Since Chatham University went all-gender in 2015, there has been a rise in attention put on Chatham Athletics. Intramural sports – which are recreational sports not under the NCAA umbrella – are a great way for college students to engage with peers, get active and to take a break from the daily stressors of class and schoolwork.   

However, there has been little involvement from students in recreational sports on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus. The intramural section on Chatham’s athletic website has not been updated since 2019, so here is a look into the world of intramural sports from the perspective of the student-run organization.  

Graduate student Anthony Aiello is Chatham’s intramurals coordinator. His goal for intramurals is to create an upbeat environment for students. 

“[I am] in charge of setting up and hosting events for students to take a mental break from school. Life of a college student can be very stressful, so we try to create outlets for students to come and have fun with their peers,” Aiello said.  

While this is his first year in the position, Aiello has been making strides to increase student engagement.   

“It has been difficult getting participation,” he said. “Intramurals weren’t big in the past, so it’s been hard to advertise and get the word out about [them].” 

Aiello has hosted a few different events in the past year that have had support from students. 

“So far we’ve done some soccer, ping pong and teqball, which is a mixture of soccer, ping pong and a golf simulator,” Aiello said.  

Unfortunately, not every event was successful. 

“We also tried to do a flag football tournament but because of some weather issues and not enough teams signing up, we didn’t get that one underway,” Aiello said.  

Aiello has high hopes for intramural events this spring. He, and other members, have started brainstorming upcoming games.  

“We’re looking to do more things like cornhole, disc golf and some basketball. We are always open to suggestions from the students,” Aiello said. “If we can hear what the students would like to do then we could cater our events to the feelings of the students.”

If you would like to offer suggestions for future intramural events, want to create a team or learn more information, reach out to Aiello via email at [email protected].  

Students who are interested in signing up or want to view upcoming intramural events can check out Chatham University’s Athletic & Fitness Center (AFC) Instagram page @chathamuafc or view the MyChatham “Happenings” Web page.