Life isn’t all fun and games.

In fact, it’s that and a whole lot more to Ken Hill, assistant director of intramural athletics at Ohio State.

Hill and the rest of the intramural staff are responsible for the operation of intramural sports, OSU’s most popular recreational program.

“That’s my life, that’s my career, and that’s what I intend to do until I retire,” Hill said. “Everything else is just a hobby. This is my profession.”

Hill’s love of sports has endured since childhood.

Growing up in Lawton, Okla., Hill participated in football, basketball and track at Lawton Senior High School. At 14, his admiration for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team and boxing legend Muhammad Ali led to “three matches of a failed boxing career,” Hill said with a laugh.

“I got in there and got hit a few times and my mom was like, ‘You don’t want to do it now, do you?’ and I was like, ‘No’.”

His attempt at boxing was only a minor setback. Following graduation, he went on to Cameron University in Lawton, pursuing a degree in education and a possible coaching career.

During his junior year, however, a mandatory officiating class spun Hill in a different direction. He was awarded official of the year and encouraged by the school’s intramural director to consider graduate school for sports management.

Upon receiving his master’s degree in sports management at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Hill accepted a position at Cornell University in Ithica, N.Y., and began building his career. Seven years later, he found himself accepting the assistant director position at OSU, where he has been for three years now.

“I’ve never looked back and said I should have done something different. I always think, what else can I do?” Hill said.

The size of the university, tradition and future of OSU’s recreational sports program, especially the new $136 million facility set to open in 2005, made the decision clear to Hill.

“The opportunity to be a part of that should be the biggest of its kind. I wanted to be a part of that,” he said.

Hill’s experience made him the perfect candidate for the position at OSU.

“He’s got an extensive intramural background, so he brings things he’s done at different universities,” said Cory Taylor, a graduate assistant in sports management and a member of the intramural staff.

Taylor assists in organizing tournaments, equipment and updating scores.

“Nothing’s typical,” Taylor said of the job. “(Hill) expects a lot out of you, but he wants you to succeed. He does things for the good of the program.”

And her boss’ office?

“He’s got some of his stuff here … he’s got probably twice as much at his house,” Taylor said. “He’s definitely a sports fanatic.”

Hill’s office is so full of sports memorabilia, one would be hard-pressed to find even an inch of empty wall space. They are covered with autographed photos, pictures of family and a sign that reads “Ken Rocks.” Hockey sticks are propped in one corner and boxes of promotional goodies in the other. Magnets from various sponsors surround the door frame, but that’s not the only place.

“I usually run around and put them everywhere I can in the office area,” Hill said, laughing. “I have become a tradition.”

Atop a huge office desk sits the plastic head of Mr. T, and he’s sporting mouse ears. Hill explained that the ears are part of a Walt Disney marketing strategy with which the staff is involved. One of the biggest challenges he faces with the intramural program is budget constraints. He tries to incorporate local businesses and national firms in sponsoring OSU’s program and said having an open mind is key.

“I try to always be aware of the trends and issues of the students and know their needs,” Hill said. “I don’t always have the answers, but I try to go out and seek them.”

Giving the students a sense of ownership helps make the program successful, he said.

As for his most treasured possession?

“Those four munchkins right there,” Hill said, pointing to a photo of his nieces and nephews. “I can’t see anything in here I couldn’t live without except them.”

Hill makes sure to save time for family and friends when he’s not hard at work. Last weekend, he officiated at the wedding of a friend. He became an ordained minister in December and is licensed by the state of Ohio to perform weddings, baptisms and funerals. Hill said this takes some by surprise.

“It’s something that people look at me or hear about and they think, ‘Oh, he’s just goofing.’ But there is a strong spiritual sense behind it as well,” he said.

The church isn’t the only place where Hill officiates. When a dispute breaks out on the field or the court, it’s Hill who makes the final call.

“A student came out of the office crying because I had kicked him out of a sport,” he said. Hill tries to avoid ejection, but admits “sometimes the rules are the rules.”

“You can’t always deviate from the rules. It’s just a discipline issue in most cases,” he said.

Jerry Davis, a graduate assistant in sports management, has been with the intramural program for seven years and helped hire Hill. Hill’s intelligence, practical experience and leadership are evident in his work, Davis said.

“He’s traveled a lot and has got lots of experience,” Davis said. “He’s fun and really laid-back, too. He likes to have a good time.”

For Hill, a good time means shopping, computers, video games like Knockout Kings and movies. He’s been a wrestling fan since the age of 5 when his grandfather took him to a match in Alabama, where he saw the great Chief Wahoo McDaniel wrestle.

“Right now, my favorite wrestlers would be The Rock and Triple H,” he said.

The part-time job he holds at Cardboard Heroes at the Columbus City Center shopping mall “is just another opportunity to be out there amongst people.”

Of course, there are other perks to working at the sports memorabilia shop.

“If anything comes in broken or chipped, I take that home,” Hill said with a smile.

He estimates he has about 50 bobbleheads and more than 200 autographed football and baseball cards at home, along with a porcelain statue of Muhammad Ali.

“I think my ultimate goal is to meet Muhammad Ali some day,” he said.

Among those sports celebrities Hill has met are baseball and football legend Bo Jackson, basketball great Michael Jordan and U.S. Olympic runner Marion Jones.

Meeting and spending time with Jones was cool, Hill said.

“It lets you know that people are still within your reach,” he said.

Hill’s goal at OSU is reaching the students.

“I spend a great deal of time working with students. It’s something that keeps me vibrant, keeps me young. I enjoy assisting in their development and they assist in mine,” he said.

He says the two intramural sports he enjoys most are flag football and ice hockey. Growing up in Oklahoma, opportunities to ice skate were slim, but Hill’s time at Cornell fostered skills and a love of the game. He also notes that hockey and flag football are the most expensive activities to run because of equipment costs. There are usually about 300 flag football teams and 200 soccer teams, Hill said.

“Teamwise, the most popular sports are soccer, basketball and softball,” he said.