Intramural & club sports: A little friendly competition

There’s no better way to burn off stress than exercise. And what could be better than exercising with 15 or so of your closest friends?

CU’s got you covered with intramural and club sports on campus. Don’t want to play? You can also live vicariously through the Buffs’ many talented varsity athletes or cheer them on with the student section, aka the C-Unit.

Intramurals

Intramural sports are the most casual way to play organized sports at CU. Teams in the intramurals program play other CU teams — it’s only CU students versus CU students. You can play all the classics, like three-on-three basketball, ice hockey, football and soccer through CU’s intramural sports programs.

Fall registration generally takes place in late August, and winter sport registration usually happens during the third week of January. Spring sport registration takes place the first week of March. You can even play during the summer if you plan to stick around campus.

New this fall, instead of each team charging a fee, a $16.50 sports pass gives you access to all the teams and tournaments.

Visit colorado.edu/recreation/intramural-sports for official registration dates, more information or to join a team.

If you’re a player or two short, the intramural office has created a nifty CU Intramural Free Agent Facebook group ( facebook.com/groups/48881459083) to help fill out your roster. You can even come up with a clever team name, like “Ball So Hard University” (basketball) and “Sweepin’ it Classy” (broomball) to shout from the huddle when you win.

Club sports

Club sports requires slightly more commitment than intramurals. These teams employ part-time coaches and schedule practices that members are encouraged to attend. Club sports teams compete against other schools across the country, too.

There are more than 30 club sports to choose from, including baseball, cycling, equestrian, fencing, lacrosse, swimming and more.

CU is well known for competitive club programs — the triathlon club team has won more than a dozen national titles, and CU club swim team is not far behind with at least nine national titles.

You get the idea. Buffs are athletic.

For more information about club sports, visit colorado.edu/recreation/club-sports.

Cheering section

Your odds of playing for the Buffs are pretty slim, but you can help out by cheering them on.

Though the football team didn’t have the best season last year (they won four of their 13 games), the games are a blast and a great way to get know your fellow Buffs. So are the basketball games, which make the Coors Events Center hoppin’.

You can help by hanging out with the C-Unit, CU’s loud and vivacious student section, which shows up to most sporting events on campus.

CU’s move to the Pac-12 Conference in 2011 and the past success of the men’s basketball team have given the student section new life in recent years. Former Buffs’ basketball star Spencer Dinwiddie (who now plays for the Chicago Bulls) has even referenced the deafening roar and atmosphere created by the C-Unit when talking about factors that led to Buffs wins.

Here’s how to join your fellow Buffs in the C-Unit:

Step one: Obtain black and gold paint, apply liberally to body.

Step two: Cover any other body parts with Buffs apparel.

Step three: Locate other similarly dressed people in the crowd.

Step four: Stand next to them, cheer loudly, jump up and down and hold up a photo of a giant, floating head of a player (or men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle) above your head.

Now you’re Buffing awesome.

Amy Bounds: twitter.com/boundsa