By Dan Hiner
The intramural athletic department joined IMleagues to bring a new signup system to Youngstown State University. The new system tracks your stats, teams and all players associated with YSU intramurals.
IMleagues is a national database used by intramural sport clubs across the country. YSU was contacted in the past but didn’t implement the change until August.
Dan Schaefer and De’Onte Brown, both interns with the intramural athletic department, were in charge of changing the signup system and overseeing the system throughout the year.
Schaefer said the signup is easier than last year. He said all participants have to set up an account with IMleagues, and the registration is similar to “setting up a social media account.”
“We can send out schedules easier. Also, me as the user, instead of just having the website to sign up for, now it’s interactive,” Schaefer said. “I can view my opponents’ rosters, schedules, games and records. You can also see your stats. If you’re a soccer player, you could see how many goals you’ve scored.
“It’s a totally different system, and with a different system, there’s a different signup process.”
After a participant puts in their personal information, the system will send an email to log onto the IMleagues’ YSU page. A student can select any sport, fill out the participation waiver and create a team. Once a team is created, players could be added to a roster after confirming their YSU email while signing up.
In the past, students were able to sign up for intramural sports through their YSU portal. Schaefer said IMleagues is ‘more user friendly’ and could specifically target students interested in playing.
If a student doesn’t know anyone else playing a particular sport, they can sign up as a ‘free agent.’ This allows the player to enter the sport without being a part of a team. A free agent can join any team if the group accepts them. If a player is not on a team by the start of the season, Schaefer and Brown create a team composed of free agents.
Senior Nick Dean has played intramural sports at YSU since his freshman year. Dean said the signup process is different, and it may not impact the number of players, but the additions of stats and rosters is a positive change.
“I liked it last year, because you could just type in their [a player’s] name, and it would come up with all of their information already,” Dean said. “But he was saying they’ll actually count our stats this year so I like that.”
Schaefer said the main goal is to get students involved in campus life.
“A lot of times students at a commuter-based school, like YSU is, go to class and then go home,” Schaefer said. “YSU offers so much more, not just in intramurals, and we want to get people involved on campus.
“We tell freshmen ‘if you love soccer, and you’re the only guy you know who loves soccer, if you come to intramurals you’ll find 60 to 80 people who love the sport. It’s a good way to make friends and make future teams.”
The registration tables are found on the first floor of Kilcawley Center and in the Andrews Recreation and Wellness Center.
