Harvard’s athletic amenities are a good distance from the Quad, however this yr, that has not stopped Currier from exhibiting up. Holding the most intramural championship titles for the 2025-2026 educational yr to date, the Trees are third behind simply Winthrop and Eliot in the standings for the Straus Cup — a detailed race that shall be determined this spring season.
Harvard’s 12 homes compete for the Straus Cup all through the yr, accumulating factors by forming intramural sports activities groups made up of residents of every home. Points are earned by wins and losses throughout quite a lot of sports activities leagues and single-weekend tournaments. A win earns 20 factors, a loss 10, and a forfeit prices 15. From well-loved classics like volleyball and basketball to extra area of interest occasions like mountain climbing and broomball, intramurals entice a variety of contributors from throughout campus and convey collectively home communities in the spirit of wholesome competitors and the alternative to care about one thing that doesn’t have an effect on their GPAs.
For River homes, recruiting for intramurals is comparatively easy and sometimes spontaneous due to their proximity to amenities like Harvard Stadium and the Bright-Landry Hockey Center, the place many occasions are held. For Currierites, simply getting there’s half the battle. Senior Ricardo Marrero-Alattar, one among Currier’s IM Representatives, describes his assertive method to potential gamers as a key to recruitment.
“Just going up to random folks here that we’ve never met before and saying, ‘Hey, you look like you’ve played squash before,’” he mentioned. “I’ve had people come up to me now instead of me having to go to them.”
The home’s centralized structure, with the residential towers converging right into a single widespread hallway, makes the Currier eating corridor the excellent place to ensnare potential athletes.
Sometimes, it’s as straightforward as convincing somebody simply to offer it the outdated school attempt. This yr’s championship-winning squash workforce was constructed totally of individuals he didn’t know earlier than his upfront method. The threshold, Marrero-Alattar says, is sort of at all times the first recreation.
“The moment people get to their first game, they are five times, 10 times, 20 times more likely to come back once they discover how incredible it feels to be part of a team,” he mentioned. “The moment people try and begin, they never leave.”
For all the spreadsheets and methods that go into Currier’s intramural success, the cause why college students present as much as a broomball recreation at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday throughout midterm season just isn’t the factors. It’s about connecting with pals and neighbors, and assembly new ones. Senior Alex Stone began taking part in IMs as a sophomore after being recruited in the eating corridor. He has since performed almost each sport the program presents and was named one among the two 2025 Intramural Athletes of the Year by Harvard Recreation.
“Some of my best friends at Harvard I met through IMs,” Stone mentioned. “It’s really cool how it connects seniors, juniors, and sophomores. It’s all just friends and good vibes.”
Junior Jackson Herrera, who has performed soccer and volleyball intramurally since his freshman yr, describes the friendships they’ve given him as amongst the closest he’s made at Harvard.
Senior Natalie Weiner, who had by no means performed flag soccer earlier than becoming a member of the Currier championship-winning squad, says feeling like a valued member of the group is what stored her coming again.
“It’s always the highlight of my day,” Weiner mentioned. “We just get super, super hyped, and it’s also just such a great way to meet other people in the house.”
For Marrero-Alattar, who performed volleyball significantly in Puerto Rico earlier than a torn labrum ended his capability to compete at that stage, intramurals supplied him one thing he hadn’t anticipated to seek out once more.
“Being able to reinvest that energy into Currier IMs made me feel like I was finding a piece of my heart again,” the senior mentioned.
Although intramurals ignite competitors and home satisfaction, college students distinguish them from the higher-stakes competitions that outline a lot of life at Harvard and admire the freedom that comes with that.
“It’s okay to lose here if you’re losing with a team that you’re so excited to be a part of,” Marrero-Alattar mentioned. “People want to have a competitive outlet without consequences.”
Senior Shealeigh Crombie, who performs soccer and broomball, mentioned she arrived anticipating the atmosphere to really feel exclusionary and located the reverse.
“I was super intimidated at first because I assumed it would be a pretty male-dominated space,” she mentioned. “I feel like it’s a very community-based space. It’s an awesome way to feel like you’re part of something bigger and supporting your house.”
Sophomore Samson Axelrod, an IM co-rep who leads the final frisbee workforce, got here in having performed none of the sports activities he now competes in usually. In addition to choosing up some new alternatives to remain energetic, he has come away with a better appreciation for Currier’s sturdy neighborhood.
“The best part about being a Tree is that we actually have community in this house,” he mentioned. “If you want to play literally anything, we have a spot for you. Anybody that wants to step up and be a part of it, we love to have you there.”
Whether this expansive participation will translate to a Straus Cup this spring stays to be seen. There are 4 league factors and 5 tournaments up for grabs in the coming weeks, and the margin for error is slim. But for the Trees exhibiting as much as these video games, the cup appears secondary to what occurs alongside the means.
—Staff author Rani J. Amin might be reached at [email protected].