We asked current Owls to tell us more about their experiences with the Intramural (IM) Sports program at Rice. Learn about how they got involved with the program, and hear more about why they love and continue to play IM Sports at Rice.

I got involved in IM Sports pretty much as soon as I got to Rice. After getting to know some of the other freshmen at McMurtry and building relationships, we created our freshman flag football team. It was a great experience to play a sport semi-competitively while building connections with the other freshmen on the team. As someone who is competitive but not overly competitive, IM Sports provided a good balance between competitiveness and just having fun.

Later on, I became more involved with other IM teams, including Rec and College Men's Flag, basketball, softball, and soccer. For me, IM Sports is as serious as you want it to be. I've seen teams with coaches designing plays, players wearing wristband playbooks, screaming and talking trash like crazy. And then I've seen teams, such as the ones I've played with, that are more laid back and show up to have fun but with a competitive fire.

Another aspect of being involved in IM Sports that I've really enjoyed is the relationships that I've built. Having that residential college pride and competing alongside people from your college has allowed me to meet some of my closest friends. This is really just a great space for people who are looking to play semi-competitive sports or who want to mess around in a sport they've never really had the opportunity to play before. Like I said, IM Sports is as serious as you make it. If you're just looking to have a chill time playing sports with others, I definitely recommend it!

-Theo Au-Yeung, McMurtry ‘27 

Participating in IM Sports, specifically women’s flag football and indoor volleyball, helped me to bond with my teammates over shared interests and form new friendships. This really made me feel more connected to my college. I also appreciate how IM offers a low-commitment way for students to enjoy sports they don’t often play during the school year through well-coordinated games!

-Emma Montero, Martel '27

I play for Jones IM powderpuff flag football. For me, powderpuff is a fun way to stay active and get to know my fellow Jonesians through practices, games, and team bonding trips to Chaus. I love powderpuff because it is a low commitment way to continue playing sports through college while balancing a busy schedule.

-Abigail Li, Jones '27

I got involved with IM Sports within a few weeks of starting my freshman year at McMurtry. During O-Week, the captains and coaches for Murt Powderpuff did a lot of recruiting, and I was really excited to try it. This year, I am also involved in the pickleball doubles with my friend, which has been a lot of fun.

I love IM Sports because there is no pressure to do anything except have fun. Everyone brings so much excitement and passion, and it makes the environment joyful. However, that doesn’t mean that the leagues aren’t competitive! McMurtry Powderpuff takes our season very seriously, but we have so much fun and it is always a blast. It's definitely a great way to meet new people and get some fun movement in. Also, it is not a big commitment: typically there is a practice once a week and a game once a week, but some leagues like pickleball only require that you do your game before the deadline.

-Elsa Koenig, McMurtry ‘27 (Published on 10/24/24)

Learn more about the Intramural Sports program at Rice here.