I played sports all throughout my childhood. In my neighborhood I was always picked for teams before most of the guys. As for organized sports, one year of soccer, four years of basketball and six years of softball ended before my sophomore year in high school, and any bit of athleticism in me probably no longer exists.

Although I never was the star of the team, I was good, especially at softball. Thinking back to what ruined it for me, I can remember one recurring incident to blame.

“Griffith! Stop laughing and act like you just lost!” Coach Carter would yell at me as I sat in the back of the bus, trying to entertain myself on the ride home from yet another loss.

I couldn’t help it; I had fun regardless of whether or not we won.

I realized high school sports were too competitive, and they weren’t for me. Even though the coach asked me to try out sophomore year, I gave up. I haven’t played organized softball since, and I miss it.

I miss getting psyched for a game, warming up with friends, running the bases and swinging the bat. The metallic “crack” of an Easton bat hitting a ball to this day sends chills down my spine.

However, I don’t miss getting yelled at or avoiding one of my best friends for hours to let her cool off after a game. She was one extreme, and I was the other.

I found a solution to my problem: intramurals.

Where else can a student join an Ultimate Frisbee team, play Bags competitively or play softball without having to worry about possessing overwhelming athletic ability?

The games last four weeks, teams play an average of five games and everything is paid for by student fees, said Kevin Linker, director of intramural sports.

Time restraints stopped me from signing up this year, and when I found out the deadline to enter a team late is this week, I haven’t found enough people to play. But that’s not going to stop me from signing up next year and checking out a game or two this spring.

I have a goal this year – to attend as many Panther baseball and softball games as I can, because I admire competition between college teams. But there’s nothing like an intramural game of softball. I’ve been to one so far.

Sure, some hardcore players get competitive and try to win all the time. Other players may not be the most athletic, and some just don’t care. Many sports fans don’t want to hear it, but sometimes it’s more entertaining to watch people who just want to have fun.

That doesn’t mean it’s more fun watching people lose while I make fun of them. Like I said, if I were out there, I wouldn’t be an MVP either.

It’s good to see friends come back from a game and make a joke about how it went, or admit they had fun no matter the outcome.

Intramural sports offer the best of both worlds. They remind people that a sport is a game, and although competition can be a rush, the basis of every game is fun.

Those who enjoy the competition can choose their favorite team and follow that team’s stats and scores on Eastern’s campus recreation Web site, which is updated daily by Linker. Schedules are also on the site, and everyone should head out to the fields and check one out.

The cheering section may not be much to look at, but the trip down memory lane – when sports were just for fun – is worth the trouble.