Jakob Milani
Staff Writer
Intramural sports are back in action for the spring semester at Murray State, including six team sports and many different one-day tournaments.
All sports for the semester will require masks, and special measures will be taken for each sport in order for everyone to play safely.
Team sports for the semester include dodgeball, pickleball, volleyball, cornhole, kickball and wiffleball. All team sports will be three-week long seasons plus playoffs. One-day tournaments include darts, Texas Hold ‘em, badminton, a 3-point contest, billiards, a penalty kick shootout, disc golf, ping pong, tennis, a swim meet, spikeball and a golf scramble.
Travis Rawe, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness, discussed everything COVID-related about the intramural league at Murray State and what that means for the games.
“In compliance with state and University guidelines, masks will be required for everyone during IM Sports events, including participants, staff and spectators,” Rawe said. “We have also modified our sport offerings, as we did in the fall semester, to offer sports that can be safely played while effectively wearing a mask. Essentially, we have had to eliminate offering contact sports due to unavoidable close contact and high probability that masks would be pulled off or fall off during competition.”
Rawe also talked about the atmosphere now that there is a vaccine for COVID-19, saying everyone is “hopeful and optimistic.”
“With the vaccine becoming available, we have hope of returning to a normal intramural sports schedule in the future,” Rawe said. “However, everyone still has a social responsibility to continue to make smart decisions to combat the spread of COVID-19, even as the vaccine is being distributed across the country.”
Finally, Rawe touched on the Wellness Center and all of the policies involved there.
“The current Kentucky state mandate for fitness centers requires everyone to properly (over nose and mouth) wear a mask at all times while in the facility (even while working out), with the exception of the pool and showers,” Rawe said. “Signage has been placed all around the facility as a reminder. If patrons fail to abide by this policy, they will be asked to leave the facility. Repeat offenders may have their membership suspended.”
Registration for dodgeball and pickleball have passed, but Registration for cornhole and volleyball end on Feb. 24 at midnight, while kickball and wiffleball registration starts on Mar. 1 and ends on Mar. 24.
