At Brown, intramural sports leagues rally all summer

Open to all members of the Brown community during the summer, the leagues welcome participants of all experience levels. Some arrive with years of competitive experience. Others might be picking up a paddle or kicking a ball into the net for the very first time.

For Jachin Ejim, a rising junior who plays center back in the summer intramural soccer league, that's part of the draw.

"It's very open and welcoming," Ejim said. "There are different groups for different experience levels, and it's just a great way to meet people and try something new. And even if you don't like it, you don't have to commit to playing all year."

Ejim has been involved in campus recreation since his very first semester at Brown. He's played on and officiated games for intramural basketball and volleyball teams and is currently serving as a student supervisor for the leagues, under Franklin's guidance.

A neuroscience concentrator, Ejim said the summer soccer league provides a structured yet relaxed environment to stay fit - and engage in some healthy competition.

"There's still a competitive aspect and people can get riled up, which is really fun," Ejim said. "It's a way for me to blow off stress. It's the part of my week that I always look forward to."

The sentiment is shared by the 21 participants who comprise the pickleball league.

Fortune Iheanetu, a graduate student studying cybersecurity, is working on campus this summer. She was looking for something to do after her workday ended. An avid tennis player, she learned about the summer pickleball league and signed up.

"My favorite part is actually just learning new skills," Iheanetu said. "I thought it would be like tennis, but it's an entirely different game."

Still, the learning curve never felt intimidating.

"The last team we played was really good - we were running around and sweating like crazy, but they were playing so casually like it was nothing," she said. "But even then, it was a fun time because everyone was such a good sport. Everyone is pretty chill and very accepting."

The summer leagues are just one element of Brown's broader recreation programming. During the 2025-26 academic year, more than 95% of undergraduate students engaged in some type of athletics and recreation activity at Brown. But soccer and pickleball consistently rank among the University's most popular offerings, with more than 1,200 students participating in soccer across multiple formats and nearly 400 in pickleball, according to Franklin.

With the culminating competitions slated for late July, the leagues will soon crown their 2026 summer champions, but the opportunity to get involved will continue when Brown's full intramural schedule resumes in the fall.