Sand volleyball, softball, and kickball will be available for students this fall

written by: andrew zerman

As the 2020-2021 school year starts, many things remain uncertain. One thing that will not be uncertain is that fall intramural sports will start in late August and conclude by the middle of September. However, this intramural season is not going to be without modifications, as safety is a primary focus.

The typical fall sports of flag football and soccer will not be offered this year because they are sports that involve contact as their primary method of playing.

“We are going to offer softball, sand volleyball, and kickball for the fall season,” Recreational Sports Director Leslie Dulle said. “These were sports that we could still do while maintaining social distancing. We are also going to be making the sand volleyball matches four against four only”.

Sand volleyball has historically been a spring sport at Xavier, but for the sake of having enough sports to offer this fall, it was moved up a season. 

“Sand volleyball is one of our most popular sports,” Dulle said. “With the exception of basketball, it is our most popular sport.”  

This semester will also offer only co-ed teams, which deviates from the past of having gendered leagues in addition to co-ed ones. 

Unlike working out inside the Health United Building (HUB), there will be no requirement to wear a mask since all of the sports offered this fall will be outside and socially distanced. Those who want to wear one, however, can do so.

Dulle made note that there will be rule enforcers throughout the games. “There will be managers out in the intramural program who will be making sure that spectators are not gathering because that will make things [following policies] difficult. They will also be making sure that everyone on the roster is playing and that social distancing is being maintained”. 

Despite a far different environment than previous seasons, it is envisioned that there will not be much of a decline in intramural participation. There is no method to accurately predict it, but there are ways of speculation that can help one to come to a conclusion.

“Our real habitual team players play for more than just the sport,” Dulle said. “It is also a great social activity and a great way to get to know people. I’m hopeful that people will play sports that are being offered this fall, even if they are not the ones that we typically offer.”

In addition to participating in sports, students are also encouraged to check out the Intramural Sports pages on the various forms of social media for updates on the status of intramural sports and any changes that may occur. The Twitter and Instagram accounts share the mutual handle of @xuimsports.