Physical Education teacher Erin Lawley has taken the lead in starting an intramural sports program on campus. The first intramural sports lunch took place on October 20.

Erin Lawley encouraged all students to participate in the program. “[Intramural sports] are open to anyone and everyone,” she said.

Participants can participate in a variety of sports over the course of the year every Tuesday and Thursday during lunch in Ruby Scott Gym.

Basketball was the first sport played, frisbee began on November 9, and bubble soccer, a version of soccer where your entire body from the waist up is enclosed in a transparent inflatable sphere, will occur during Dead Week on December 8th.

“Intramural sports are a popular thing on college campuses nowadays,” head football coach and science teacher Jon Black said. “I think it’s great that kids at Tam are now being given that opportunity too.”

Former principal, Julie Synyard, applied for a grant from the Tam High Foundation to fund the program. When Synyard received the grant, she asked the PE department to run the program. Lawley happily agreed. “I jumped at the opportunity to be involved,” she said.

Lawley wants to give kids the opportunity for both a low-key environment and more intense competition. Despite only a few dozen participants thus far, Lawley is optimistic that more students will attend. “[The program] gives kids an opportunity to still run around and be active and hang out with their friends,” she said.

“It has been a fun way to interact with members of the Tam community you might not necessarily know,” said senior Chris Begler, who has attended an intramural sports lunch.

After seeing such a successful start, Lawley is hoping the program grows strong enough to continue throughout the spring. “We have been given permission to rent out all the equipment for the spring if the intramural sports are a hit,” she said.