If group projects seemed like every college student’s nightmare, brothers Doug and Greg Myers found planning for intramural sports difficult as well.
So, in 2007, after graduating from college and grad school, they created IMLeagues, a website devised to “make intramural sports engaging for the participants.” According the Doug, ultimately the platform makes it easier to schedule practices, games and communicate amongst captains and members.
The site is now used in colleges across the country. In fall of 2014, IMLeagues introduced REC*IT, an app of IMLeagues students and campus recreation directors can download on their phones. “It began as an information tool for the first year,” explained Doug. “You could view schedules, standings, see who you were playing, results – all that good stuff. This past year, we released, REC*IT 2.0, which allows full functionality that’s tend through IMLeagues.”
He explained the name changed for the app because they are now trying to serve areas beyond intramurals, including group fitness classes and club sports. And by providing incentives year-round, such as a full year stipend, equipment bundles and cash incentives, it’s no wonder that over 1,000 colleges have downloaded the app.
While he does not take advantage of all of the promotions IMLeagues organizes, Ross Winter, the assistant director of intramural sports at Michigan State University, does promote IMLeagues at the beginning of each semester, when teams are forming. “For them, I think it’s beneficial to do it throughout the course of the year,” explained Winter. “For us, the way that our program runs, we focus more at the beginning of the semester because that’s when we get all of our big registrations.”
Michigan State University did win an equipment bundle for ranking No. 2 in the campaign that rewarded the top 10 schools that had the largest number of downloads. “We received two sided…basketball jerseys, which were awesome…We had a couple softball bats, we had a package of mini foam dodge balls, a couple Frisbees, a couple basketballs with the REC*IT logo on it, a couple footballs with the REC*IT logo on them. That stuff is really nice,” said Winter.
Regardless of when the programs run, Doug said they try to ensure their programs require no extra work from campus recreation directors, which Winter agreed. IMLeagues provides emails that can be copy and pasted, then sent to students, promotional posters and handouts. “REC*IT and IMLeagues have done a really good job about promoting their other giveaways that they have,” said Justin Ford, the assistant director for intramural sports at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
If participating in one of their incentives, Ford suggested using any listserv a university has, such as social media, so students are aware of the promotion. If there’s an opportunity to win a tuition stipend, students should know.
“I think it’s a great opportunity just to get students involved,” added Ford. “The giveaways are great, but the product that is being presented and offered to students and to recreational programs across the country – there’s definitely a benefit to our program, to other programs and to our students participants because they see the benefits of using IMLeagues and REC*IT.”
But Doug views all promotions as an opportunity to give back. “Really, the whole goal is make it fun for the students, but all about being competitive,” he said, explaining that they try to make the promotions driven by the competitive nature of intramural and club sports.
Next semester, Doug explained that REC*IT will give administrative opportunities to campus recreation directors, so they are able to customize the app themselves, which they are already able to do with IMLeagues, as well as offline options.
