SPORTS: Rec Sports focuses on future of intramurals

By Bianca Flores
Bridge contributing writer
Published Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022

As Recreational Sports takes off this semester with new events, new employees and greater participation, it plans to support that increase.

Its Intramural Sports program hosts a multitude of sports from basketball, soccer, volleyball and even less-strenuous activities such as 8-ball and ping-pong; more so, it offers job opportunities for those seeking work at Texas A&M International University.

During the past couple years, intramurals experienced low summer participation due to a decrease in the campus’ active population. This Fall 2022 semester, more students tread the sometimes crowded hallways and wildlife-laden pathways around campus.

Rec Sports specialist Xcaret Ramirez said her team planned to improve the services and outlet provided for participants this semester.

“We do want to entice more students to come in and be in our sports,” she said. “Not only do we have competitive sports, but recreational divisions, so that we can show people that you don’t have to be a ‘gym rat’ to enjoy the programming that we have.”

Not only did Ramirez decide to focus on the participants, but also the team of employees who help make the program possible.

“We are … working on employee development when it comes to the people who are able to stay here on campus or are residents of the city,” she said. “Our focus will be on leadership developments, more accountability, maybe some volunteer work and also networking with different sports organizations, [which] are available for the community.”

Last semester, plans began. Ramirez said she wants to implement new goals into the intramural program.

“Our goal [this] semester is to reach more people,” Ramirez said, “and have them join our program and activities so that we can expand and make it more of a regular occurrence in somebody’s daily life on campus …”

Ramirez also expressed the same idea for her employees.

“We are going to work a little bit more on unity,” she said. “That way, they can be the extension to those coming back in the Fall so they can have that sense, not just coming from me, but also from their student managers and student leaders.”

Student officiate Jose Bolado said he looks forward to continuing work for the intramural program.

“I like that we [are] building more unity within the team and creating a better network for incoming employees and intramural participants,” he said. “I already think of them as my second family, so it’s exciting to see the efforts being implemented to further the program’s success.”