In the fall of Virginia Barber’s (’26) freshman year, she and the first floor of Belk Hall etched their names in the Davidson Intramural (IM) Sports history books as flickerball champions. 

After earning the claim-to-fame of the “Intramural Champions” t-shirt, Barber unlocked a new opportunity that followed her until her senior year. From freshman flickerball leagues onward, IMs have enriched the Davidson experience for students like Barber. 

IMs are recreational sport leagues open to all students, with each league reaching as high as 100 student participants. 

For the past twelve years, Stephen Crespi, the Assistant Director of Physical Education & Campus Recreation, has managed IM sports at Davidson. Crespi–and his fleet of student referees–ensure a fun yet competitive IM experience for both participants and officials.

Davidson offers eight IM sports: flickerball, 5-on-5 flag football, 3-on-3 basketball, 5-on-5 small field soccer, 5-on-5 basketball, indoor volleyball, indoor soccer and softball.

For many students, IM participation begins freshman year when their dorm hall is encouraged to register as a team for flickerball, a game where ultimate frisbee meets 5-on-5-flag-football. 

“When it comes to marketing towards participants, we’re able to connect with first year students when they play flickerball,” Crespi said.

As students register for their first IM sport (the majority being flickerball registration), Crespi funnels them into a larger IM portal after registration (imleagues.com) which advertises all other offered sports, ensuring an ongoing engagement with IMs. 

These leagues, however, cannot run under Crespi’s supervision alone. Crespi receives help from numerous student referees. 

“Our goal is to build confidence among student officials, and then make a confident call first, then be able to have the rules set in the back of their mind,” Crespi said. 

For Will Stevens ’29, officiating low-stakes competition offers a valuable perspective on sportsmanship. 

“Depending on who you’re reffing, people take it more or less seriously, which is good for the sport […] it’s competitive, but everyone’s also friends at the end of the day,” Stevens said.

Outside of his role as a referee, Stevens participates in flickerball, 5-on-5 basketball, 3-on-3 basketball, and 5-on-5 soccer. His experience officiating gives him more patience as a player and develops presence of mind.  

“I’ve been trying to be cool tempered on our team towards the referees,” Stevens said, recognizing the tendency among some IM participants to challenge decisions.  

“It’s easy to get mad at 19-20 year olds for reffing poorly, but on the other side, you see that it’s actually legitimately hard,” Stevens said. 

In the common case of the aggressive IM participant, Crespi shared a powerful anecdote. A few years ago, a participant in flag football played as if the game were tackle football, tackling players down rather than yanking a flag from their waist. 

“I offered him an opportunity to just come work and see what it’s like [officiating]. And he embraced it and became one of our student leaders for two or three years,” Crespi said. 

For this anonymous participant, violating the flag football rules led to a new perspective—all under Crespi and the Campus Recreation team’s guidance.

Outside of the referee’s perspective though, IM sports serve as a useful medium for many; they can act as a forum for releasing one’s competitive spirit while also crafting fun moments with friends. 

Barber has bought into the intramural program throughout her four years at Davidson; she’s participated in 5-on-5 basketball, indoor volleyball, softball, and frisbee (no longer offered). Barber takes pride in her trophy case of IM feats, including having beaten many friends on other teams.

“I love the slightly competitive place that it gets, but it’s also like a great way to spend time with your friends,” Barber said.

The sense of community IM sports create extends beyond the players and referees. They create fun for the entire Davidson community. Some participants create Instagram accounts for their teams, invite friends to coach in a suit, and even develop a team logo. Barber, who has been sidelined with an injury, still attends most of her team’s IM games.

“I’m injured right now so I actually can’t play… but I’ve gone to pretty much every game and I wear a suit and act like I’m the coach, and that’s a lot of fun,” Barber said.

IMs provide an extracurricular opportunity for enjoyment—a time when you can put down school work and indulge in low-stakes recreation with friends. “It’s all super fun, being able to hang out with friends and meet new people,” Stevens said. “We’re always smiling and remembering it’s an intramural game, and even when it gets competitive I’ve never not enjoyed my time playing IM.”