Intramural athletes and fans can say goodbye to dry-erase scoreboards.
During the most recent congressional meeting, the Students’ Association approved a bill to fund a portable electronic scoreboard for intramural games. The scoreboard cost $409, which SA paid with money in the congressional project fund. Although many intramural sports will have the opportunity to use the scoreboard, it is being used now for waterball.
Chris Shim, the off-campus SA representative, presented and wrote the bill with help from other representatives. He said the entire process went quickly.
“The reason we pushed the bill so fast was that the sooner we have it, the more we can use it,” said Shim, senior finance major from Atlanta. “We wanted to be able to have it for the playoff season for waterball.”
Fans attending waterball games must watch from an observation deck above the swimming pool in the Gibson Health and P.E. Center. Previously, the score was written on a dry-erase board with a marker, and Shim said he didn’t think visibility was up to par. He said he hopes this new scoreboard will enhance intramurals – for players and spectators.
Taylor Gabriel, junior elementary education major from Houston, has watched many waterball games, and she said she prefers watching with the electronic scoreboard.
“It’s a lot better than squinting at the dry-erase board,” Gabriel said.
The new scoreboard is also helpful to the players. Lacey Holmes, junior exercise science major from Coppell, plays waterball for the Alpha Kai Omega team. She said having the score and time clearly displayed has improved her game.
“I couldn’t see the white board from the deep end of the pool, but I can see the scoreboard,” Holmes said. “It is nice to be able to see how much time is left at any point in the game.”
Shim said he thinks having a scoreboard will improve the game and possibly alleviate pressure on the referees. With a scoreboard, they will not have to keep score in their head and keep track of time with their watches. Shim said referees might also be able to focus more on the game because fans will not constantly ask the score or the time.
“It is a small step, but it is a big small step,” Shim said. “For SA to be able to provide that to the student body is a huge contribution in such a small way.”
