As all the winter sports teams prepare for their seasons, so are the I-Ball teams here at Ames High. Some teams have already been formed and practices have begun. Teams have had practices at Beyer Hall, City Hall, and occasionally during P.E. basketball. For those of you who don’t know what I-ball is, it is an Intramural basketball league for both boys and girls here at the high school. Games are played every Wednesday evening in the gym during January and February. For the boys division there is a 9-10 division and an 11-12 division. For the girls there is only a 9-12 division. I-Ball is all in good fun. It truly is for anybody at all who just want to have a good time. You can try and be a really good team or a really bad team. Nobody cares about your skill level in I-Ball. A good example is the team Chi-Unit. Known for their half-court and no look shots, they have yet to win a game in their 3 years in I-Ball. However they have the most fun out of all the teams by far. "I think most people just play to get one of those sweet I-Ball champion shirt you get when you win," said junior Tyler Dockstader. Every year pre-season rankings are created by many different people listing the top players. Whether teams are in need of players because they lost seniors from last year, people who have left their team for a different team, and also teams recruiting players to their teams these ranking help. This is a fun amenity to this great intramural sport. Even though some teams have full rosters, there are many teams looking for players to join. Or you can just get a bunch of your friends together and make a team. Once you have your team together deciding on a team name comes next. Choosing a team name is difficult and many names are often shot down. Any inappropriate names or t-shirt designs are prohibited. Sure you want to make your team name and shirt creative and fresh, but make sure to get them both approved by Judge Johnston before you do anything. An I-Ball team is nothing without its coach. Many I-Ball coaches are in fact Ames hgh basketball players. The coaches don’t do much to improve the teams skills but they provide their team with morale and encouragement. I-Ball coach Jesse Pritchard knows what it takes to be the best. He has taken his team to the championship twice and has been victorious one of those times. "It comes down to the five D’s of basketball: domination, devastation, defense, determination and domination. As a coach I know these kids are trying to get scholarships, so I just let them play their game." The I-Ball season will begin later this year due to a lack of space in the gym. Sign up sheets will be available to pick up on Dec. 1st in the Athletic Office.