The Justice

Tate Sherman '08 (23), who played for the men's basketball team as a first-year, competes in intramurals. Justice File Photo

Zach Cohen '09 barks directions to wrongly positioned teammates on the soccer field and swears at himself when he makes mistakes. He approaches every play like his intramural team's playoff hopes are on the line.

In this game, however, his team is up by five goals and is assured a spot in the playoffs, just like every other squad in the league. But while the final score really isn't that important, that doesn't stop him from playing with intense emotion.

"Competition is what gets me up to play," Cohen said. "Soccer is my life and I stick to my own personal standard no matter where I play.

Like a handful of other students, Cohen is a former varsity athlete who has found a home in Brandeis' intramural sports program. Several other former varsity soccer players, including Josh Hochman '09, Kayne Ryan '09, Quincy Auger '10 and Julie Vavoules '10, won an intramural championship this fall, and there were others who competed on different teams. In basketball, former men's varsity players Rocco Toppi '08 and Tate Sherman '08 carried Duvey's Dozen to the men's division championship.

Though most of these players have mixed feelings about playing intramurals instead of varsity sports, they all say it's a viable alternative, even if athletics has become less of an emphasis in their lives.

"As a competitive athlete, my athletic life is a little dead," Sherman says. "I do miss the competition at times, but you can play basketball wherever you go. You miss the competition, but not all the strings attached."

For those like Cohen, whose soccer résumé reads more like that of a varsity standout, intramurals are a mixed bag. Prior to attending Brandeis, Cohen was selected to Florida's All-State team as a senior in high school.

After sitting out the first half of his rookie season at Brandeis with a hand injury, he returned to start nearly every game for the Judges as a defender, but was still cut from the team before his sophomore year.

To satisfy his competitive urge, Cohen joined an intramural team with his friends, including Hochman, and the squad has won the past two IM soccer championships. Despite that success, he still misses the varsity-level competition and commitment.

Continued...

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