Intramural Sports Plan Gives '60 Another Way to Gain P.T. Credits

For some, it may be odious. For others, it may be pleasant. But it doesn't really matter much one way or the other, since all able-bodied freshmen, whether they like it or not, must fulfill their physical training requirements three times a week.

A particularly popular way of doing this is by competing in one of the various intramural sports. By signing a small, white card, the freshman can, in short, support his dormitory and receive P.T. credits at the same time.

The selection of sports offered this winter, for instance, gives some indication of the incredible variety of the program. Dorm teams will compete in basketball, hockey, volleyball, boxing, fencing, squash, swimming, and wrestling.

Only one of these sports has actually progressed beyond the planning stage. The basketball program began on November 27, with the American League having ten teams, and the National nine. The number of players who have actually signed up to play--it averages about ten a team--indicates the great popularity of the intramural program as a whole, and this sport in particular.

But all other sports are not so popular. When the hockey leagues are organized on December 18, not such a large turnout is expected. Some of the dorms will probably have to combine forces to be able to put a sextet on the ice for every game. Similar situations will arise with some of the other sports as well.

Intramural sports are as old as the P.T. requirements. Both started in 1919--the former when Isidor Straus '93 donated trophies for the winning intramural teams, and the latter when the University simply decreed that all freshmen must exercise.

Single Trophy Awarded

At first, competition was limited to these seven sports: crew, baseball, cross country, football, handball, tennis, and track. Instead of giving trophies to the winners of each competition, it was decided to divide a single trophy into three parts, each representing a season--fall, winter, and spring. The three existing freshman dorms, Smith Hall, Gore Hall, and Standish Hall--now parts of Kirkland and Winthrop Houses--became contenders for the award. Points were given not only to the winners in each sport, but also to the dorms with the greatest number of residents earning their freshmen numerals for playing in intercollegiate sports.

With the introduction of the House system for upperclassmen in 1930-31, the freshman intramural system became a separate entity for the first time. Up until then, freshmen dorms had been competing against dorms for other classes as well. Indeed, interclass rivalry had been even more important than inter-house rivalry.

Until the War, the program remained essentially the same. Then it stopped altogether until 1945, when competition was resumed on an informal basis, with such teams as the Weld Wranglers challenging the Stoughton Corsairs.

Each Dorm Can Compete

The foundations for the present intramural system were laid in 1948. Adolph W. Samborski, Director of Intramural Athletics, describes it as one which "fits sports to the existing dorm units rather than fitting the units to the program of sports." In other words, he wants each dorm to be able to compete in any or all of the sports offered--thus he sees that no sport demanding tremendous man-power is incorporated into the schedule, at least not on a dorm-against-dorm basis.

Organization of the freshman intramural program is entrusted to Samborski, Randall W. Tayler, freshman Director of Intramural Athletics, and a six-member Intramural Athletic Council. This Council actually meets and determines policy, which it then passes on to the individual dorm managers.

These managers, chosen in September, often make the difference between good and bad seasons. They try to make sure that their dorms have adequate participation in all sports at all times.

In the past few years, they have been particularly successful. The implications of this are great. As Wallace MacDonald '34, acting Dean of Freshman notes, "It seems to me entirely possible that the more successful the intramural athletic program, the less interest or enthusiasm there may be for the competitions which are normally assumed a measurement of freshman extra-curricular activities."

Record Numbers

And this year's competition has--so far--drawn a record number of participants. In touch football, for instance, 313 boys played in 90 games, as compared to last year's total of 289 players in 72 games.

The quality of play has apparently in-Straus South, the championship touch creased as well. Over the Yale weekend football team, defeated its opposite number at Yale, the South Unit, 40 to 19. And this South Unit had beaten upperclass colleges in New Haven.

Tayler attributes the fast start of this year's program to what he calls "increased spirit in the Yard." This showed itself again in the November cross-country meet when 121 freshmen--more than 10 per cent of the class--competed in the race. The figure was 50 higher than the previous record.

Such a fine start to the year should indicate that the Class of '60 will sustain its interest in intramurals for the rest of the year. The Athletic Council certainly hopes so. After the winter season closes, there will still be four more sports in which competitions will be held: softball, rowing, tennis, and track.

But in any case, regardless of how many freshmen do actually compete between now and the end of the school year, those connected with the intramural program will once again be able to say it accomplished what it sets out to do each year: to give individuals a chance to participate in competitive sports at a considerably lower, more relaxed level than intercollegiate sports afford.

Here are the final fall standings of the freshman intramural program: 1. Thayer Middle  125 2. Straus South  122 3. Straus North  102 4. Grays  96 1/2 5. Hurlbut  86 1/2 6. Mower  80 7. Hollis  73 1/2 8. Lionel  72 1/2 9. Weld North  69 10. Thayer South  60 11. Matthews South  59 12. Matthews North  50 1/2 13. Weld South  39 14. Holworthy  38 15. Greenough  32 16. Stoughton  30 17. Dudley  22 1/2 18. Massachusetts  20 19. Thayer North  6