Intramurals Get Intense

At most schools, intramural sports (IMs) mean friendly games of Ultimate Frisbee or softball. But this is Harvard—even the most peaceable of activities has to have a competitive streak. Hey, we didn’t get here by relaxing.

During the weeks following spring break, House crew teams take to the water at ungodly hours to practice for the intramural competition.

“We take the boat out four times a day...at around 6, 7, 8 or 9 a.m. typically,” says Eliot House Master Lino Pertile, who often grabs an oar and fills in when a rower is out.

“All the rowers are enthusiastic and they love it,” says Pertile. “My only complaint is that we can’t do it in the fall.”

The competition is divided into classes based on experience and skill.

“Our goal is to be competitive,” says Antonio C. Baclig ’09, a Leverett IM rower. “Our first [goal] was to just get out on the water and learn to row the boats. Now that that’s happening, we’re trying to get faster and faster.”

While Leverett is speeding up, Eliot is suiting up. “We will eventually have our own jerseys,” Pertile says.

Harvard boasts some of the world’s finest collegiate crew teams, but there is no lack of skill in the non-varsity undergraduates. “We have about half experienced and half almost no experience,” says Baclig.

Luckily, amateur oar-benders don’t have to worry about any hard-core recruits blowing them out of the water. Per IM rules, “anyone who is a JV or Varsity team member for a sport in this school year is not eligible to play IMs.”

“They’re enjoying it and that is the main purpose of the exercise,” says Pertile.

But it doesn’t hurt not to suck—or sink.