Spark in Intramurals
The attitude and environment at Trinity shifted their focus from scholarship-filled rosters towards a more voluntary approach which is where intramurals started to climb in popularity. During this time period was when intramurals became a popular past time for students who represented clubs or Greek life to represent themselves and the university all in one. Intramural sports included basketball, bowling, field hockey, paddleball, and softball (only to name a few). Since Trinity was experiencing some struggles and difficulties in the years leading up to the formation of the TIAA, they encouraged other students to be a part of the athletic environment and be able to just have a memorable experience. As Jacob Tingle stated in his dissertation, “D-III institutions are places where athletes are truly considered students and play for a love of the game, rather than for financial reasons” (Tingle 12). Coach Cameron Hill adds to this by explaining “Trinity has created an environment for athletes to receive the best of both worlds. My job as a coach and mentor is provide them with knowledge that they can take out into the real world and apply it to other facets of their life excluding sports”. College athletics at the Division III is very competitive, but this also shows that to them it may not be all about the win’s column. The coaching staff provides its athletes with awareness and an understanding of the importance of athletics while balancing a challenging workload. It is also important to realize that Trinity made a statement in the 1970’s about how they could encompass what it meant to be academically and athletically rigorous while allowing students to explore and develop within their own environment and experiences.
In 1973, many articles and columns in the Trinitonian reported all the scores and games that intramurals were playing during that period and it seemed to be very successful since almost every article each week discussed the intramural updates. I took a closer look at some of the other previous projects for this class and I came across the legacy of Jim Potter and the resurrection of intramural sports. A previous student, Caleb Green, discussed the long-lasting impact that intramurals had starting in the 1960s. In his project, he explained how the involvement of students and their role within intramurals played an important role as well. He states, “In the early 70's, Trinity enjoyed a period where extramural sports, or games played between intramural teams from different schools, were a big deal” (Green, Student Impact). It drew all different types of students to participate in activities that proved useful for the competitive nature of sports and the overall enjoyment of physical activity. Suddenly, students became united by their common passion for sports and never needed to focus on who had the scholarship or who the best athlete on the team had been. They participated because it excited them and made them feel included and a part of something other than being just a Trinity athlete. During this time, it took students minds off of Trinity trying to figure out a way to accommodate their athletic programs and provided them with a distraction so that the student body could rally behind one another. Jim Potter’s legacy for intramural sports allowed for camaraderie and fulfillment for the university seeing how student’s participation in intramurals rose nearly 70% in a time where the involvement and attendance of school sporting events took a steep drop for the university (Green, Jim Potter: A New Beginning).