Broomball league to start on campus next week


Intramural broomball team captain Josh Barnhart, said that broomball is probably the only sport where falling down is not a sign of failure, in fact it means the opposite.

The Intramural league’s favorite is a spinoff of hockey, played on ice but without skates. Running across the ice in shoes or boots, players aim to hit a ball into the opposing team’s net using a broom instead of a hockey stick. Five players and a goalie take the ice at a time for each respective team.

“The more committed players are more willing to do things that will make them slip,” said Barnhart. “I’ve done IM sports for the past four years and captained over 30 teams, and Broomball is definitely one of my favorites.”

This year’s version of the broomball league will commence at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct 8. at the Isabella Community Events Arena. Games will take place from 11 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

“IM sports are just a fun and competitive way to continue in athletics without the commitment of a varsity sport,” Barnhart said.

Barnhart’s team, the Middle Level Monsters, is one of eight co-ed teams that will be competing in the league this year. His team is made up of education majors.

“Broomball is one of our more relaxed sports. It’s a little more low key,” said Scott George, assistant director of Competitive Sports and Summer Camps. “We play music over the sound system and just look for that fun and social activity.”

Despite the relaxing connotations it receives, broomball is as competitive as any IM sport at CMU. The eight teams will compete in a season-long tournament, culminating in the champion being crowned at the season’s conclusion.

Senior Colin Ludema has a team by the name of Cookis Dankus. This team won the tournament last year, and they look to repeat again in 2014. A year ago they narrowly edged out the competition in their post-season games, scraping by with 1-0 wins each game.

“We’re really trying not to mess with our formula,” Ludema said. “We’re keeping our goalie and bringing back most of our players.”

Ludema is a hockey player who especially loves broomball because it puts all athletes on an equal playing field. He also enjoys the freedom and friendships that are formed from playing in an IM sports league.

“Running on ice is not a skillset that a lot of people have,” Ludema said. “With a lot of IM sports, you’re competing with athletes who played that sport in high school. In broomball, if you try hard, you’re going to be as good as anyone else.”

“In the end there’s more laughter and smiles when you watch your buddy who just slipped and fell on the ice than there are when you score a goal,” George said.

 

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