At the University of York we have been gifted just under 60 sports clubs and the choice of which sport to try can be overwhelming. With each club competing to try and attract new members some of the lesser known sports can become overlooked.
Here at Vision we made it our mission to try and pull together a list of the more obscure sports on campus. There is never a better time than university to try a new sport so why not towards one of the smaller campus clubs. We can all remember the unbearable P.E. lessons of secondary: hours spent skidding around a muddy pitch on a cold monday morning trying to play God-knows-what-sport. Well those days are gone and now sport is there to be enjoyed. It need not be high pressure, it need not even be competitive and above all else it should not be a chore!
So let Vision enlighten you and introduce you to some of our University’s secret sports!
Squash – Membership:80
Despite a successful BUCS campaign last season, the squash team is still a relatively small club and looking to encourage more people to pick up a racket. Last year, the Squash team enjoyed unprecedented success – maximum points in their Roses battle and winning the Women’s BUCS cup. For those searching for a friendly game and like minded mates, the club boasts a healthy social calender. Club sessions are twice weekly and cater for any levels. Socials are as raucous as any other sport and charity tournaments such as 24 hour squash and the quadracket tournament are annual highlights.
Futsal – Membership: 60
Considered to be one of the fastest growing sports on the planet Futsal is ideal for gaining new skills and improving your 11-a side game. Essentially this is a version of indoor football played on small courts with a smaller ball designed to encouraged a greater degree of ball skills. With the pace of the game ensuring that halves can only be 20 minutes long you can guarantee there will be a dramatic improvement in your fitness levels. President David Ambrozejczyk admits that ‘ it’s a very high energy sport and often your working close to your maximum heart rate, so getting used to that is tough’. With a club size of around 60-80 students Futsal has gained some measure of infamy about campus especially since the amazing results of the two previous seasons in which they came 8th and 10th in the world!
Polo – Membership: 25
With a membership of only 25, the polo club are looking to expand their membership this coming year and are a great way to enter national level tournaments if your an inexperienced player. After taking 3 teams to the summer national championships (a record for the club so far) they’re hoping to increase their club size and increase peoples awareness of Polo. Their performance in the summer national championships, with even the beginners team winning at least one chukka, proves how much progress can be made with the right commitment and passion for polo.
Inline Hockey – Membership: 15
Described by the club president ‘fast, high scoring and physically demanding’ the sports inline and ice hockey could seem slightly intimidating but we have been assured that they also ‘have a lot of fun’! Despite having a good season in 08-09 the club is aiming to improve on last year’s performance though will need more squad depth in order to do this. The team are counting on new members to improve their position in both the Yorkshire and University leagues, and are aiming to reach the semi-finals in the University Nationals.
Ultimate Frisbee – Membership: 35
Perhaps one of the strangest sport societies on campus the game of Ultimate Frisbee is relatively unknown in Britain outside of universities. However amongst universities there is a thriving community of players and plenty of tournaments to compete in. The club describe last year’s season very positively: ‘We had a good showing at all the regional tournaments we attended and we won the Plate at December’s Regionals in Sheffield. Also to cap it all off we won Roses.’ With a choice of playing indoor or outdoor ultimate frisbee is available all year round.
Cave and Pothole Club – Membership: 8
The biggest perk of the Cave and Pothole Cub is that it allows you to experience some incredible places that few people ever get to see. The team has an incredibly varied travel plan: having spent last year exploring caves everywhere from Yorkshire to Slovenia the clubs is currently finalising plans for a 2010 expedition to Montenegro. The club runs over 100 trips a year so there is plenty to get involved in but remember: you will get wet(though that’s half the fun!)
Pole Exercise – Membership: 20
The club have spent the last year promoting the club ‘as an exhilarating aerobic fitness activity rather than the stereotypical view most people have about it!’ And to some extent this has worked: membership is on the up and the club has managed to set up an entire committee. Despite some setbacks last year concerning equipment this year the issues have been ironed out and York has been left with a well run club full of passionate individuals. President Emily Tran describes it as ‘a way to get fit that is fun and sexy!’ Though be warned you may run the risk of a few bruises.
Clay Pigeon Shooting – Membership: 20
As a newly formed team the Clay Pigeon Shooting Club are still trying to make a name for themselves on campus. They plan to try and compete in as many inter-university tournaments as possible this year while expanding the club beyond the initial 20 members. The club claim that no feeling compares to that of getting a perfect stand, apart from finally breaking a particularly vexing target! Since it’s a brand new club, joining up with the shooting team would be an ideal opportunity to be the first on a brand new bandwagon. The club is destined to be a sure-fire hit with wannabe rambos and most of the Conservative society. It’ll definitely hit the bullseye, unless, of course, you aren’t keen on standing in muddy fields in the rain.