While not all McNick students are members of an official school athletic team, every student has the opportunity to participate in McNick’s intramural sports program. The program allows students with a wide variety of athletic abilities to come together and engage in sports with their classmates.
“I think [intramural sports] give people a no-pressure way to go out and have fun,” said Guidance Counselor and Intramural Coordinator Matt Wehrman. “It gives [students] an opportunity to get involved and have fun with their friends.”
The school currently offers both volleyball during the fall and dodgeball during the winter as individual sports in its intramural program. On Sunday, Nov. 20, tournament games concluded McNick’s 2016 intramural volleyball season, which began on Oct. 2. According to Wehrman, the first set of regular season dodgeball games begin on Dec. 4 and should run through early February.
Students themselves gave several reasons why intramural sports were enjoyable to them, but many feel that the greatest benefit of the program is the time they were able to spend with their comrades both on and off the court.
“It is a fun way to meet and become closer with people,” said junior Janie Ferris. “[I enjoyed] going crazy with my team after a win and hanging out with my team in between games.”
Sophomore Ben Bryll agreed. “I would recommend the program to anyone with slight athletic ability and people who want something to do with friends,” he said.
Students also gave their approval of the relaxed environment felt during the games as well as the sports being played.
“Some things that make intramurals fun are playing a relaxed game with my friends and the laid-back atmosphere,” Bryll said.
Junior Luke Guessford also cited the “casual” setting of the games. “[The program] is a lot of fun and you make a lot of good memories,” he said.
With volleyball games having drawn to a close, Wehrman is looking forward to the upcoming dodgeball season.
“I like seeing new faces and getting as much participation as possible,” he said. “I think we have a good thing going and it keeps growing every year.”
Students interested in joining the intramural dodgeball program should contact Wehrman by email at mwehrman@mcnhs.org. Registration is open until Nov. 22.
The McNicholas Milestone 