By Stephanie McAlpine, NIRSA Championship Series Committee Chair
With the NFL’s recent image crisis, I have been reminded of why I wanted to work within nonprofit sports in the first place. While a Sports Management student at UT Austin, I worked part time as an intramural and club sports supervisor, interned with the University Interscholastic League—the Texas high school sports governing body—and finished my undergraduate degree with a United States Olympic Committee internship in Colorado. Each of these experiences helped shape my view on sports, society, and competition. Now, as a campus recreation practitioner, I can truly say that intramural and club athletes exemplify the true spirit of sports.
The NIRSA Championship Series behaves similarly.
While the series crowns national champions in four sports, our athletes do not receive scholarships, they do not travel to games via luxurious buses, and they do not get suited up in extravagant locker rooms.
Our athletes continue to play for the love of the game.
Their hard work and collaborations, both on and off the field, foster the growth of productive citizens.
My experience with professional and NCAA athletes is minimal, yet many of the images painted by the media make me believe both are fueled by a desire for entertainment rather than competition. Many professional and NCAA athletes have achieved “Sports God” status that extends off the field. The media coverage focuses on poor behavior and extravagant paychecks rather than the values which define sports—values that include teamwork and competition.
Sports in our recreational programs work differently. Flag football participants do not bring in millions of dollars in television contracts or ticket sales. Instead, they collaborate with Special Olympics and have a lasting impact on children with special needs. And hundreds of our soccer participants plan months in advance to register for the live lottery all so their team can have a chance to play in the NIRSA National Soccer Championships.
As NIRSA members, we need to be fans of our intramural and club athletes who play for the love of the game. I am confident that our student athletes will continue to represent sports with tremendous passion, and create headlines NIRSA members will be proud to send viral.
