UA junior Matthew Urbanski remembers walking off the court after his last high school basketball three years ago.

“I thought that chapter was closed,” he said.

Urbanski was a good player in high school, but a series of knee injuries kept him from pursuing the game at the college level.

That hasn’t stopped him from playing, though. Urbanski is among thousands of students involved in intramural sports at the University of Arizona intramurals.

 “Intramurals have brought that competitive fire back inside me,” he said. 

At the University of Arizona, intramural sports provide over 3,000 students with an opportunity to stay active, engage in friendly competition, and build connections without the pressure of varsity or club sports. 

“The aim of intramural sports is to create a community for people who enjoy playing a particular sport,” said Kelly Miller, sports program coordinator at Campus Recreation. “This allows (students) to connect with friends or meet new people in a competitive yet fun environment.”

For countless high school athletes, graduation signals the end of competitive play. Only a select few earn a coveted roster position on college teams and an even smaller number make it to the pros. 

For Urbanski, intramurals have unexpectedly become a new passion, reigniting his love for basketball and offering him a refreshing way to remain involved with the game. With various leagues available, competitive, recreational and co-ed, Urbanski can play at multiple intensity levels.

 “I play in competitive leagues, recreation leagues and co-rec teams,” he said. “My teammates are some of my closest friends, so it’s a unique experience.”

Senior Zac Corneliussen, a skilled soccer player, earned a spot on the Arizona men’s club soccer team—Arizona does not have a Division 1 men’s team—but he had to quit because it didn’t fit into his busy schedule. 

“It was an incredible opportunity, something I had always dreamed of achieving,” he said. “Unfortunately, since it’s a club team, you have to pay for membership and the scheduling is quite sporadic, which made it difficult for me to commit enough time to play.”

Like Urbanski, Corneliussen has found that intramural sports allow him to stay active, keep competing and enjoy the team atmosphere he’s always valued.

“Intramurals have been an amazing experience,” he said. “I can keep playing soccer competitively without any additional time commitments. With games scheduled at night during the week, I can easily manage my schedule around them.”

To learn more about UA intramural sports,  visit https://rec.arizona.edu/sports/intramural-sports.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.