Those who don’t play, cheer. Those who aren’t content cheering, play intramurals.

Flag football is one of 12 intramural sports offered to Creighton students throughout

the year.

Flag football is the most popular of the sports offered in the fall, and second most popular in the entire year, said Bob Denney, associate director for the Campus

Recreation Office.

The only sport more popular is basketball. Soccer and volleyball are behind flag football in the third and fourth spots, respectively.

Many people start playing flag football for the same reason: their freshman floor formed a team.

Intramural sports are a way to meet people and become involved in campus activities.

Many freshmen are taking advantage of those opportunities.

“It’s definitely been fun getting to know people from other sides of the hall,” Arts & Sciences freshman Emma Nelson said.

Arts & Sciences junior Dave Malloy started playing after joining the team organized by his residence adviser during his

freshman year.

“I ended up doing pretty well, so I decided to stick with it,” he said. “I’ve always been into sports, so it seemed right.”

He is currently on an all-men’s team, and has played on a team every year atCreighton.

For others, like second year Pharmacy student Candace Killmer, who is playing flag football for the first time, the sport is used as a way to relax.

Flag football is “a good release from pharmacy school,” Killmer said.

Flag football is a big draw for lifetime athletes like Malloy.

Malloy grew up playing soccer and played club for years but chose not to play in college. Instead, he plays intramurals and plays

them well.

During his last game, he had four touchdown passes and three interceptions, including a 55 yard return, carrying it all the way to the other team’s five-yard-line.

“I play out of a love for the game and a love for competition,” he said. “If you put the ball in my hands, I will put it where it ought to be, either through the air or on the ground.”

Intramurals aren’t only for athletes. While flag football does attract lifetime athletes like Malloy, it also draws people who have never played a sport before.

Arts & Sciences freshman Katie Konecky joined her floor’s team to meet people.

“I’ve never played sports before, ever,” she said. “I did dance and gymnastics. I am not a football player, but I decided that my floor’s doing it so it would be fun.”

Each team differs not only in athletic ability, but also in commitment to the game. Malloy’s team has yet to have a practice, he said.

On the other hand, Katie Konecky and the women of third-floor Gallagher have made time to practice and are planning to continue with practices.

“I think we’re gonna try to actually make plays,” Konecky said. “Our first game we kind of learned the rules as we went, so we’re gonna keep getting more intense as we go.”

The women of Gallagher four intend to practice, and they show up early intending to practice before the game but haven’t so far, Arts & Sciences freshman Jessica Havens said.

“We come early, but not early enough to get stuff done,” Havens said.

Flag football also is a way to make new friends as well as maintain friendships, regardless of a person’s year.

The team that Malloy plays on this year is a combination of people from his team from last year and people from other teams they played last year.

The women of fourth-floor Gallagher are thinking about having the same team next year, Nelson said.

“We don’t know if we’ll all be living together,” she said, “but it would be cool to have the same team again next year.”

The next round of sign-ups for intramural sports is Tuesday, Oct. 7, for volleyball, pre-season basketball and dodgeball.