11 versus 11 intramural soccer league begins

Excitement is hard to contain at Recreational Sports & Wellness Department as this year’s 11 vs. 11 intramural soccer league kicked off April 10.

As this year’s league commences, Michael Castaneda, in his third year as Assistant Director of RSW, reported the league will have 14 teams participating this season. The league had 16 teams last year and 10 in 2015.

Castaneda said he likes it when teams of mixed gender win the championship. A lot of teams are usually just-male or just-female.

“It’s always unique to see the teams that are mixed do very well,” Castaneda said.

Castaneda also said that fraternities, sororities and residence halls also bond together to form teams.

“We usually see a mix of everything [in the league],” he said.

Although he insists the goal of any intramural sport is fun, Castaneda also points out that the league will be competitive. He points out that over the course of play, there may be some players who do not agree with some of the officials’ calls.

“Intramural’s main purpose, of course, is for our participants to have fun, but at the same time we understand there is competition that comes with any sport, so [the league] will be intense,” Castaneda said.

Some students will participate in the soccer league for the social aspect. Blake Farrell, a sophomore who is playing, said it is an interesting way to meet new people.

“When it comes to sports, it’s a cool way to get social,” Farrell said.

This is not Farrell’s first time playing an intramural sport at Mercer University. Farrell previously played in intramural battleship, where players try to “sink battleships” by filling up canoes with water in the pool by Plunkett Hall.

Farrell is excited to compete with his team, dubbed Fake Madrid, a play on the famous European soccer team, Real Madrid.

“We thought [the name] was funny,” he said.

The regular season will last until April 20 with playoffs during the last week of April.

Castaneda said that there have been years where favorites disappointed and surprise teams took hold. He hopes for the same excitement those previous years brought.