By Lena LaJoy

On Monday nights, most students prepare for classes the following day. However, at the same time, students competing in intramural basketball meet at the Reckord Armory for a weekly match.

The University of Maryland Recreation and Wellness Center offers a diverse number of intramural sports for students to participate in. Students have the opportunity to choose the sport that best suits them, depending on whether they prefer a team sport, a duo, a single or a tournament-style competition.

Each semester marks the start of a new season of intramural sports, although the sports being offered change depending on whether it is fall or spring.  

One intramural sport that is particularly popular among students is basketball.

Students can register for 5-on-5 teams with varying levels of competitiveness, as well as an option for a coed team. After teams formed, the official intramural season began on Feb. 1. 

Grace Bellina, a sophomore majoring in criminology and criminal justice, said she decided to join an intramural team because she missed playing sports after high school. 

“I played three sports throughout high school, and I really missed it coming into college … when I found out that my roommate wanted to play intramural basketball … I was like 100% yes,” Bellina said.

Bellina said that registering for the basketball team was very easy, and she liked the option for an all-girls league or mixed-gender league.

Lauren Guariglia, a junior animal science pre-professional major, said she was nervous to join her intramural team at first because she did not have experience with basketball. 

“At first, I was actually a little nervous because I grew up playing volleyball and dancing,” Gauriglia said. “So to play basketball for intramural, I was a little nervous because I didn’t really know what I was doing.” 

As a transfer student, Gauriglia said she has liked being on the team so far because it has introduced her to many new people she did not know before joining her team. 

Despite registration for the season being over, there are still open teams for people to join. 

“We had someone ask us last week if they could join our team, and we said yeah, I think everyone is very friendly,” Bellina said. 

Grace Adkins, a junior architecture and construction project management major, said that intramural basketball is for everyone, even if you do not have experience. 

“One of my roommates, she’s never played before, and she was like ‘I know how to dribble a ball,’ and I said ‘that’s perfect,’” Adkins said. 

Adkins emphasized that everyone on the team is there to have fun, and experience does not matter as much. 

Bellina said that intramural basketball does not take up much of her time outside of the weekly games. She said that her team meets up before the game starts on Monday nights to stretch and run through some plays.

Adkins said that everyone deciding whether they want to participate in intramural sports, specifically basketball, should remind themselves that the main goal is fun. 

“I feel like everyone comes to the game with an understanding that the main goal is to have fun,” Adkins said. “There’s going to be people across various levels, and so you just do what you can to enjoy yourself.”

Featured Image: A player from team “I want 2 though 3” attempts a shot during their game against “Dream Team” on Feb 11, 2026, at 8 p.m. Photo by Paige Trendell.