Fall has officially begun with its beautiful colors and perfect temperatures. What better way to enjoy the outdoors than fun, friendly and competitive sports? 

There are a lot of great opportunities on the William Jewell College campus and in the surrounding community for people to watch and play games. Football, volleyball, cross-country, soccer and golf are in full swing competing for Jewell’s Cardinals.

While most sports will be on the road this weekend, women’s soccer will be at home Friday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 3. Additionally, softball and baseball will have scrimmages throughout the fall season to watch, providing another opportunity for the community to support and enjoy Jewell’s athletics. 

Students and the community can play all types of games outside on the Jewell campus as well. By the baseball field, there is a nine-hole frisbee golf course, which is completely free to play and has some nice scenery too. 

Additionally, the Mabee Center is open on the weekends for students to play pickup basketball. Another fun activity is playing Ultimate Frisbee on the open practice fields by the fraternities. You’ll need at least 8 people to play, so get your friends together and enjoy the brisk weather! 

For those looking to find the thrill of competition and don’t play an organized sport on campus, keep an eye out for intramural games that have been brought back in full swing thanks to seniors Issac Stormes and Mitchell Elsnes. So far, Volleyball, Kickball, and Tug of War competitions have happened, with plenty more throughout the semester sure to come. 

Missouri weather is sure to show itself in extremes, but staying active in our community will create a sense of warmth that will last through the winter.

As another school year kicks off at William Jewell College, so too does another season of intramural sports. A favorite pastime, students from all walks of life come together to participate in some good ole American sports competition. Athletes and non-athletes, Greeks and non-Greeks, upperclassmen and underclassmen alike all form teams, sign up with clever team names such as Dinosaur Space Cannon and compete for recreational glory.

To begin the year, students have taken to the sand volleyball courts, playing Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sand volleyball will continue through September. Students will have many other sports to look forward to in the coming months, including flag football, kickball, basketball and many others.

New to the Jewell intramural scene is ultimate Frisbee, the ultimate college sport, which has generated plenty of buzz and has many looking forward to November. On any college campus, you won’t have to look to hard too find a couple of buddies casually tossing the disc, and ultimate Frisbee allows this popular hobby to translate to intense competition.

“Ultimate Frisbee combines skills from a bunch of different sports, but it’s also fun for those who don’t have much athletic experience, so it’s a pretty unique game,” said Andrew Davis, ultimate Frisbee enthusiast, communication major and first-year student.

Intramural sports are an important tradition at Jewell, serving an as an opportunity for students to bond with their classmates via friendly competition. Senior nursing major Tony McBroom has plenty of experience competing in intramural competitions over the last few years and recognizes the impact the activity has on the Jewell community.

“Intramurals are super important to Jewell because they create an opportunity for past athletes to continue to compete, it allows space for new friendships, and it provides a fun way to exercise close to campus,” McBroom said.

Maybe the most important part of it all is the bonding that comes with the competitive yet fun atmosphere. Although sports often create bitter rivals, such as that between the teams from Eaton and Ely, intramurals at Jewell are much more likely to forge new friendships and let already friends grow closer.

Whether you are a jock or not is irrelevant. Intramurals are always fun for anyone and everyone who participates and continue to be a very important staple in the Jewell community.