Intramurals give everyone a chance to win

College athletics have been mired in controversy and scandal for years, but on campuses around the nation sport continues to thrive in one of its purest states in the form of intramurals.\nIU offers its students a multitude of opportunities to partake in intramural sports; from softball, football and the ever-popular basketball to kickball, dodgeball and euchre.\n"Intramural basketball is huge here," Assistant Director of Intramurals Josh Downing said. "There is such a rich basketball tradition, not just here at IU, but the entire state of Indiana. When you walk into the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and see all the courts, it shows you the importance of basketball on this campus."\nThis season, 440 teams signed up to play basketball. Teams range from students who played competitively in high school to teams with players who haven't shot a ball in years. Anyone can participate and enjoy the social and physical benefits sports provide. \n"This year we have more intramural teams playing basketball than Indiana high school teams playing," Downing said.\nThe 440 teams are all vying for the chance to play in Assembly Hall, one of the most historic basketball venues in the country. Every championship game for each league will be played on the same floor where Isiah Thomas, Calbert Cheaney and Steve Alford played. For some, the opportunity to shoot and run on the same court as some of their childhood heroes invokes dreams and fantasies best suited for a Disney movie.\n"To play in Assembly Hall would be amazing," senior Carter Ploszek said. "Being from Indiana, to have a chance to play on that court is every little kid's dream. My entire family would drive down to come and watch me play."\nThere are three leagues: men's, women's and co-ed. In each league, teams are separated into different divisions in an attempt to achieve competitive balance. For example, the men's league is broken up into three off-campus divisions, two fraternity groups, an MBA division, a graduate division and three residence hall divisions.\nStudent organizations, clubs, Greek houses and anyone willing to donate $35 to the Recreational Sports department compete. Shirts and jerseys are ordered and printed, creating a polychromatic mix in the HPER on game nights. \nThough participants aren't competing for a national championship, the games are taken seriously. Some teams have coaches, water boys, and in one case, even a quality control coordinator. Practices are scheduled before and during the season in attempts to gain a competitive edge and inch closer toward Assembly Hall.\nSeveral teams compete knowing their title hopes are bleak, but they play just for the fun and excitement intramural basketball brings. Some teams, such as the Sweaty ABC's, have gone years without recording a single victory. But in intramural sports on any given night, anything can happen. \n"The past two years we haven't even come close to winning," said junior Sean Donnelly, a member of the Sweaty ABC's. "We made some off-season acquisitions, and tonight we won. It's no Big Ten title, but it's the closest I'll ever get. Intramurals provide us un-athletic folk an opportunity to compete and have fun."\nOn Monday night, the Sweaty ABC's raced out to an early lead and secured its first win in its third year of play and even had fans watching the game. At least 10 women huddled at the southeast corner of Court Nine, cheering and clapping in unison for their favorite team. \n"This is fun, to come out and watch our friends play," junior Heather Rust said. "They have their own jerseys and scream and yell. It's much more entertaining than I thought it would be"