Wildwood Intramurals: More Than Just Fun & Games 
March, 2007

By: Melissa Lowrie 

The Intramural Program at Wildwood Christian Academy is about much more than fun and games. Ever hear of Ultimate Kick Ball? This is one of the highly competitive games the students participating in Intramurals enjoy and they would be happy to give you a quick lesson. Offered to students enrolled in 3^rd through 8^th grade, Wildwood students engage in games that test physical and social skills while learning teamwork and trust. 

Tony Kijanko heads up the intramural program at Wildwood as well as teaches health and physical education. Coach Kijanko has over twenty-five years of coaching experience at the high school and college levels and has supervised health and physical education programs for students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.  All that experience has equipped Coach Kijanko well for the students he now teaches. While it’s a challenge to create games that a timid 3^rd grader can play with an athletic 8^th grader, Coach is up to the task. “He really has a gift,” states Dee Kijanko, Tony’s wife and assistant at Wildwood, “Tony creates games where all the kids can join in and have fun.” 

Some of the games the kids enjoy include Ultimate ‘Big-Ball’ Kick Ball and Ultimate Hand Ball. “Ultimate Hand Ball is a basketball/football combination,” states Dee Kijanko. “We spent a month in South Africa leading a youth sports camp and we learned the game there. Tony created a version for the younger kids and they just love it.” Laura Moore, a Wildwood 8^th grader, likes the challenge Coach Kijanko provides the students.  “My favorite game is Ultimate Hand Ball; it’s so cool and it gives us a chance to help the younger kids.”   

Many of the skills learned in the Physical Education classes taught during the school day at Wildwood are practiced during the after school Intramural program.  The program runs each semester on Mondays and Wednesdays, giving the students an incredible and unique sports program. While keeping both mind and body active takes work, it sounds like Intramurals at Wildwood fits the bill.