General 4/13/2026 1:06:00 PM Leah Goodman

Building More Than a Program

How UD’s Intramural Officials Are Creating Community and Opportunity

When Mirza Javed arrived at the University of Delaware in June 2023 as the assistant director of intramurals, the intramural officials program was already operational, but he believed it had more potential.

Javed came to Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in sport management from the University of New Haven and prior experience in campus recreation at Southern Connecticut State University and Yale University. Javed understood how intramurals operate and the role they can play in student development. At UD, he saw an opportunity not just to staff games, but to build something more intentional.

At the start of the 2023 academic year, the official roster included about 30 student officials. By August, nearly half had stepped away. The program had to hire and rebuild quickly during one of the busiest weeks of the semester. Javed saw this as an opportunity to reset and rebuild the program.

“In the beginning, it felt like just a job to a lot of students,” Javed said. “Now it feels like a community.”

Today, the program includes approximately 30 student officials and 10 student supervisors, along with a part-time coordinator who assists with daily operations. Behind every intramural game is a structured system. Officials are scheduled up to five weeks out, though flexibility is important. Once the season begins, the responsibility extends far beyond set hours. Supporting officials and participants became one of Mirza’s main priorities.

What differentiates the program is its purpose. Javed consistently emphasizes the ‘why’ behind officiating. With more than 13,000 student check-ins each semester, intramurals are a major part of campus life. Officials influence students' experience far beyond just making calls. Understanding the impact of intramural sports on campus shifts the mindset from clocking in to contributing to something larger.

Student officials who earned their spot at the Intramural Flag Football Championship games!

Student officials learn to manage conflict in high-pressure moments, communicate effectively, and maintain professionalism. Close games can bring frustration, and officials are often on the receiving end of it. Learning to regulate emotions, stay composed, and make confident decisions becomes part of the experience. For many officials, this is their first job, where they begin learning what it means to be accountable and reliable as they work with others.

Throughout the season, Mirza works with his part-time coordinator, Luke Hudson, who is completing his senior internship with the program, along with several student supervisors, to evaluate officials. Hudson is regularly present at games, helping observe officials and provide feedback using a rubric that focuses on communication, judgment, rule knowledge, game control, and professionalism. His role also includes helping coordinate schedules and supporting the overall flow of intramural games.

Hudson shared, “Being part of intramurals has been a great learning experience for me. I work with an incredible staff that sets a high standard every day, and it’s taught me the importance of leadership, accountability, and supporting others.”

Supervisor Luke Hudson with UD alum Bailey Crone

Several officials have pursued opportunities outside of UD, working high school football and lacrosse, or gaining experience in local youth and travel leagues. Others have realized they want to stay in campus recreation long term.

Bailey Crone, who began as an intramural official at UD, and later served as a supervisor, is now the graduate assistant of intramural sports and sport clubs at UNLV. Crone oversees programs similar to the one he once worked in.

Reflecting on his experience, Crone said, "UD Intramural Sports was a community atmosphere that accepted me right away as a freshman official and inspired me to want to provide that same experience for others someday. The LiL Bob was a place where I felt welcomed and valued by my peers. I hope to make any recreation center I am a part of in the future a place where anyone who walks in the door feels like they already belong, just as the LiL Bob and UD Intramural Sports did for me."

As the program has grown, extramural opportunities have expanded as well. UD officials now attend NIRSA Flag Football and Basketball Regional Tournaments, where they officiate alongside students from other universities and are evaluated for potential national selection. Javed, who serves on the official committee and directed this year’s NIRSA Flag Football Regional Tournament, brings officials with him to give them experience working in higher-level environments.

Javed explains, “Extramural officiating enhances the skills of our student officials by giving them a unique experience of officiating with NFHS and NCAA certified officials. Whether they're working a local youth league or a travel tournament, our officials get better off-campus and apply those skills here at UD Intramurals, which ultimately makes our team stronger.”

Opportunities like these reflect how the program has evolved, giving officials chances to continue developing beyond campus competition.

Putting in the work officiating an intramural basketball game.

UD has also co-hosted the Mid-Atlantic Basketball Officials Clinic with Rowan University for the second-straight year at the Carpenter Sports Building. Promoted through campus recreation networks across the country, the clinic has brought additional attention to UD’s official program. Officials attend to improve their skills while learning from and connecting with professionals in the field.

All of these opportunities connect to what Javed emphasizes throughout the semester as officials gain experience and begin taking on more responsibility within the program. The focus is not limited to managing intramural games, as students are also given opportunities to develop through a wide range of campus recreation programming. Events such as laser tag nights, wheelchair basketball tournaments, and themed campus events like Geek Week, give students the chance to explore recreation in creative and interactive ways beyond standard intramural play. For example, campus recreation hosted a wheelchair basketball event where students could learn the sport and participate in a walk-on tournament, helping promote accessibility and awareness in recreation.

Javed’s own background influences that approach. After completing two seasons of high school football and entering his second season of lacrosse, he understands what officials experience on the field and uses that perspective when giving feedback.

“You have to be an official to teach an official,” Javed said.

Javed plans to continue expanding intramural offerings as participation increases, to eventually run games five nights per week. He also hopes to bring more championship events to south campus and keep UD officials involved in regional and national opportunities.

The impact of the program can be seen in how officials carry themselves and the experience they gain throughout their time involved. What began as a rebuilding effort has developed into a more connected community among officials and supervisors. Under Javed’s leadership, the intramural officials program has grown into an environment where students take ownership of their roles and remain involved beyond a single season.