participating in intramural basketball this spring, acknowledged that while wearing a mask may be “annoying” at times, having the opportunity to play makes it worthwhile.
“I would rather wear a mask and get to play than not play at all,” McIver said.
So far, only a handful of events have been offered, including futsal, 5v5 basketball and volleyball. Virtual trivia has also been an option for students to participate in. Butler said all events have had a fairly successful turnout, each ranging between 20 to 55 students who signed up.
Because of the uncertainty that COVID-19 presents, however, there is not a definite slate of other sports that will be available in the latter part of the semester. If all goes well, the events offered will somewhat resemble what is normally run during the course of year, according to Butler. Sports such as ultimate frisbee, dodgeball and flag football may become available later on down the road if they are deemed safe enough.
“We’re still trying to feel out what we’re going to do,” Butler said. “What we’re thinking, is trying to get as close as what we would have offered in the fall and do it in the spring.”
Only time will tell if a more standard selection of events will come about as the spring semester goes on. For now, there is certainly hope that students will get the most out of their experience as they possibly can.