“Kind of a Joke Sport”

Northeastern has a collection of intramural sports that many would deem strange, unordinary, or just simply weird. Through conversations with students engaged in broomball, we were able to unpack what makes NU’s intramural sports a rewarding and appealing experience to students.

Written by Celena Budd.

Students at Northeastern University participate in endless so-called “Weird Intramural Sports.” From Bashball Softball to Wollyball, it’s easy to say that the campus community just about offers an activity for everyone. Broomball, specifically, is one of NU’s most popular intramural sports and has a great influence on the various teams who participate.

Broomball is an exhilarating recreational activity that is similar to ice hockey yet is played without skates. Each team consists of six players where the objective is to score into the opposing team’s goal with a modified broomstick. The game originated in Canada and has since become popular in the United States and other Northern countries. Players deeply rely on communication, teamwork, and strategy to advance the ball along the ice and stop their counterparts from scoring. Broomball typically consists of two or three periods and all players are required to wear helmets. The game is incredibly accessible to anyone who wishes to join as no ice skating ability is required. The dynamic intramural has built bonds within student culture for decades, where its quirkiness and chaotic nature contribute to a spectacle unlike any other.

Armaan Sarao, a first-year Media and Screen Studies & English major, started playing broomball earlier in the Spring 2023 semester.

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing,” said Sarao.

Sarao is a Sports Director in Northeastern’s video production club, NUTV, and decided to tackle this wacky new game. He’d never previously played broomball but was excited to give it a shot and become more involved in campus activities. Sarao enjoys the camaraderie that broomball brings and how nobody has a unique physical advantage.

“It’s dangerous for any person on the ice regardless of how experienced they are,” Sarao said.

Sararo describes broomball as, “kind of a joke sport,” that stands alone in not being a conventional activity but one that can only be found in a school deeply rooted in their passion for hockey. He truly values athletics and enjoys the silliness behind the sport. Sarao also notes that you don’t have to have any significant athletic ability to participate and can purely join to spend time with your peers, have a good laugh, and learn something new.

“It’s quite comical, honestly. It reminds me of those sports in cartoons where the characters swing, miss, slip, and fall. It’s very animated. There are naturally some embarrassing moments, but all that matters is that you have fun,” said Sarao.

Griffin Loranger, a second-year Computer Science & Psychology major, has been playing broomball for two years. He is a highly valued member of his intramural broomball team, where his background in hockey and other intramural sports contribute to his agility and skill. Before coming to Northeastern, Loranger was unfamiliar with broomball.

“I didn’t quite know what it was, but it sounded interesting,” said Loranger.

From the start, Loranger was open to the idea of playing a new intramural sport and was excited to have the opportunity to meet new people and get to know them better. He claims the sport can be semi-competitive and any person who participates will “fall at least once.”

Although a lot of people don’t know how to skate, that’s okay!

“Because each person is wearing shoes [not skates], everyone is on a level playing field,” Loranger said.

David Fatheree, a third-year Computer Engineering student & President of NUTV, is the captain of his intramural broomball team. He enjoys recruiting new players and started participating in broomball during the Fall of 2021.

“I knew that we had intramural teams and somebody said, ‘Hey, we’re going to do broomball.’ I was like, what is that? And they kind of explained it to me and I thought to myself that sounds so much fun, yeah, I’m totally going to do this, and I’ve done it ever since,” shared Fatheree.

Fatheree describes broomball as simply, “A time to have fun. It’s not too serious and you get to play with your friends. You know obviously we’re a film club. We don’t do competitive sports, but it gives us a chance to do something in a different context and bond as teammates.”

His favorite memory of playing intramural broomball was the team winning their first game. Fatheree is constantly on the hunt for new members to join the team and this moment was incredibly special for him.

“We go out there, we have fun playing a game, but to actually win one, you know, it just makes you feel good, even though obviously we’re not there competitively. But just to show that we really can stand on our own,” said Fatheree.

Naturally, while playing a sport on ice, mishaps are bound to happen. Fatheree opens up about one of his comical moments, highlighting the true nature of broomball.

“A couple games ago, I fell several times, which in and of itself was not humiliating, but twice my helmet went flying off my head and they had to stop the games because I didn’t have a helmet on me,” Fatheree said.

Fatheree, along with Sarao and Loranger, share that they, “Think what brings a lot of people to [broomball] is that it’s on the ice, which is something different from most sports out there. It doesn’t require you to know how to skate. It’s really kind of a silly sport.”

While students engage in a plethora of intramural sports such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse, or badminton, broomball offers its own unique set of rules and customs. Competitiveness can vary by team; however, most people are involved with broomball to purely have fun. Although the sport is definitely categorized as weird, its thrilling atmosphere and sense of community makes broomball attractive to students, where the game is deeply cherished by those who play.