Two things became apparent to Landis Richardson while directing his first year of CMS intramural, club, and recreational sports: students like being on the lanes and in the pool.
Bowling and inner tube water polo proved the most popular choices among a menu of more than 30 competitive team and individual recreational and intramural activities this yearoptions that included basketball, swimming, and golf, as well as the offbeat offerings of fantasy football, Scrabble, pie eating contests, PlayStation tournaments, and sand volleyball. The idea, Richardson says, was to produce the types of physical, social, and sports activities that would mesh with student schedules, while reflecting the diverse interests of CMS students, faculty and staff.
Wohlford Dorm intramural representative and active IM participant Alicia Freeman '08 says she appreciates Richardson's creative, energetic approach to intramural and club activities. "I've been in the program for almost two years and I always have the best time getting out there and playing with the people from my dorm," she says. "In his first year, Landis has added so much to the selection."
Richardson already is looking ahead, with plans to grow the program by another five to 10 activities by fall semester. He's also predicting an expansion of intramural bowlingideally adding a second play nightwhich, somewhat surprisingly, attracted nearly 200 CMS participants within its start-up year.
Initially at 21 teams during fall, participation doubled by spring, with Brunswick Bowl in Upland emerging a local hangout for CMS athletes and students. "I never thought we would fill every lane and provide a league of over 40 teams and 190 CMS participants," Richardson says.
The program represents an obvious deviation from the sturdy standbys of College rugby and lacrosse. So what may account for bowling's sleeper success?
"Besides being off-campus and affordable (You can't beat paying $6 for three games and shoes,') Richardson says bowlers have some measure of control over the level of competition, by playing at their own speed. Rivalry within a given night, he says, really depends on which team is throwing from the lanes. "The league is very competitive on some nights, and very social on others," he says.
IM student assistant and league bowler Tyler Jank (HMC '07), an engineering major, says he's always been a fan of the sport.
"What's not to love?"
Marking the end of a successful inaugural season, CMS Intramuralin conjunction with Brunswickawarded a trophy to the bowling team that had won the most games. CMS also provided a T-shirt to each member of the winning team and an award to the league's highest scoring bowler.
For a complete list and schedule of IM activities, current standings and results, and pictures from this year, visit http://cms.claremont.edu/intramurals/.
By Tom Johnson and Samantha Stecker '08