As students ventured back to the intramural fields this fall to vie for Tyng Cup victory, a new head IM secretary was organizing their schedule and tallying the points.
Last year Kieran Dahl ’14 played seven IM sports for Davenport College, but this year he is taking on a more administrative role as head IM secretary, a job funded by the Athletics Department. The duties of head IM secretary include leading meetings with the IM secretaries of other residential colleges, updating the IM website and tallying the scores for IM competitions. After completing an application and interview process last spring, Dahl was selected to replace Peter Jasinski ’12, who held the position since fall 2009.
“I have been extremely fortunate to work with such gifted and involved leaders as Peter and Kieran,” Tom Migdalski, director of club and intramural sports, said in an email to the News. “They are both extremely organized and efficient, and they are the main reason that IMs run as smoothly as it does.”
Migdalski added that Dahl was highly recommended by Jasinski and that his interview confirmed his involvement, dedication and interest in intramurals.
Part of Dahl’s role as head IM secretary is to chair the council of IM secretaries, which includes representatives from every college and meets in Migdalski’s office once every two weeks to discuss issues from recent games and potential changes for the next season.
“The IM secretaries really like him taking the lead in meetings,” Jasinski said. “He’s really stepping up as a leader.”
Dahl said he enjoys leading the biweekly meeting and creating the agenda. Though Dahl has been head IM secretary for less than two months, he has already seen changes proposed for the program in that time. This year, the council plans to decide if dodgeball will be awarded Tyng Cup points and whether to add triathlon as a sport.
“Kieran will lead the changes in the program based on conversations with his generation of IM secretaries,” Jasinski said, adding that underclassmen are becoming secretaries as upperclassmen graduate.
Though Dahl is officially the new IM secretary, Jasinski is helping him transition this season. By the spring season Dahl will be operating on his own, Jasinski said.
“It’s tough to start the job without anyone’s help, especially if there are complaints or controversies,” Jasinski said.
Now a few weeks into the semester, Dahl said he only calls Jasinski for assistance about once a week, often about scoring sports for the first time. The transition between Jasinski and Dahl has been “incredibly smooth,” Migdalski said, adding that Jasinski’s continued involvement and explanation of head IM secretary duties has been helpful.
The main problems Dahl said he has faced so far are rain delays and scheduling problems. Despite these issues, Dahl said he enjoys his job and appreciates the chance to look at the administrative side of intramural sports.
“Every school day, I get to keep tabs on how each team is doing,” Dahl said.
The only downside of his job is that he has not been able to play as many IM sports this year, Dahl said. Though he played soccer, football and ping-pong last year in the fall season, Dahl has only played a few soccer games this season due to his course schedule and new job.
Still, he said he has enjoyed the job even though it is more work than he expected.
“Last year, the highlight of my week was when we played IM hockey,” Dahl said, adding that he hopes to play more games next season.
There are 30 intramural sports at Yale.