Time flies when you're playing sports...

The word intramurals is probably the coolest word ever invented for college kids.

If you're reading this, I just want to mention that no matter wherever you end up for school, end up playing Intramural Sports.

This week we began our Winter Season. I am playing on an all girls team for Mini Soccer (which is kind of a culture shock seeing as it's 3-on-3 and I spent all fall playing with guys). I'm not going to lie that we got creamed (10-0), but it was so much fun. At one point, they scored on us in the first ten seconds of the second half, and the girls and I could do nothing but laugh.

Mini-soccer, however, is not my first sport. Yeah, I played fall soccer on a co-ed team. Actually, I started out refereeing soccer, and one of the refs I worked with offered me a ride back to my residence hall (five minute drive? twenty minute bus ride? you do the math). We were talking about playing, and he had formed a team with his fraternity but was short girls. Two days later, I was playing with his frat brothers (who I must say, I've still kept in touch with) and all of their friends. Making friends with juniors was a great way to start the year (Find friends with cars...you don't want one, but it's nice for someone to have access to one).

Post-Soccer, however...there was Flag Football! My friend Christine loves to use the word Creeper, and so our group of friends started a coed team and named ourselves...what else? The Creepers. We survived a couple of forfeits, but eventually we got to play! I was sick the first game we played, but our playoff game I was the quarterback. See, Michigan has this rule that evey other play must involve passing with a girl so that boys don't completely dominate.

I almost feel the need to set the stage as well. It is the Monday after Thanksgiving. There is an inch of snow falling. It is about 10 degrees outside. There is no grass on the fields anymore. Just mud. So half the team has cleats and the other half doesn't...making it even more slippery.

Long story short, we lost. But I got a touchdown and ran for three first downs! Back in Midland, if girls played football, it was tackle without pads (and basically a way to beat each other up). It was so awesome to have an opportunity to try a sport i'd always wanted to, and the opportunity to play with my friends was a blast!

I can't wait for our next mini-soccer game, and we'll be starting inner tube water polo soon! Can you tell I'm looking forward to it already?

Speaking of sports,I also got the opportunity to play basketball in Chrysler Arena!
(see above). Well, not actually. My friends are in a coed service fraternity and so we went to help clean up the arena. Let me tell you, I never believed that cleaning could be so much fun!

Not to mention the less-mentioned sports. One night my friend Andy and I missed a water polo game and passed by the volleyball courts, only to become so engrossed by the game we stayed for the entire thing! Everytime the girls score, their cheering section shouts in rhythm "point mi-chi-gan!". And there are two adults who are so die hard they have their own signs and are known for their love of the sport and this team (wchih won, by the way). I'm sad I discovered it so late but I am SO excited to go back!

So the point of this story is. Sports are amazing. Whether it's intramurals, going to a basketball game, or helping to clean up after a big sports game...not only are they a great way to meet people, but a great opportunity to avoid the freshman 15 (which yes...can be prevented).

Well, I'm off to class and another soccer game tonight...for those of you accepted here, I hope you're coming to Campus Day in the upcoming months (that way you can put a face to my blogging)! It's an awesome opportunity to discover what the University is truly about (and it's how I decided this was the Perfect place for me).

Until Next Time,

Sam