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Intramural sports are one of the most popular college activities, especially for first-year students.<\/span><\/p>\nAlmost every college in the country offers intramurals, to encourage a community across all majors and grades. URI is no different, providing 22 intramural sports programs every year. <\/span><\/p>\n Over the years intramural sports participation has stayed a constant for students, averaging 2300 participants since the 2014-2015 academic year. <\/span><\/p>\n First-year students make up almost 40 percent of intramural sports participants. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is commonly the biggest number of students as they live on campus and are looking for things to do to fill their evenings\/free time when they are newer to college life,\u201d said Coordinator of Intramural Sports Sean Butler.<\/span><\/p>\n For first-year students like Drew Adames intramurals give him the option to continue what he loves to do. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAll throughout high school I played sports year-round and I always wanted to play in college, but when it got closer to actually looking at schools I realized I was not in the physical shape nor able to give up the time that it takes to be a division 1 athlete,\u201d said Adames. \u201cSo intramurals were the next best option because you only have to commit twice a week usually late at night and you are there with your friends just having fun.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Adames, a freshman in Hillside hall, banded together with his floormates to form a flag football team in the fall and basketball team this winter. <\/span><\/p>\n Their team the Hillside Caps despite their overall record, refer to themselves as the \u201cgreatest intramural team to ever come through URI.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Together they were able to form a closer bond on and off the field. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the most fun I\u2019ve ever had, playing with my friends that I lived with, it brought me really so much closer to them,” said first-year student Reid Jackson. Jackson was another member of the Hillside Caps. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor many other teams they all come to play and then go back home,\u201d said Adames. \u201cBut for us we all come to play when we all go back home together, laughing about all the dumb things we just did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The team will continue playing together next year despite living in different dorms. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNext year Hillside Caps will no longer be together all the time, so playing together will be a good way to bring us all back together once or twice a week. In the end, we\u2019re not competing for the trophy we just honestly and truly want to have fun,\u201d said Adames.<\/span><\/p>\n
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The flag football team the Hillside Caps with their fans after a game. | Contributed Photo<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n