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With three different league levels, basketball is one of the most popular intramural sports.

Let’s face it, incoming freshmen – unless you are in the special orientation session held for incoming varsity athletes, your glory days of athletic competition have ended.

The days of practicing relentlessly with high school teammates in order to strive for that state championship are long gone, and that dreaded “freshman fifteen” begins to make an unwanted appearance.

You are now confined to the sidelines, destined not to make headlines but to brag to friends about what some Bruin athlete did at a sporting event. Your athletic life as you know it has ended, right? Not necessarily.

UCLA boasts one of the most inclusive and competitive intramural programs in California. Run by the Recreation Center staff and students, the UCLA IM Office (also known as “the Clubhouse”) offers multiple sports each quarter, from flag football in the fall to softball and outdoor soccer in the spring.

“You have just got to love the IM sports on this campus,” third-year student Chris Hatfield said. “The facilities are nice, the sports are run professionally, and the games keep you in great shape.”

Most of the outdoor sports are played on the large grass field wedged between Drake Stadium and the Wooden Center, only about a three-wood from the dorms. The IM field hosts sports from soccer to softball and is also used by UCLA’s marching band.

As for indoor sports such as basketball and indoor soccer, the IM office runs games in the Wooden Center, the Student Activities Center or Pauley Pavilion.

“The best thing about the IM basketball season (other than the basketball) is being able to play games on the floor of Pauley,” said fourth-year Kyle Walberg. “It’s awesome to play on the same court that UCLA’s varsity program once dominated on.”

Each IM game is refereed by a student employee of the IM Office. The student referees, though far from perfect, provide a professional atmosphere that make IM games a big step up from a regular pick-up game.

Most sports offered by the IM office are offered in three different skill levels. The A league is intended for the fiercest of competitors. Most athletes in the A-level leagues have long, drawn-out stories about the time their team made it to the city finals or about how they could have played at a Division II school but came to UCLA for the education.

No matter how exaggerated these glory stories become, the fact remains most IM participants in the A leagues are the best athletes never to suit up for a UCLA varsity team.

“The A-League games can be pretty intense,” Walberg said. “A lot of guys really care about the outcomes, and it shows by how extreme the competition is.”

The B leagues are a significant step down from the competitiveness of the A leagues. These middle leagues are mostly filled by teams that list winning a title second on their list of priorities, right behind having a good time.

C-league games are considered far and away the most fun to compete in. Designed to attract those with little skill or experience in the sport, C league is the most low-key level.

“I hate it when guys that know what they’re doing play in C league,” second-year Cory Hendrickson said. “It’s like that cliché, ‘pick on some one your own size.’”

There are two distinct types of teams that sign up for C-league IM sports: teams that don’t know what they’re doing and drunken fraternity guys.

For those who do not impair their coordination and judgment enough to compete on a level playing field with beginners, it is recommended to sign up for B league. There is no IM sports taboo greater than signing up for a C league sport, taking it seriously, and not making a fool of yourself.

Participating in UCLA’s IM sports program is a great way to relive past athletic glories as well as create new memories with new friends. The Clubhouse runs each sport professionally and effectively, providing UCLA students with an excellent environment in which to compete.

IM sports at UCLA are a defining factor of campus life in Westwood. They extend the opportunity to excel at UCLA in more aspects of life than simply academics. They are an example of the quality of life incoming freshmen can look forward to enjoying at UCLA.