Not every Penn State student has the chance to run out of the tunnel at Beaver Stadium or take the floor in the Bryce Jordan Center.

For many students not blessed with incredible athletic ability, intramural sports offer an alternative. IM sports give all students an opportunity to participate in athletic competition during their time at Penn State.

John Rosick, an IM sports supervisor, said that IM sports are one of the most popular activities on campus.

"We've got about 30 different sports throughout the school year. During a normal school year, we get about 21,000 students involved, so that's about half of the total student body participating in the program."

IM sports are offered during both semesters and the summer sessions. Of course, popular sports like basketball, soccer, softball and flag football are offered, but there are also many other activities available to students.

Sports such as racquetball and squash are options, as are 5K road races and indoor track meets. For football fans who excel in many areas of the sport, there is a punt, pass and kick competition also.

It is safe to say that the IM program has options for all types of students.

Rosick said flag football is the most popular IM sport available. Each year, about 350 different teams sign up for the competition.

Team sports fall into three main divisions: fraternity, residence hall and open divisions.

Open divisions entail either men's, women's, or coed teams. Many sports like tennis, softball, racquetball, and flag football are coed.

Rosick said residence hall teams are a great idea for incoming freshmen.

"Our residence hall teams are a great way for new students to get to know one another and get involved with something early in their collegiate career," he said.

There is a minimal fee for participating in the IM program. For individual events like singles tennis, wrestling and the 5K road race, among others, there is a small $3 to $5 fee. Team events such as basketball, volleyball and softball cost more, at about $30 per team.

General eligibility rules for participating in IM sports are very simple. All participants must be either full-time undergraduate students, registered graduate students, faculty or staff at Penn State.

Shawn Rogers (freshman-business), who participated in IM basketball during the summer 2003 season, said he enjoyed his time on the team.

"It was a really good experience," he said. "All the games were really intense, and it felt great to get out there and compete with my friends."

Rogers also said he agrees with Rosick, saying that IM sports are a great way for incoming freshman to get to know each other.

"I met a lot of new kids when I was playing. You don't just play against each other, but you get to know a lot of people too, which is great for new students."

The IM program will begin taking registrations for selected sports during the first week of fall classes.

Asked if he would recommend the IM program to incoming freshman, Rogers said, "Oh yeah, definitely."