Teamwork and Talent Win Championships

Intramural titles highly coveted by student body

John FlynnTHE SANTA CLARAApril 9, 2015 [dropcap]C[/dropcap]ompetitive Broncos fantasize about winning an intramural championship the moment sign-up sheets are available. But, at Santa Clara, taking a title home is no easy task. With the season fast approaching, those illustrious t-shirts are on the minds of intramural athletes throughout campus.

“There are no upsets in intramurals,” said student referee Alex Arroyo. “There’s nothing to believe in if you aren’t good.”

Our campus is stuffed with worthy competitors, such as junior Juan Moreno. He stands 6-and-a-half feet tall. He has condor arms and an absurd vertical leap. He was born to spike and dunk.

As a high schooler, his basketball and volleyball teams were among the best in California.

“I was pretty good, but not the best,” he said. “I considered playing in college, but I never got the right interest from a school I would be happy to go to even if sports fell through.”

In the end, Moreno joined Santa Clara’s club volleyball team and uses intramurals to supplement his thirst for competition.

“It’s nice to get out there every once in a while,” said Moreno. “Keeps me busy, lets me see how my skills are doing.”

Moreno was being modest. He’s a two-time champion, winner of a volleyball title his freshman year and a co-ed basketball title in his sophomore season.

Moreno is the typical player on the teams Arroyo has seen win championships.

“Everyone has to be an athlete, and they all have to be pretty serious,” said Arroyo. “There’s no weak link; you can just tell. You know the real teams. You can see it immediately. Everything works. Everything is smoother.”

There are a handful of campus recreation sports to play this intramural season, including  3-on-3 basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and triples volleyball. With a roster of talented players, the title could be yours. Winning a championship, however, requires more than just getting a bunch of good players together on one team.

Moreno has played on teams full of potential that fell flat because of a lack of player cohesiveness. These teams had great individual players that all wanted to do the same job. In the end, there was no actual team.

Just like anything else, cooperation is key.

“Teamwork is easily the difference,” said Moreno. “On the best teams, no one has a set role, but they perform a specific function for the team. It’s machine oriented. Everyone is a cog. You want complementary pieces so even if your killer goes down, some other guys can step up. Great teams have a lot of talent, but a lot of chemistry, too.”

One would then think that talented teams packed with friends are the most successful. But that’s not always the case. It can be difficult telling your pal that they’re not the best player for the position.

Simply put by Moreno, “There’s a fine balance between having fun and trying to win.”

Contact John Flynn at jfflynn@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.