“If you ain’t first, you’re last.” These were the words of the great Reese Bobby in the hit comedy Talladega Nights, starring Will Ferrell.

Reese had it all wrong. You see, if you’re not first you could be second, or third or pretty much any other number for that matter. What I’m trying to say is, if you’re not the best at something, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go out there and do it.

Intramural sports are a great outlet for high school students who might not be good enough to get on the school team, but still want to get involved.

Personally, I was cut from the basketball team sophomore year. It wasn’t exactly a high point in my life, that’s for sure. I was given the cliche line, “Oh, work on your game and come back next year and you’ve got a shot.” Thanks, but no thanks.

Luckily for me, I was able to join my Greek basketball league, but not all kids have that luxury. I wanted to see what the alternative was at South, so I attended an intramural basketball open gym.

I walked into the West gym only to find every hoop taken by most kids just shooting around freely, with only one structured game of half-court 4-on-4. I turned around and walked right back out.

Sure it was disappointing, but the really sad part came later that day, when I was informed by a few GBN friends about how North runs their intramural basketball program. With the student involvement that they have, they were able to create numerous teams, and even go as far as splitting them into divisions and having weekly matchups.

I was shocked, to say the least, and for the first time in my life had to admit that North had something better than South. I found myself wishing for South to better structure its intramural basketball. North even has a well-attended championship game played in the main gym on a Friday night.

Don’t get me wrong; South offers many intramurals, ranging from fencing to Ultimate Frisbee, with sprinkles of bass-fishing and bowling in-between.

Dr. Jim Shellard, head of student activities, said that according to a survey he took two years ago, 72 percent of kids said they are not interested in intramural sports.

Strong statistic, don’t you think? Well, think again. That leaves 28 percent of our student body, upwards of 700 kids, ready to join and play any of these intramural sports.

To be honest, anything North can do we can do better. I commend them for their heavy involvement in the intramural sport of basketball, but that only strengthens my theory that we, the students of South, can pull off something bigger.

The bottom line is if kids at South really wanted to get it done, they have the means to do it: an athletic director willing to do his best to open up gym space, and a student activities director who says as long as there is a sponsor, he would allow it.

I can’t imagine why the leaders of South wouldn’t get the motion started tomorrow. The only possible doubt you could have would be that people wouldn’t join, right? Wrong. Take a look at Gym Jam. The sign up sheets are filled the moment they are put on the cafeteria walls. The demand is there. If you build it, they will come.

After FurtherReview…

The call on the field is REVERSED. The intramural program is not performing to its maximum potential.