By Chris Lindsey
The officials of
Intramural sports are always trying to find ways to expand them. As of last spring a new addition has
been gaining ground, indoor flag football.
The indoor flag
football league is a four on four league played in the indoor practice
facility. The indoor practice
facility, or IPF, was built three years ago around the same time as the Student
Recreation Center was undergoing renovations. It was built for the football team to practice. When the indoor flag football league
started it had to clear scheduling with Coach Steve Fairchild, the football
coach. Fairchild then approved the
use of the IPF. However, after
Fairchild left the coordinator of Intramural sports, Micah Walters, was unaware
of what would happen to the new league.
The Assistant
Director of Intramural sports Rob Patchett and Walters then had to email the
Football department to clear scheduling.
After Colorado State hired the new coach, Jim McElwain, the Intramural
sports officials did not know how he would respond to the need of the IPF for
the new indoor flag football. McElwain
emailed them back approving the schedule, but he stressed the importance of
maintaining the condition of the IPF.
There was a captains’ meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26, to inform the
players of the rules pertaining to the condition of the field. There are several rules to keep the
turf intact. In order to play in
the IPF the athletics department told Intramural officials and players that
each player needs a pair of shoes dedicated to only the IPF, also Gatorade is
not allowed inside, only water. No
fans are allowed on the field because too many could affect the ground.
According to
Walters some students consider playing on the IPF prestigious. One player said, “Since the field is
larger than if we played on the intramural fields it lets us do more
sophisticated plays,” says student Laura Schaefer who is excited to be playing
in the league. She participated in
indoor flag football last spring and is signed up to play it again this season. This year 36 teams are signed up for
Intramural sports. Last year there
were only 24 teams. With the
increased demand and popularity of indoor flag football Walters and Patchett
had to open up more slots for participants. Even with the extra slots it is still only one percent of
the student body due to the limited availability of the IPF. Patchett admitted that indoor flag
football will likely not expand next year because the facility is meant for the
athletics department before Intramural sports.
Sources-
Micah Walters, Coordinator of
Intramural Sports
Laura Schaefer, indoor flag
football participant
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