Growing intramural basketball league offers competition and campus unity Web company helps little league grow By Lennon McCarthy lmccart5@mscd.edu

Photo by Will Moore • moorwill @mscd.edu Metro senior Baron Phillips drives the lane during an intramural basketball game March 27 at the Auraria Event Center. Phillips’ team lost 55-43.

     With the bouncing of a ball, the squeak of sneakers and the voices of competition, intramural basketball at Auraria is up and running at full speed.
   Teaming with Playcoeddenver.com, a Web-based company that organizes and creates intramural and recreational sports leagues in the metro area, Auraria personnel developed leagues, while students and nonstudents registered and formed teams, according to Tony Price, director of informal sports at Metro.
   “ Hooking up with Play Coed, I felt it was an opportunity for our leagues to expand,” Price said.
There are 24 total men’s teams divided into two separate leagues: a Monday night league composed of 16 teams and a Wednesday night league composed of eight. In addition to the all men’s leagues, there is a coed league that plays on Mondays as well.
   Teams registered online at Play Coed for $175 for all student teams, with an additional $50 option should they decide to purchase shirts. Teams composed of both students and nonstudents could register for $300 dollars, according to Price.
   Each team participates in seven regular-season games. Every team in each league makes the playoffs. Depending on time and facility availability, a double or single elimination tournament is put together. The winning teams receive shirts and other small prizes, such as restaurant gift certificates.
   “ This year, there is a lot more parody in the leagues,” Price said. “I think anyone can win this thing.”
   More than prizes and the small amount of revenue the intramural leagues generate, the most important things intramural leagues accomplish are campus unity and living a healthy lifestyle.
   “ The important thing to me is to see students have an opportunity to do activities on campus,” Price said. “Participating in sports is beneficial to your health. I think we’re doing a pretty good job of it.”
   Adam Maxey and Al Carmosino, teammates and participants in the Monday night men’s league, echo the sentiments of Price.
   “ It’s organized and fun,” Carmosino said. “I love basketball and love competing.”
   Maxey said he loved the time on the court with his friends.
   “ I played with these guys at (Arvada) West. We are all basketball junkies and intramurals is all we have,” Maxey said.
   Price wants to see all the intramural sports grow in participants and popularity. While he sees improvement, Price believes that better advertising will gain more student interest and the leagues will grow.
   Price said he hopes to add more sports to the list of choices students already have. He said he believes this is a very obtainable goal for the future.