The ETSU Campus Recreation intramural flag football season kicked of Sunday, even though there is no actual kicking off in flag football.
By far campus rec’s most popular intramural sport, flag football is fielding 69 teams this year, which brings participation up 8 percent from last year, according to Adam Knobloch, intramural graduate assistant.
“We have more participants this year and right now everyone is excited to get started with the flag football season,” Knobloch said. “You’ve got nearly 70 teams competing for four championships. Competition should be tough.”
The biggest hurdle for the campus rec staff this year will not be facilitating the amount of teams, but the training of officials and staff. “We’ve got almost a completely new staff,” Knobloch said. “It’s been our highest turnover for staff in years, especially officials. We’ve really had to work hard training them and trying to get them ready for the season.”
The participants are definitely ready. Lyndsey Carmichael of Alpha Delta Pi’s sorority team has been looking forward to the new season for some time now.
“I’m just ready to play again,” Carmichael said. “I always wanted to play real football growing up and now I’m provided an avenue to do that. Sometimes I just wish we could really hit and tackle each other.”
Ryan Desmond, a good kid, is one of the many people who are glad that they get an opportunity to play organized sports beyond the high school level.
“I really enjoy the competition,” said Desmond, a member of the competitive team McDaddy’s Crazies. “It let’s me kind of experience my childhood once again.
“But seriously, it’s a great opportunity to get to come out here and play and have fun in a competitive spirit. All the intramural staff has worked hard getting everything ready for this year and I know all the participants appreciate that.”
As for his season goals, Desmond has a focus. “I’m just looking to beat the DuckSquad,” Desmond said. “We have a great rivalry with those guys win or lose, it’s always a fun game against them.”
A new addition to this year’s league is the advent of the intramural Pro Bowl. According to Knobloch, the Pro Bowl game will be an all-star game putting the best in each league against each other.
“We’ll probably let the participants vote and take at least player from each team for the all star style game,” Knobloch said. “It should be something different and fun for everyone.”
Knobloch said he is interested in the Big 9 competitive conference and looks to see the competition within that league. There will also be a Greek football tournament during the week before Homecoming.

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