Scrimmage matchups are being held this week in preparation for the start of intramural softball league on Monday.
The league includes teams comprised of student clubs, organizations and even the staff of Florida A&M.
“We want to give everyone, even the staff, an opportunity to participate,” Intramural Coordinator Tony Brewington said.
Among those signed up to play are several organizations, including four Greek fraternities.
Plant Operations, Campus Recreation, the Florida A&M Police Department, as well as some of the student housing organizations have formed teams that will participate in the league.
The league consists of eight teams. Natasha Kazan, assistant intramural coordinator, said she wants to increase participation in the league.
“A lot more students wanted to join once they saw the faculty and staff having fun with it,” Kazan said.
She said her goal is to make students more aware of the less popular sports on campus.
“Just like we opened up the soccer interest, we want to make sports on campus about more than just the cliché sports, basketball and football,” Kazan said. “Especially here at an HBCU, we want to keep our students involved in all kinds of sports.”
Brewington said building an intramural team that mirrors the success of the women’s flag football team, Simply Marvelous, is important to the intramural program.
“What I’m looking to do with this year’s softball league, is to create the same atmosphere that is already around our ladies flag football team,” Brewington said. “There will be a coed and possibly a women’s sports club team, so there can be as many tournaments for this as there are for football.”
Preparations for the start of the coed league began Monday. Brewington held batting lessons for the few that wanted to learn how to play before the actual competition began.
“I held a clinical to knock some of the dust off of some people,” Brewington said.
The league will continue all the way through until Dec. 2 and Brewington said he cannot wait for the students to get a new past time.
“We are just looking to give people something to do that’s constructive and an opportunity to meet other people,” Brewington said.