Whether for a laid-back game of coed B League soccer or for the full-court basketball championships, intramural sports figure prominently into the daily lives of many Brandeis students. Last Friday, justSports had the opportunity to sit down with the man behind it all, Associate Director of Athletics Tom Rand, to discuss intramural sports and Brandeis athletics overall.

JS: How would you characterize your experience running Brandeis intramural sports?

TR: It's been great. I really love my job, and I'm glad to give students the chance to participate in athletics as much as possible. In my eight years here, the intramural program has expanded from nine sports and 700 participants to 13 sports with close to 1300 members. Thanks to use of the turf and lights, we've really been able to expand our program.

JS: How has your prior experience prepared you for your current role in Brandeis athletics?

TR: I started out as an undergrad at the University of Vermont as a facilities supervisor while refereeing intramural games. Then I had an internship to run intramural sports at the University of Southern Maine, and from there, my path was set. After obtaining my Master's of Education at University of Southern Florida, and working briefly at Keene State, I'm now here at Brandeis as Associate Athletics Director. That experience has been extremely helpful throughout my years helping run the athletics program.

JS: How do you think the renovation of the pool and Linsey facility will impact Brandeis athletics?

TR: I have a feeling the pool is going to be very popular. We plan to have open swim times, fitness classes, and re-start new clubs such as kayaking and water polo that were once extremely active. This also means we can revive our swimming and diving program. The Linsey Building is also a great addition, given besides the pool, it can be of use for martial arts, squash, and other sports. Overall, it gives us new and exciting opportunities for our athletic program.

JS: Do you see any additional room for growth in intramural sports?

TR: Well, we're definitely excited to add intertube water polo, now that we have the pool back. This is also our first year offering badminton and table tennis, which is exciting. However, I think our main goal is to move beyond using the turf field. It is difficult to mainly only have use of one field for such a large array of sports, but if we could find other facilities in which to use, new sports such as lacrosse and floor hockey definitely become a possibility.