12E - The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition 2006 IT rY Did you once think that you had what it took to be a college athlete? Did your dreams get crushed when you realized that you weren't big enough, fast enough, strong enough or geneti- cally blessed enough to make the cut - or come anywhere close? Well you're not alone. IAN HERBERT felt just as dejected as you once did until he found competition in club sports and carefree rivalry in intramural. IAN HERBERT A satiating run on the 'B' team ike a lot of former high school athletes, I came to Michigan looking for a competitive and athletic outlet. I was never the biggest, strongest or fastest, but I was often the most competitive. I lived off sports, and the thought of not practicing for some- thing every day was a little bit shocking. I know I'm not the only one who felt this way. My friend Abiman dreamed of, and tried out for, a spot on the basketball team. Craig thought the cross country team was his best chance at Division I athletics. Last year, I talked to a bunch of club hockey guys who want- ed nothing more than a spot on Red Berenson's squad. Many of the people I eventu- ally became friends with were high school athletes, and a large chunk of those fantasized - at least briefly - about a spot in collegiate athletics. I was admitted to Michigan and Cooper Union, a small engineering school in New York with a few hundred peo- ple. At Cooper Union, I could have played on the basketball team. At Michigan, I'd be lucky to walk on to the aver- age intramural team. Obviously, Michigan is one of the country's premier ath- letic institutions. Few debate that Michigan's 27 sports teams - from football to hockeytocross country - are always among the best in the nation. And even though that may be great for the school's reputation and recruitment, it's frustrating for Abiman, Craig, me and you. But for all of us, Michi- gan provides another option. The University has more than 70 club sports teams for former athletes looking for that competitive outlet. I chose ultimate frisbee, but the options are endless. Syn- chronized swimming, tae kwon do and roller hockey are examples and the chanc- es are that, if you've played it, we have it at Michigan. I knew it would be tough - I wasn't one of those who expected the ultimate team to be filled with hip- pies or anything like that - but I was in no way prepared for the amazing athleticism I found on the squad. Guys who can jump over buildings and outrun dogs. Girls who could do the same. The coaches look specifically for athleticism - they figured they could teach the rest, and, from the success of the team, it looks as if they might have the right idea. The team has made Nationals in something like six of the last seven years. Even during my freshman year, the focus was on athlet- icism, butI remember a shift in attitude midway through my career at Michigan. One of the requirements of the team was the timed run. Everyone on the team was required to run a mile in five and a half minutes and two miles in less than 12. Group runs, team lifting sessions and plyometrics parties were habit to the guys on the team. And if you wanted to get playing time, it had to be. I couldn't keep up with the top guys (literally or figuratively), but, for three years, I got my athletic out- let with the ultimate 'B' team. And at times, the competition was just as intense. The team travels around the country - the 'A' team made it as far as Oregon and Georgia for competition; the 'B' team stays in the area, but still makes trips all around the Midwest. I played with the 'A' team for just one tournament - a brutal competition down in Tennessee. It was 35 degrees and raining for the entire weekend, and we took turns running back to the car just to keep from freezing. Players, caked in mud and drenched from the rain, continued to play as if it were the World Series. Layout deflections and picturesque catches are an everyday occurrence for the team. All of these club sports - at least all the ones that I've seen - are worth a look. It's worth paying nothing (tickets are generally free) and spending a few hours at Oosterbaan to watch a girls ultimate frisbee tournament - there was one this past weekend - and it's worth making the trip over to Yost at midnight some Saturday to watch women's ice hock- ey. If you're looking for a competitive outlet, join- ing one of these 70 teams is probably the best thing you can do. And if you're looking for entertainment sans football (especially on weekends when basketball is out of town and hockey is just playing an exhibi- tion game), becoming a club sports fan is always an option. - This column originally ran Jan. 17, 2006. The Michigan varsity lacrosse team prepares for the season with a preseason scrimmage. So now you think you can play? T he variety of club sports that Michigan provides is cer- tainly an exciting prospect for all of the former athletes paying their overpriced rent in Ann Arbor. Intramurals are the best place to play strange sports with a bunch of your guy and girl,jock and dork; smart and stupid friends. The IM Building is superior to the CCRB for a variety of reasons - better location, better staff and a bigger weight room. But the intramural sports that are consis- tently provided down at 606 E. Hoover St. are really what make the IMSB the hallowed brick building that it is. Some of these contests are not appropriate for everyone. Basket- ball, for instance, is stiff competi- tion between groups of guys who spend hours practicing. Hockey is another one that is really only for those who know what they're doing - they deter novices by charging $200 for ateam and making you bring your own gear. But if you stay away from the ones with the die-hards, IM sports can provide an athletic outlet slight- ly less intense than club sports and two steps below the varsity level. Don't get me wrong, there's still screaming and shoving and maybe the occasional punch (only accept- able if the other guy swings first). Competition tends to be fierce and some people even feel the need to practice, draw up playbooks, etc. A lot of people don't know the secrets behind IM sports, and that's why I'm here. I've spent more than four years at this University. I've played on dozens of teams and I've probably watched hundreds of games. So I've decided to make the beginnings of the intramural sports handbook: Get there early for signups: This seems obvious, but people insist on coming whenever their last class is over. The only way to be sure to get a time slot that you want is to get to the IM building early - and by early, I mean before the 11 am. start time. The line starts forming around 10:30 am. Find someone in your group who can get there by then - or skip class if you have to. By this point, you should know what's really important. Get there even earlier for play- off scheduling: There's nothing worse than losing your star goalie for the semifinal game because he can't miss his midterm. Make sure you know everyone's schedule. Know the rules: There are a lot of strange rules in intramurals - like having to involve a girl in every other throw of a co-ed flag football game. If you know them, you can take advantage - like double-teaming girls or recruiting a girl quarterback. Get everyone youknow to play in the regular season: Or just have all your friends come by and swipe their M-Card for the last game of the year, even if they don't actually play. It may seem like cheating, but it's better than being caught off-guard and out of players for the playoffs. Speaking of forfeits,never take one until the last possible minute: This goes with the same idea of having fun and, you know, actually playing games. You should disre- gard this rule if you know that the other team is very good. When signing up for the play- offs, don't take the spot with the first-round bye: This one always gets me. If you take a first-round game, that'sjust one more game you get to play. It's not like you get tired after playing four games in two weeks. It's supposed to be fun, so get in the extra game. Be nice to the officials: I've done it. It's hard. Don't yell. They're get- ting paid $7 an hour, and I'm sure they're trying their best. I know it's hard to believe sometimes, but they don't actually have something against you. Unless you're really an asshole - then expect some bad calls, but don't say you didn't deserve it. The BA finals are always better than the AB finals: The AB finals are between two teams that thought they were good and are actually bad. The BA finals are between two teams that thought they were bad and are actually good. Watch the finals: I always found it fun to watch the AA basketball finals in particular. Two years ago I saw the football team - with Braylon Edwards andJason Avant - get fooledby a sharp-shooting team that played a solid zone. It was a blast to watch, and Braylon had a few dazzling alley-oops. The IM staff usually brings out the bleach- ers for the AA finals. Take advan- tage of an exciting game that's free and fun. Mostlpeople will tell you to make sure that you have fun. I couldn't agree more, but make sure that you also have the biggest, stongest, fast- est guys you know to make it even more fun and get those free t-shirts. And if all else fails,athey sellbthe extra shirts for a dollar at the end of the year. Buy some and pretend you're an intramural champ. - This column originally ran Jan.23, 2006.