Intramural sports offer a place for students to relieve stress and build community amid the pressure of assignments, exams and busy schedules.
Intramural sports allow students to participate in organized recreational sports leagues at the Campus Recreation Center. Intramurals at TXST include soccer, basketball, pickleball, flag football and indoor volleyball. With flexible schedules, multiple leagues available for each sport and a low barrier for entry, intramural sports offer something for every student at any skill level.
While intramural sports provide a break from the stress and chaos of college life, experts in the psychological field say the benefits of participation go beyond simple recreation, playing a key role in supporting student mental health.
Robert McKelvain, a sport psychology professor at TXST and psychologist for multiple U.S. men’s national soccer teams, said intramural sports support student mental health through three key components: physical activity, social connection and individual development. According to McKelvain, all three components can help students release stress, especially during the busy times of the semester.
“Stress is energy. If you have a lot of it and nothing to do with it, it will hurt you,” McKelvain said.
McKelvain said group physical activity, like intramural sports, provides students with a structured outlet to channel that energy, helping reduce anxiety while promoting physical health.
“Teams require routine, schedule and a level of responsibility,” McKelvain said. “That overflows into other aspects of a person’s life.”
Together, these factors combine to help students of all skill levels reach what psychologists call “flow,” which is a mental zone where challenge and ability align, allowing students to feel engaged and confident.
McKelvain said that for students whose lives often revolve around academics, these moments of success and engagement outside of the classroom help provide an important balance to students.
This balance is something students like junior construction management major Brendan McAdams have experienced firsthand through intramural sports.
“Weeks can get a little rough sometimes since assignments are usually due then,” McAdams said. “Intramurals help get your mind off that.”
McAdams has played in intramurals since his freshman year and said it has not only led him to new friends but also strengthened existing friendships.
“All the friendships that were just basic, they’re now deep,” McAdams said. “When you’re playing, you’re gonna have to have chemistry, and when you do that, you’re building a bond.”
That sense of community is one reason Julie Saldiva, associate director of Campus Recreation, said more students this semester are joining intramural sports. Saldiva also said participation in intramural sports has more than doubled in the past year, growing from 100 teams last school year to over 235 teams for the spring semester.
Saldiva said this growth is likely attributed to the low barrier to entry, with students paying a $20 fee each semester for access to every intramural sport offered. The program also offers a free agent program, which connects new students with teams based on their skill level, allowing those who don’t know anyone in intramurals to join and make connections.
With the number of teams more than doubling from last year, intramurals have become a gateway into the Texas State community for freshmen trying to find their place on campus.
Exercise sports science freshman Ocean Jennison and management sophomore Anders Jansson-Zettl said playing intramural soccer helped them meet new people in their first semester on campus, expanding their social circle beyond the few people they had met in their classes.
They also said the fun and casual nature of intramural sports helped take their minds off the pressure of school and everyday life.
“It’s all pretty casual,” Jennison said. “Most of it’s just for fun. To come play some sports, take your mind off schoolwork, family trouble, whatever it might be.”
After their first semester playing, the duo has signed up for nearly every sport offered, as they continue to expand their circle.
For students like McAdams, Jennison and Jansson-Zettl, intramural sports are more than just a game; they are an opportunity to build friendships, relieve stress and have fun during the demanding school year.
