Closing out the intramurals season

Photo by Hiroki Konno

Each semester, BYU–Hawaii’s Seasider Sports offers students the opportunity to participate in intramural volleyball, soccer, flag football and basketball. The Fall 2025 Semester’s season concluded with championship games held Dec. 2–4. Players said intramural sports allow them to meet new people while competing in a supportive and friendly environment.

Nagaraj Govindaraj, a recent BYU–Hawaii graduate in computer science from India, participated in the intramural volleyball and flag football championship this season. He said the flag football championship is the first intramural title he has won, despite playing in BYU–Hawaii’s intramural sports for several years. He said the atmosphere and community keep him coming back each season. “I feel like everyone is just encouraging; even if you make mistakes, no one is really angry,” he shared.

John Hughes, a senior in health and human science from Oregon, said intramural sports at BYU–Hawaii have helped him meet new people and build friendships. Hughes played volleyball and soccer this season, he shared, and his volleyball team advanced to the championship game.

Hughes said the most rewarding part of the volleyball season was the progress he and his teammates made. “We had a losing streak going into playoffs and then we made it to the championship,” he shared. “Sadly, we lost, but it was a really good game and a great time.” He said his team tries to communicate well with each other.

Gonrod Ngirchemat, a senior in communication, media and culture from Palau, competed with his team in the intramural basketball championship. Even though Ngirchemat won the most valuable player award, he said the recognition belonged to his entire team. He said the best part of intramural sports is enjoying the game together, even while joking about missed shots and calls. “At the end of the day, it’s just basketball,” he said. “The most important part is that it’s