Intramural Madness

Houses vie for coveted Straus Cup while freshmen fight for Yard Bucket

By Alec Solomita

Special to the Gazette

In the spring when a young Harvard student's fancy turns to thoughts of intercollegiate rivalry, the result is a condition called famously "March Madness." But there is another, lesser-known seasonal malady that grips the student body as well. Perhaps it should be called "April Ardor" or "May Mania" or, maybe, "Straus Syndrome."

As the academic year winds down, intramural athletic competition heats up and the resident Houses busily tote up points to see who will win the coveted Straus Cup. Simultaneously, the freshman dorms are engaged in similar activities, each one hoping to end up with the prized Yard Bucket. The spring contests include volleyball, softball, street hockey, and the highlight of the season, the annual House crew competition.

House athletics at Harvard reflect, according to the director of the program John Wentzell, the school's inclusive philosophy -- "Athletics for All." And the figures Wentzell offered certainly seemed to bear him out. There are 31 sports leagues and special events comprising House athletics. Over 3,000 students engage during the year in more than 1,000 contests. More than half of Harvard undergraduates, says Wentzell, "play something." How does one plan a schedule of this size and complexity? "Before the start of the season," explains Wentzell, "I lock myself in a room for as long as it takes and put the schedules together."

As for organizing the teams, coordinating practices, and working out the officiating, Wentzell gets by with a lot of help from his friends, the House secretaries. Each of the 13 Houses is represented by one or more students who take the responsibility of overseeing their House's intramural activities and who meet weekly with Wentzell to work out schedules, plan for upcoming events, discuss rules and eligibility, and add up Straus points. These points are awarded based on wins and losses within each league (leagues are skill-related, gender-related, and, in the case of basketball, height-related). The House that ends up with the most points wins the Straus Cup.

A Term Paper with Punch

"It's a neat system," says Wentzell, "so I don't monkey with it. It's both workable and efficient." And it's durable. It was back in 1925 that a senior named Adolph Samborski had to come up with one final paper in order to graduate. The subject he chose to write about was his own design for a hypothetical Harvard intramural program.

William Geer, then head of physical education, saw the paper and was so impressed with Samborski's plan that he decided to implement it. In the following year, he hired the newly graduated author to run it. And Samborski was director of intramural athletics from 1927 until 1963.

"The key to the system is its dependence on students," remarks Wentzell. "I'm the hub and the athletic secretaries are the spokes. It's really a system run by students for students."

Rival Secretaries, Dueling Houses

According to Russel Perkins '97, one of the athletic secretaries of Leverett House, it can be a demanding, time-consuming job. "We do recruiting, getting players to sign up," he explains, "as well as organizing, helping with the scheduling, and, most importantly, getting kids out to the games -- putting up signs, calling people."

But Perkins isn't complaining. "It's what I like doing," he says. "I play everything. And when I'm not playing, I'm refereeing. It's a pretty big part of my life."

Perkins' zeal is shared by a lot of the players, particularly at this time of year, and especially in the Houses that have a shot at the cup. Last year's winner was Cabot House. It was the very first Straus cup for Cabot and only the second time that a Quad house achieved the honor. Senior Pogen MacNeilage, a Cabot House secretary, says, "We've really gotten into it the past two years. There's lots of enthusiasm here. We were really excited about winning last year. And we're in the lead now."

Somewhat less excited about last year's results is Perkins, who describes Cabot as "our nemesis," and points out that Leverett House has "done extremely well for quite a while, finishing first or second for the last eight years." What about this year? "We're having a great year, but Cabot's pretty tough to catch. For example, they finished up the winter season winning the basketball playoffs in three out of four leagues," says Perkins.

Playing To Win, Playing for Fun

Any team that averages .500 or better is eligible for the playoffs. While interest can be sporadic during the year, playoff time is sure to generate excitement -- and fans as well. Says Perkins, "For the basketball playoffs, they pull out the bleachers and light up the scoreboard. It can get pretty intense." As John Wentzell puts it, "Harvard kids don't like to lose."

But they do like to play. Wentzell goes on to say, "While it can get very competitive and emotional, it's mostly a lot of fun. Afterwards, everyone shakes hands."

Intramurals attracts all kinds. On the one hand, it "allows kids who played varsity in high school but don't have the time or, perhaps, the talent to play varsity here to, nevertheless, be involved in team sports," says Wentzell. But it also draws in all lovers of sports and even students who were never particularly interested in athletics before.

"Kids say to me things like, 'Playing House soccer was one of the most meaningful things I did at Harvard.' And one young woman told me, 'I was never an athlete, but the six weeks I spent pulling an oar on the Charles I'll remember all my life.' "

Some Houses take their intramurals more seriously than others. With the exception of House crew, whose members spend three to five mornings a week during April practicing for their big event, few teams hold organized practice sessions. Says Perkins, "Most teams don't practice. They just come out and play. It's entirely up to individual teams. But you can always tell the ones who do practice regularly. It definitely pays dividends."

"Freshman Fever," Club Sports, and Quality of Life

While House residents battle for the Straus Cup, freshmen confront each other in games of skills to see who will end up with the slightly less glamorously named Yard Bucket.

The intramural program for the freshman dorms is an ideal way for new students to get into the swing of Harvard life while getting to know their "entryway" mates and others. Like the House competitions, things are fairly easygoing most of the year, though emotions intensify as the playoffs approach.

In addition to intramural sports, the nonvarsity athletic program offers recreational classes to all students in a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. The program also sponsors "club sports" in table tennis, men's and women's rugby, Frisbee, and 20 or so other sports. The clubs often play teams from other schools. They are generally more tightly organized with scheduled practices at least once a week.

As associate director of athletics, Wentzell is presently involved in both intramural and varsity sports. "I have the best of both worlds," he says, adding, "I think the Ivy League schools have a real handle on what's important about college athletics, both varsity and intramural. Here, athletics serve primarily educational purposes rather than existing solely for their entertainment value. I believe absolutely in all the corny things that athletics are supposed to do: help you learn about yourself, teach you how to relate to others, and improve the quality of your life."