Not everyone can run a 100-meter dash in nine seconds or throw a football 60 yards.
Some people are just good enough to beat other horrible so-called athletes; with that being said, Pierce should reinstate intramural sports.
Unlike intercollegiate sports, intramural sports are co-educational sports that are only held between Pierce’s student body and staff.
Pierce’s intramural program used to include an array of sports like inner tube water polo, softball, basketball, and occasionally table tennis.
They also had a 100-mile club for individuals who completed 100 miles in a semester either walking or running.
Winners of these activities were awarded with Pierce College shirts displaying the sport that they conquered as well as Custom Stadium Blankets.
Intramural sports bring good vibes and lift school spirit as they increase companionship through competition.
Having an intramural program might be the deciding factor for a student debating between attending Los Angeles Valley College and Pierce.
Other community colleges in the district like Los Angeles Harbor College are already jumping on the bandwagon and looking to introduce intramural sports for the 2013-14 school year.
Full-time physical education instructor Lyne Haile overlooked the intramural program in the 80s through the early 90s until she retired.
Since then no one has picked up where she left off, leaving Pierce students with an abundance of extra energy which they use to complain about homework.
According to Mary Cox, the facilities assistant of physical education at Pierce, the lack of physical education staff probably has something to do with Pierce not having a program.
Back when she played as an employee, there were 12 full time staff members. Now there are only three.
On top of that, the staff member who chooses to run intramural sports does not get compensated for it.
Money seems to be an issue for a lot of community colleges when they don’t have successful alumni giving back to the school, so it’s nothing new.
That doesn’t mean that there isn’t money out there; it just has to be asked for.
Take a page from Pierce men’s volleyball team: head coach Lance Walker had his players market themselves to the community and local businesses to help fund their program.
Now sponsors like Denny’s and Ralph’s support the volleyball team, and they don’t have to worry about how they are going to pay the referees or buy equipment.
Students could also write to the California Community Colleges board about funding intramural sports at Pierce.
There are also websites like change.org, which allow regular people to write their own petitions and the website’s technicians assist you in getting electronic signatures.
The extra money could help hire more staff and the director of intramural sports would be compensated, which gives more incentive for other staff members to help out.
Let’s not hamper Pierce’s campus life potential by not exploring all the options.
