Here are some reasons to join intramural field hockey, according to Katherine Kirk ’18: it’s fun, it's good exercise, it's creative, you'll find friends, fall nights are beautiful, there will be music, there will be laughter, there will be some healthy competition and it’s open to everyone.
"I could go on for hours," said Kirk, who started the new program with Julia Conley ’18. Kirk spearheaded the creation of the program after playing in high school and missing the sport last year.
"It's such a fun sport because you can be really creative," said Kirk. "There are so many different types of passes, so many different types of shots you can take, different ways to carry the ball down the field, you can do an aerial, you can dribble it in the air, there are so many different dodges."
As with most intramural sports, the program gives people the option to continue playing or pick up the sport with a lot of flexibility in previous experience and time commitment. The program hosts pick up games every Thursday night at 7 p.m. on Ryan Field behind Farley Field House.
"The first time it wasn't a game, we just kind of passed a little bit, got to know each other, took some shots and stuff. It's really casual," said Kirk. "We're hoping more people will come because it's so beautiful at night with the lights."
Even though the group is small, Kirk was surprised to see that many people there in the first place. She stresses the importance of getting the word out when trying to start a new program. Many people who showed up the first night came because they'd see a poster or flyer about the game around campus.
Although starting a new intramural sport from scratch can seem daunting, Kirk explained that the process was much easier due to the help of Ryan Sullivan, who organizes and directs intramurals.
"[Sullivan] was like she wants to do this and she's going to do it," said Kirk. "He didn't say she's just some silly girl, she doesn't know what she's doing. It wasn't that at all."
"He was really helpful," said Kirk. "The biggest hurdle was where are we going to find sticks, but then he found a closet full of sticks, randomly on campus. And I think that's really great because it makes it more accessible to anyone who wants to play."
Kirk hopes more people take advantage of the intramural opportunities as an extracurricular option.
"It's something active, anything active, even being in a play, just some sort of extracurricular thing or going on an Outing Club trip," said Kirk. "I think [that's] an important part of the liberal arts education."