By Ty Schadt, Sports Editor
In sports, players join new teams all the time. Whether it be through free agency or trades, this type of change is inevitable. In certain cases, teams are left in disarray following a player’s departure. But sometimes, a sturdy foundation can prevent one significant change from triggering additional changes. Perhaps that’s how, despite the changing of hands, Asbury’s intramural program will remain strikingly similar to last fall.
This year, Resident Director (RD) Evan Duszynski is heading Asbury’s intramural department. Along with overseeing nearly 250 Johnson Hall residents, he will be in charge of facilitating the beloved athletic program. Theoretically, being handed the reigns to so many horses at once suggests a difficult transition. However, that may not be true in Dusynski’s case, due to the framework laid by his predecessor. Former RD and Intramural Director Clark Kendall took an already developed program and advanced it leaps and bounds over his three-year term at Asbury by adding events such as innertube water polo, kickball and Nerf gun battle arenas.
So, what better for Duszynski to do than stick to what Kendall had cooking? Apparently, the first year RD is under the same impression. As the saying goes, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. “The plan is to do more of the same, and get more of campus involved any way we can,” Duszynski said.
As a 2011 graduate, Duszynski realizes how unique and important community life is at Asbury. “What we’re really trying to do is organize the program in an easy, accessible way so everyone on campus knows it’s an option. I hope we promote it well and people get out, play and grow the community.”
This fall, students can participate in co-ed kickball, ultimate frisbee and guy’s and girl’s flag football. All events will be run the same as last fall, except for kickball. As opposed to sibling series kickball, where brother and sister halls joined forces and competed, this semester’s kickball will simply be co-ed. Though the change may seem subtle, it ought to be effective. Not every hall on campus has a sibling hall, so more people will have the opportunity to play under the new rules.
Duszynski stressed that the intramural staff was important in the decision-making process. “I truly couldn’t do it without them,” Duszynski said. “I lean on them heavily, from promoting it on social media to making use of IMLeagues. They truly make it their own.” IMLeagues is the website prospective players can use to sign up and join teams, as well as view schedules, statistics and standings.
Coordinator and senior Jonathan Waterman explained that it wasn’t a hard call to stick with Kendall’s mold. “Evan’s been great about sitting back and listening to our past experiences and ideas for the coming year. This was an easy decision, because we felt like Clark’s system last year worked very well.”
Structure aside, there is one more of Kendall’s traditions Duszynski is going to keep up: actually competing himself. “Oh, yeah. I’m definitely going to participate. Just waiting to be recruited.”