A great percentage of the SUNY Cortland campus participates in some form of athletics. That’s part of what makes Cortland special. There are many varsity level programs available to the students. But for those who may not want to participate as competitively, the school offers both club and intramural sports. I sat down with Nicholas Hammond, an event manager in the Cortland Intramural Recreational Sports Clubs, to get some insight on the process of these events. Hammond says “for the Rec Intramurals, football and basketball are some of the most popular sports we offer.”
Intramural sports are definitely less competitive. According to Hammond, intramural sports “are a great outlet for bonding,” specifically referring to underclassmen he also said “it’s an excellent way for everyone to make friends, it’s all inclusive. Everybody is welcome in Cortland intramural sports.”
In the fall, students can participate in intramural 4v4 Basketball, with leagues for both men and women. These games can become quite competitive (depending on who’s playing), with around 40 teams participating and fighting for the championship. I have personally been to an intramural basketball championship, on a team with a few of my closest friends. We didn’t win the game but we certainly had a great time!
Cortland also offers a club basketball team, of which Nicholas Hammond is the head coach of. Club sports are more competitive than intramural sports, naturally. As you must try out to make most teams. When addressing Cortland’s stiff club competition, Hammond said “a lot of our clubs play in division-1 organizations, which allows students to play larger schools, bringing tougher competition.” Club sports are a great opportunity for high school athletes to continue playing the sport they love at a higher level, without the pressure of actually being on the college team.
Club and intramural sports aren’t limited to just basketball. Hammond estimates we have around 25 sports clubs. But that number is still expanding. Recently, the school just approved a new club, Cortland Swim Club! A great benefit of having sports clubs is being able to participate in sports that the university doesn’t offer themselves. Like Jiu Jitsu, and Tae Kwon Do.
The fall season of intramural sports is just beginning, at the moment the school offers intramural competition in flag football, kickball, soccer, floor-hockey, basketball, and volleyball. The deadline for flag football and kickball has passed. But it’s not too late to join or create a team in the other sports!
Hammond, a participant in intramural kickball, had this to say when asked about his season so far. “The sport is new this year, and is truly the most enjoyable of all offered intramural sports.” His kickball style may be unorthodox, but Hammond hopes to lead his team to victory this year. It’s safe to say that adding intramural kickball to Cortland’s roster of offered intramural sports programs was a great move. I highly encourage all of those interested to sign up!
If you are interested in joining, or forming a sports club; visit the school’s website. Select the ‘Student Life’ tab, and information on both sports clubs and intramurals can be found in the ‘Recreational Sports’ section.