Indoor Soccer league is Alternative to Playing Soccer Competitively

Salem State University offers many sports that give students an opportunity to try out and become a team member. However, some students just don't have enough time to give sports the full dedication that it demands. Therefore SSU offers pick-up games for most sports that are mainly started and run by students.

Salem's International Student Association program offers a less competitive, but fun alternative to playing soccer competitively. Like volleyball, hockey, Frisbee, cheerleading, flag football, dodge ball and basketball, the International Indoor Soccer League is another one of the intramural teams offered at the school. Some intramural teams require students to fill out the "Intramural Interest Form" on the Salem State website, but these soccer teams allow any student to just join in.

The co-ed program usually starts every fall semester during the first week of October. Some intramural sports hold practices as well as games; the women's soccer team in particular only manages games.

The program was created by Anngunn Kjosnes, who is in charge of the women's team, and Ashraf M. Fadili, who is in charge of the men's team.

Teams are scheduled to play every Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. in the South Campus gymnasium.

Students join for a variety of different reasons. Some are because they want to use their skills, work on their abilities or just to have a fun time.

Each team can be made up of eight or more players, but there has to be at least five players present to start the game. If players from the other team are limited in the number of participants, then that team forfeits the game. If the women's team is short, they'll borrow a few of the men to play with them so a team won't forfeit.

Both teams on the women's league compete with each other in a seven game battle. Team members Izabela Kaczynska and Anngunn Kjosnes made the decision to base the winning team on who has the most wins instead of the team with the most points.

"If we had more teams, it would be easier to use points," said Kjosnes.

The team with the most wins will go to the championship. If the women's team was able to gain more players, they'd be able to have four teams as opposed to just two, and be able to have a tournament.