There are certain people who are very competitive and you can really see them go for it out there. You learn a lot about them. Travis Schreier, Raikes School Class of 2014
When it comes to sports, Raikes School student Travis Schreier cares more about having fun than he does about winning trophies. But that’s not to say Travis doesn’t like to win.
“Oh, I’m definitely a competitive person,” says the Esther’s Crew manager with a slight chuckle.
Esther’s Crew, named after their building’s namesake, Esther L. Kauffman, is the intramural activities team for all Raikes School students living in the Kauffman Center.
Regarded as one of the campuses most active intramural teams, Esther’s Crew competes in a wide variety of men’s, women’s, and co-rec activities. In fact, according to Travis, it would be difficult to find one event where Esther’s Crew doesn’t have a participant. “From broomball to flag football and foosball to pitch tournaments, Esther’s Crew teammates are always a part of the action.”
Since their formation in 2002, Esther’s Crew has been more than ‘a part of the action.’ They’ve been champions of it. Winners of countless intramural contests, as well as several year-long all-university competitions, including flag football, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee and softball, the crew from Kauffman have done more than enough over the last 11 years to solidify their reputation as intramural all-stars.
“You have to have a pretty competitive nature to get into the Raikes School because it’s a very competitive program. And if you’re not going to go for it, and put yourself out there, you’re not going to be able to make it in this program. That’s not to say that students outside of the Raikes School aren’t competitive, but we’re definitely the more competitive team out there. We try really hard. We compete very well. And we usually do pretty well.”
To this point, Travis credits the Raikes School’s unique blend of competition and camaraderie. “With Esther’s Crew being made up of Raikes School students, you’re playing with a lot of your classmates. It’s just another way to build teamwork and communication skills. I see people on the volleyball court or on the football field and gain a better understanding of how they work and I can translate that to when we’re working on group projects—which are a big part of the Raikes School experience.”