By Simon Thomas
Whatcom’s first intramural tournament of the school year kicked off at Orca Field, where over 40 students, faculty and staff played soccer together. The Student Rec Center organized the tournament for Friday, Nov. 18.
Mary Schroeder, the Student Recreation Center Coordinator, said that about two-thirds of the players were students, and that this is the first of several intramural events Whatcom will be organizing this school year.
The winners of the tournament receive free long-sleeve, black orca shirts.
“We want to do a basketball tournament sometime during winter quarter,” Schroeder said.
Because of Whatcom and Western’s basketball teams playing throughout winter quarter at the Whatcom Pavilion, scheduling intramural tournaments gets more complicated. Schroeder added that the Rec Center will be hoping to organize a volleyball tournament this winter quarter too.
IMLeagues, the online management system both Western and Whatcom use to organize intramurals, allow Whatcom students to join teams in leagues at Western. Leagues will be organized during spring quarter.
Liam Burke, 17, is a Whatcom student who participated in the Friday afternoon tournament.
“Over spring quarter we are going to do what we did last year, where we had badminton, a 3-on-3 basketball league, and hopefully some more options,” Schroeder said.
“It has been very positive. There’s been lots of fun and plenty of beautiful goals,” Burke said.
Tournament winner Alain Murhula said “It is really fun to play with coaches and teachers.”
Before his team won the final game, Murhula said “if we win we get T-shirts, and I will wear my shirt to school to remember the day.”
