Intramural Broomball heats up, despite winter weather

Have you ever wanted to play hockey, but found yourself missing skates, a stick, or a puck?

Canadian street car workers found themselves in this predicament in the early 20th century. They came up with a brilliant solution that stuck like maple syrup in Canadian and Midwestern culture—Broomball.

The intramural broomball season begins this week at the University, with nearly 30 teams competing for the coveted title of intramural champions.

The original game of broomball was played with “a small soccer ball and corn brooms,” according to USA Broomball. But now people use what is basically a lacrosse stick with a rubber stop on the end, tennis shoes or specialized broomball shoes, and a small ball that weighs about a pound. There are six players on each side: three offensive players, two defensive, and one goalie.

The University of Colorado Intramural Sports rules differ slightly from the official USA Broomball rules, but that doesn’t mean people take it any less seriously.

"It gets really competitive out there," says Colorado junior Cody Glickman. "There are a lot of people going down, a lot of chaos, it's a lot of fun."

Colorado broomball is co-ed, meaning teams are required to have at least two female players. Those female players have an advantage, because their goals are worth two points.

Some dislike the rule, "The two point rule really makes me angry," CU sophomore Annie Carr says. "I feel like I'm just as able to score as the boys. I don't really need an assistant to do it."

The first session of broomball has already started, but you can still join a team at http://www.colorado.edu/recreation/intramuralsports/joinTeam.html.