“Intramurals are for everyone”
You walk up to bat at the bottom of the final inning. Your team is down one run. The losing streak is nearly over. The pressure is high. Jack Souther field erupts when you hit a homerun ending the five-year losing streak.
This was the reality for Austin Arnold, senior business administration major and member of the Upsilon Xi intramural softball team, who hit the winning run against Alpha Gamma Chi.
Austin Arnold up to bat during a spring 2025 intramural softball game.
Photo Credit: Aubrianna Brown, Editor-in-Chief
Intramural sports is an organized recreation program at Lee University. Originally an extracurricular option for students in the 1960s, the program has grown to become an outlet for many students across campus.
Some students utilize this program to play sports without joining a school sponsored team while others connect socially. Campus Recreation Director Kevin Hudson and the rest of his team work to create these opportunities for students every semester.
“One of the most valuable pieces of what we do is providing students an opportunity to connect with other students. Whether that be within their dorm, a Greek club, or other groups, it brings them together,” Hudson says.
With eight league sports offered every semester, students can get involved in intramurals easily. The sports offered in both fall and spring semesters are softball, basketball, and flag football. Each season brings a range of auxiliary leagues; some of these sports are sand volleyball, spike- ball, pickleball, and tennis.
Students stay up to date with intramurals through the Lee U Rec app on the App Store or Google Play. This app houses team schedules, brackets, and tournament schedules. This platform is where student teams, Greek clubs, and dorm teams can sign up for a league sport.
In addition to the fun they provide for students, intra- mural sports are also beneficial to campus culture as a whole. One of Lee University’s missions is to provide holistic experiences on campus. The recreational staff aims to promote these values in intramurals.
“People come here to get an education first and foremost, but it’s just like when you move into a city – you have resources available to you. For us, it’s about their overall well-being. We try to promote all of the values that the university does: spiritual, social, physical, emotional and even intellectual. We believe that when you sign up for an outdoor experience, you’re learning something that’s going to stay with you for the rest of your life,” Hudson says.
Students like Arnold have seen this demonstrated throughout their Lee journey. Coming from a sports background, he arrived ready to dive into a team. Upsilon
Xi offered Arnold a chance to play intramural softball, keeping that passion alive. Participating has impacted his college experience tremendously, Arnold said. He has played on an intramural team, coached, and refereed – seeing different aspects of the game in each position. As a student, the program has offered connections he wouldn’t have found otherwise as well as garnering a sense of Christ-centered sportsmanship.
“I love these people enough to not let it get to a point where my relationship is lost with them over a game while knowing I can compete and have a good time... Christ should flow from that... I can try to beat my friends in a game and have rivalries that are still Christ-centered and a lot of fun,” Arnold said.
Coaching and refereeing in the league has taught Arnold lessons introspectively. It brings another level of excitement to intramurals for him as someone who has a heart for coaching.
“I love seeing the guys and girls that we have on the team succeed, win, and do something that they like to do. I want them to be good at it. No, you’re not playing, but you’re helping them make adjustments. When the team wins games or you make crazy plays, you know they’re having a good time doing it. There’s nothing better,” says Arnold.
Whether you become a team member, a coach, or an intramural game official, get involved. The lasting impact of this program speaks for itself. Arnold encourages those joining the Lee family this semester and those looking for a community to give intramurals a try.
“Put yourself out there. Play all the sports you can. Even if you’re kind of 50/50 on it, just go try it! Because in the end, you’ll have fun and build relationships.”
If you’re interested in forming or joining an intramural team, download the Lee University Recreation App. Follow the Lee University Recreation instagram to stay updated on campus recreation activities.
