Yak franchise revolutionizes intramural scene

Author: Zamir Ahmed

There are intramural teams that have better athletes. There are intramural teams that have won more championships. There are intramural teams that have been around longer. But there are no intramural teams that can match the intensity and enthusiasm of the Xi Omega Great White Yaks Sports Franchise.

The Yaks were founded in January 2004 by then-sophomores Tim "Pompeii" Bellis '06, Matt "Spooner" Malek '06, Tom "Slasher" McCann '06 and Ryan "Rodeo" Reese '06, who originally started the group as their intramural hockey team. "We picked the yak because Ryan and I were looking for something that was a little unorthodox but vaguely intimidating," said Bellis. "We were just looking around the Internet for something and then we ran into a yak, and it inspired us."

The organization was actually conceived of as a more socially-based group instead of the sports franchise it became. "It was started as part of what was to be an underground fraternity on campus," said Bellis. "Xi Omega was picked because we liked the way the letters looked and also it's not a registered, official fraternity."

Yet the mystery surrounding the group did not last long once the intramural season began. "Since we had jerseys that had 'Xi Omega' on them, people started to ask what it meant," said Malek. With the recruitment of female students and the group's public presence in the College community, the Yaks turned their attention from secrecy and focused on sports. The team currently has a total membership of around 30 students, all but five of them seniors.

Like other dedicated sports fans, Xi Omega, which usually boasts an average roster size of 12-15 students, competes throughout the year in almost every coed intramural sport, with the exception of football and basketball. Unlike most other intramural teams though, the Yaks' enthusiasm for sports goes beyond merely the playing field and a focus on winning and losing.

Since their inception, the Yaks have staged a number of events common to more professional sports organizations. The group holds an end-of-the-year banquet for team members that doubles as an awards night. In the past, the team has handed out awards ranging from "Most Improved" to "Yak Most Likely to Have Seen an Actual Yak" to members whose actions have impacted the team throughout the year. The group also hosts an annual semi-formal and has staged retreats in the past two years to Lake Sunapee, N.H. designed for team-building. The group has also designed and purchased a number of sports clothing specifically for the team, including two styles of T-shirts, one style of shorts, sweatshirts, hockey jerseys and, most recently, fitted hats.

One thing that sets the Yaks above other Middlebury intramural teams is the support they receive from their friends and families. "Something that's important about the Yaks is that not only are we a strong intramural team but we also have really strong fans," said Nellie "Smellie" Barnard '06. "We might be the only intramural sports team that has fans who come just to watch the game on a regular occasion," added Bellis. Indeed, most of the team's games are attended by vocal fans, who come prepared with signs and a team soundtrack to cheer on the squad.

Yaks fans beyond the campus are also given the opportunity to keep up with the team's performance via the newsletter "Yaknotes." Authored by McCann, the Great White Yaks International Communications Liaison, the newsletter includes recaps of the team's games and is sent to the parents of group members as well as Yaks studying abroad, and currently has a readership of 60.

The Yaks have worked to extend their teamwork beyond the intramural scene and into outside of the College community. The group has formed a committee dubbed Yaks Active in the Kommunity, which is designed to promote community service from the group. Headed by Steph "Prairie Dog" Pritchard '06, the committee has mainly focused on enrolling the team in Relay for Life as part of Yaks Against Kancer. For the past two years the team has banded together to walk through the night and has raised almost $2,000 so far this year for the American Cancer Society.

Xi Omega's involvement in the intramural scene has not been unrewarded. The Yaks won the softball championship two years ago and are looking to add another title this year in the sport, which they consider their strongest. The Yaks have set positions for its players in the sport and have a routine batting order. The depth of the Yaks in the sports arena makes qualifying for the squad no easy task. Indeed, softball is the only sport Xi Omega plays in which prospective players must participate in a tryout to be included on the roster. Despite the competitiveness to make the team, the Yaks play with a mixture of intensity and fun to make the game enjoyable for all the teams involved.

Last winter, the group claimed the intramural championship in indoor soccer to compliment its softball title. The Yaks took home the crown with a surprising win over the men's junior varsity team in what was one of the most memorable moments in the organization's history. The Yaks were able to clinch the title on the strong performance by the female members of the team. While on other teams female players are often pushed to the background, the Yaks rely on their female members to performance just as strongly as males.

"What I'll miss about the Yaks is playing sports with guys who will actually play with me," said Kate "Bear" Horton '06.

The Yak's enthusiasm and fervor on the field has often drawn the ire of other intramural teams as well as league officials. "A lot of teams don't realize that we definitely don't take ourselves as seriously as it looks. We're usually laughing at ourselves,"

said Malek. "After we win."

With so many of its members, including its four founders who graduated this spring, the Yaks appear to be headed for retirement from the Middlebury intramural scene. Yet this does not mean the memories and connections the group has forged over the years will fade away for its members. "I'm sure most of us will sport most of our Yak gear until it disintegrates," said Bellis. "And there will be plenty of Yak reunions."