For six weeks of the winter, students take the floor at Dougherty and O’Neill gyms during community time.

You don’t need to try out to play intramural basketball. All you need to do is sign up, and show up.

“No matter what, it’s always a good game,” sophomore intramural player Jacob McGraw said.

McGraw’s team, “The Golden State Sophomores,” had just lost to another sophomore team, “Team 13,” who beat them 17-15.

The win puts “Team 13” ahead in Intramurals Basketball championship.

Intramurals is a chance for students to play organized sports independently from a league. Teachers organize the games, and all is played on campus. Students need to form six-player teams to enter the competition.

“I think what it does is supplements,” moderator Mr. Andrew Burke said. “If you are a student who is involved with the play, and you want to get in some physical activity, then this would be a good choice for you.”

The teams are entered into a roster, where they are placed against a team of the same grade. Thirty-two teams are currently competing for the championship. Games occur during community time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Burke works directly with Intramurals and sends out the email updates on team schedules.

“It has increasingly brought the community together,” he said. “We have over 200 kids participating in basketball.”

[perfectpullquote align=”center” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“It has increasingly brought the community together. We have over 200 kids participating in basketball.”

-Mr. Andrew Burke[/perfectpullquote]

Games start five minutes into community time. Conflicts sometimes occur when students need to use community time for work.

“The negative is what they aren’t doing with the time they’re spending at community time,” Burke said. “And then you also have the kids who come out to watch, so not just the players.”

Despite potential conflicts, kids come out every day to support their friends during games.

Intramurals have their own league rules, by which all players have to abide. These include one basket, one point, and no permittance of substitutes who were not on the original roster.

Since Intramurals is for kids who couldn’t play in the varsity league, no varsity players or swing players are allowed to participate.

“Pickup basketball is always fun,” sophomore Intramurals player Louie Franzone said. “But when it’s an organized league like Intramurals it’s even better. “

Students who aren’t on a team can participate as well by helping referee the game or by watching the games in the stands.

Sophomore Andrew Sposato avidly follows the games, although he does not play. “It’s a great time,” he said. “You get to watch the games with your friends and it’s an all-around good experience.”

Most teams group by grade, but teams can be a mixture of every grade level.

“It’s a fantastic time,” McGraw said. “I like that it’s not after school. And I think that having it during community time is a nice compromise.”

The Intramurals program will continue into spring. For the next league, students will form handball teams.

Burke predicts the turnout for handball will be as big as for basketball.

“It’s fun. You’re playing with your classmates, there’s less pressure; there’s less on the line,” he said.