70% of kids will stop playing organized sports by the age of 13. (AAP Clinical Report) However, intramural sports can provide a solution to a problem not widely looked upon. 

Intramural sports are prominent in college, and some high schools, especially larger ones, so the question to ask is why not North Penn? The obvious answer is facility space, however with recent sport tournaments such as basketball, badminton, pickle ball, and the well-received volleyball tournament, it is clear that given the space, students come out, and have fun. 

By adding intramural sports, students get the opportunity to use their athletic skills and develop them in a less competitive environment. The implementation of high school intramural sports adds additional extracurricular to students in non-school teams to be able to play. 

“Being able to play club and intramural tennis at University of Maryland helps me keep in touch with the sport that I’ve played as a kid, without having to compete at the national level.” former North Penn student, Hans Perera exclaimed. 

But aside from the opportunity for students to continue playing a sport, intramural sports also help school spirit and activate the student body. In the last volleyball tournament, over 150 students came out to play, watch, and support their peers. The result was a North Penn event that felt like pre-covid events, full of students, music, and and all around fun time. 

“Participating in the volleyball tournament was an exhilarating experience! It showcased the incredible talent and teamwork within our school. Events like these not only promote school spirit but also foster a sense of community and pride among the student body. It’s inspiring to see how sports can bring us together and create lasting memories.” student David Costa said. 

The same reaction was said from Mr. Frey’s perspective as a teacher who attended the event.

“While I as a Phys-ed teacher will say that the volleyball skill level isn’t very good, it occurs to me that students enjoy coming together! I told Ms. Young that this feels like what it used to feel like.” Activities Director Mr. Frey exclaimed. “There’s a resurgence of students wanting to come together more than before Covid — but it’s hard to get together and it is important for us to help manufacture them so they can have them.”

But intramural sports aren’t entirely about playing a sport. An important aspect of intramural sports is socialization, and being able to find facilities and medians to play. The share of high school seniors who gathered with friends in person “almost every day” dropped from 44 percent in 2010 to 32 percent in 2022, according to Monitoring the Future, a national survey of adolescents. 

“The sport aspect of intramural is secondary, the first aspect is socialization. The older you get the harder it is to play [a sport for fun.]” Mr. Frey said.

Events like this garner more support than the typical restaurant fundraiser. It is important to support clubs like Pickleball, Badminton, and SGA as they continue to make these strides in intramural sports at North Penn; but with proper support from administration and students, the school can implement this well needed program to help activate the student body. 

“It is a really cool opportunity to bridge the gap in school spirit participation because it introduces activities that not only unite clubs, but brings together diverse groups of people under the common sport that is competition. Intramural sports offer a break for the daily grind at the end of the day, so they are ultimately are beneficial for student mental health and wellness.” SGA Officer, Tarun Iyenger states. 

Support North Penn’s next intramural/club sport events!

• Pickleball Tournament (@nppickleballclub on Instagram) May 29th at 6:00 PM
• Volleyball Tournament (@npsga on Instagram) May 30th at 6:00 PM