By Maddy Isbell ’22, Division of Student Affairs

Matthew Amezaga ‘ gives credit to his student job as Intramural Sports flag football coordinator for helping him find his place at Texas A&M University. From making lifelong friends, finding new hobbies and passions, and growing personally and professionally, Matthew is grateful for the opportunities that Rec Sports has given him. 

“I found my sense of belonging when I started working for Intramural Sports,” Matthew said. “I instantly made lifelong friends. Both my direct supervisors exposed me to outside opportunities and because of them I found my passion for officiating.”

His performance as a rookie student flag football official quickly impressed his supervisors, who trusted him with a promotion to the coordinator position. This involves overseeing between 30 and 50 student members of the flag football staff, including scheduling and training them to officiate. 

“I want to be the best leader I can for my staff and be someone that people can look up to,” Matthew said. “It (moving up in ranks) forced me to mature quite a bit but ultimately for the better because all the skills I have learned will translate to my future career.”

Matthews passion for sports stems from his roots at home. Both of his parents are coaches, so he has played and been surrounded by sports for as long as he can remember. With his family and home in mind, Matthew felt that a job at Rec Sports would come naturally to him. 

“I figured why not get a job where I could get paid to be around sports?” Matthew asked. “I grew to enjoy officiating so I worked my way up the ranks from a rookie official to a supervisor and ultimately to a coordinator.”

His hard work and dedication to the  job has not only paid off through promotion, but he  has been rewarded in other ways, as well. During several tournaments at which he officiated, Matthew was evaluated based on his performance and was voted one of the top officials in the country. 

“I have Rec Sports to thank for the person I have become and for many of my accomplishments,” he said. “Without the experience this job has given me, my life may be a lot different. I wasn't involved in student organizations or other activities, but through this job at Rec Sports I have become involved in so many other things. It definitely made me step out of my comfort zone and become the person I am today.”

Matthew’s Aggie experience has been shaped around intramurals and his involvement and experience at Rec Sports. His greatest challenge during his time at Texas A&M was during the pandemic, when he feared he may not be able to work until in-person classes resumed.

“There was uncertainty around Intramural Sports and whether I would have a job, and if I had a job would I have the same number of hours,” he said. “Thankfully the Rec used Intramural Sports employees as monitors throughout the Rec Center to ensure that all the patrons were following mask mandates and other COVID-19 protocols.” 

For Matthew, Rec Sports has become more than just exercise and fun. His work experience exemplifies what it means to dive into Student Affairs. His involvement in Intramural Sports officiating has allowed him to thrive in Aggieland, and has been the foundation for his success as a Texas A&M student, setting him up for success in the future.

“Rec Sports taught me that whatever it is you are doing, you never know who might be watching so you should always be on your A-game,” he said. “The most important  life lesson I’ve learned is that how you accept and deal with criticism is a good indication of your character and work ethic.”

After graduation, Matthew plans to use his computer engineering degree to become a project manager for a large company such as IBM or other companies that install security and fire alarm systems.