Intramural sports are an excellent addition to the culture at BCIT, enriching the student experience and enlivening the campus environment.
John, one of my friends, plays intramural volleyball here. With spiking as his favourite aspect of playing volleyball, he is in his second year of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology diploma program, studying Automation & Instrumentation.
John’s team—BCIT Student Life—consists of close to a dozen members and, being the tallest, he is their middle blocker.
To learn more about intramural sports, I dropped by to watch the team’s matches in action. I had an amazing experience—there was a competitive yet inviting energy that radiated from the players, stemming from their collective love and enthusiasm for the game.
I did a short Q&A with John and the captain of BCIT Student Life, Analyn. Having played volleyball since elementary school, she sees her leadership role as part of a natural progression. She’s in her second year of studying towards the Architectural and Building Technology diploma.
5 questions with John and Analyn
1. What’s the best part of being on the BCIT Student Life team?
John: It’s a great way to make friends outside of your program. Having the opportunity to socialize with a group of people that share the same interests in [extracurriculars] is great. Because [of], you know, how we all share the same classes in school, right? It’s fun but gets pretty tiring.
2. How did you choose your team name?
Analyn: Well, our full team name is BCIT Student Life and Smash Hitters. Our team consists of mainly Student Life Ambassadors […] so we wanted to come up with a name that represents us. There are seven Student Life Ambassadors at BCIT and five of them are on the team! Originally [there were only] five of us, then [some of our friends and other students] joined and we wanted to spice up the team name.
3. Why do you play volleyball?
John: It helps me unwind and get away from the grind we are in at BCIT […] since BCIT gets overwhelming and it’s easy for school to consume your life.
4. What do you do as captain?
Analyn: I have to communicate with all the team members [and] the Recreation Services Intramural Coordinator, Justin. [I also] attend captain meetings and communicate with the other captains.
5. Is it hard to manage being team captain with the heavy course load at BCIT?
Analyn: It’s not too bad being team captain. [I] just mainly come to the Monday evenings for the games and attend the rare team captain meeting. They are super chill about it, which is great.
Looking to get involved?
Starting out in intramurals can feel daunting, but as Analyn says, “it’s super easy to join and play. We are constantly adding team members to our team!”
“Just go to the BCIT Recreation services desk in SE16 and request to join intramurals,” says John. “There is a small fee to sign up. After you pay, you can join one of over a dozen teams that exist at BCIT for intramural volleyball. There are also other intramural teams [for sports] such as badminton, basketball, and floor hockey.”
The members of BCIT Student Life had equally split that fee, which meant that everyone only had to pay around $5 since they had more members.
Games are held every Monday evening, usually running from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Playing for the full two hours every week is not mandatory—it is essentially drop-in. Teams are ranked on a leaderboard and, for fairness, matches are arranged based on the skill levels of all team members collectively. The top six teams qualify for a tournament.
Don’t be afraid to join. Whether you have never touched a volleyball in your life, are looking to just play casually, or are excited for a competitive game, there is a team and spot for you at BCIT intramurals. Sign up at the BCIT Recreation services desk in SE16 today!
