With more than 275 teams and over 3,000 participants last year, intramural sports have a huge impact on UW-Platteville campus life.

This semester’s season started a week ago and welcomed back students and faculty.

Intramural sports have a long tradition at UW-P. Curt Fatzinger, intramural coordinator said that they started back in the early 1960s.

“Intramurals provide the availability to participate in a sport that is a non-intercollegiate competition,” Fatzinger said.

Faculty, staff, their spouses and all students who are not on any of the varsity teams are eligible to participate in intramurals.

UW-P offers a variety of sports for people to participate in for the fall and spring semesters.

In the fall, softball, volleyball, racquetball, badminton, tennis and disc golf are offered to men, women and coed teams. In the spring, the options are basketball, indoor soccer, broomball, racquetball, water polo, dodgeball and football.

In order to participate in intramurals, teams have to attend a meeting at the beginning of the semester.

“You have to come to the organizational meeting, otherwise you won’t get a team in,” Fatzinger said.

The team captains hand in team rosters of 12 to 16 players. They also pay a $20 participation fee and a $20 forfeit fee in cash.

Teams have paid forfeit fees since 1990. The cash-only payment policy was introduced last semester.

Last year, individuals canceled checks before they were cashed, and Fatzinger not only lost money but also had to pay for faulty checks.

The fall season started last week and will go on for six to ten weeks.

Fatzinger said that after the season, the open recreation hours are used by individuals.

Many students who play intramurals participate in multiple sports.

For instance, in the spring, basketball, broomball and indoor soccer end before spring break, and football begins after the break.

In intramural matches, officials act as referees.

“I hire students,” Fatzinger said. “Generally, they are individuals who have participated in this sport in high school.”

Allan Hyland, a senior biology and geography major, has participated in intramural softball for the last five years. Hyland said that intramurals are a great way to stay competitive and active.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Hyland said. “Intramurals are well organized; they work around the students’ schedule.”

George Smith, a professor of speech communication, started playing for the faculty intramural softball team 30 years ago.

“It’s a stress-free activity to do,” Smith said.

He has been running the faculty softball team for the last 20 years.

“Playing softball against students gives the faculty a different opportunity to interact with them; it really enhances the relationship in the classroom,” Smith said. “We just have a good time. It helps us to meet other people on campus.”

Fatzinger accredits the great success of intramurals to the students and to the good program.

“Intramurals are a tribute to the student,” Fatzinger said.