NW Valley Times

Freshman Sydney Aey runs with the ball as a defender tries to grab her flag in a game of flag football during the Intramural Sports Field Night on Wednesday at Colter Field. Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow

Tianna Tucker was the only woman among men in the pickup kickball game. She approached the ball, kicked it hard, and motored down the first-base line. Safe. She later scored with speed around the bases.

The Grand Canyon University freshman beamed after crossing home plate. “It teaches you determination and drive,” she said.

Tucker was among dozens of Welcome Week students running about Colter Field on Intramural Sports Field Night. They played kickball, flag football, cornhole, and Spikeball and were introduced to what school administrators say is one of the largest intramural programs in the country.

Last academic year, 13,320 students formed 1,760 intramural teams in 19 sports for contests held throughout the year on campus.

Among the most popular was flag football (1,316 participants), just shy of indoor volleyball (1,335), but one that interests Tucker the most.

She said she was among the first females to play when they launched a women’s team at Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee.

“I like how it’s a sport for comradery but it’s also inclusive. It’s for anyone; there are boys and girls who play,” she said before running over to join a nearby flag football game.

Fall flag football teams for men, women, and co-ed are forming, as are those for sand and indoor volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, dodgeball, futsal, pickleball, softball and tennis. New this year is something called battleship when teams try to swamp opponents’ boats in the pool and wiffle ball.

A group of four freshmen friends from Lincoln, Nebraska came to play as many sports as they can. They want to start a team for sand volleyball and flag football.

“I played golf and football in high school so I like competition. I like to have something on the line,” said Maguire Stanton who with buddies Alex Beeman, Sam Svoboda and Landon Bondegard were filling out online forms to join up.

Intramurals create a sense of community and connect students said Intramural Sports Manager Mike Fox. When students feel connected it leads to better retention.

“They are bought in,” he said. “It’s also an outlet. Some students like reading in their free time; some like being competitive.”

Even these pickup games got competitive. One team of young men waiting on the sideline for their turn to take on the winning team were scouting their future opponents' offense (“They throw it deep a lot”) and their defense (“You do a curl and I will run behind you.”).

Noah Homer a transfer junior said that intramurals offer him the chance to continue playing sports that he loved in high school.

He had just burst downfield catching a pass in the flat.

Meanwhile Tianna Tucker was on another field rushing the quarterback with intensity.

She got hold of his flag sacking him effectively.

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