Nick White (right) and Justin Raymer run Missouri S&T’s intramurals program. Photo by B.A. Rupert
Missouri S&T’s intramurals program offers a wide array of competitive sports, including (okay, take a deep breath) badminton, basketball, billiards, bowling, cross country, darts, disc golf, dodge ball, flag football, golf, inner tube water polo, kickball, Madden Xbox, racquetball (time for another breath), soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, track and field, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, washers and weightlifting.
One man managed all of these activities for nearly five years as the only full-time staff member dedicated to recreation.
“It was a lot to keep track of by myself,” says Nick White, intramural manager. “I’m really glad we hired Justin — he’s been a huge help.” Justin Raymer joined S&T as intramural and recreation manager this semester.
The intramurals program offers students a chance to socialize and compete while promoting the value of fair play and a healthy lifestyle. Check the program out on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
White and Raymer oversee three men’s and one women’s league per major sport (basketball, flag football, soccer, softball and volleyball). The leagues play Sunday through Thursday, with tournaments on the weekends. Some coed special events are offered, and there are plans to include more.
The program also includes Greek and other student group-sponsored philanthropy events like “Kickin’ it for Kids,” a kickball tournament that benefits Boys and Girls Clubs, and “Big Pink Volleyball,” which benefits breast cancer research.
Raymer says nearly 28 percent of all S&T students participate in the intramurals program. That’s a higher rate of activity than at most similar-sized campuses they’ve benchmarked. “Of course, we want the program to grow,” he says. A new sport the pair plans to introduce may do just that.
“It’s called ‘hantis’ — think hand-tennis. Two buddies of mine invented it,” says Raymer. “It’s a hybrid blend of a bunch of sports — volleyball, ping pong, dodge ball. I think it will catch on big time here because it’s a mixture of some sports that a lot of international students like.”
While White hasn’t tried hantis himself yet, he has watched the YouTube videos. “It looks pretty intense,” he laughs.
By Linda Fulps
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