How did you spend your first semester this year at university? Too much student loan spent on Uber Eats? Too many hangovers and too little work done? Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’m not going to sit here and lecture you on how to lock in and while saving money and all that stuff, but what I am going to do is ask you this: how can you make next semester a bit more productive while doing something you enjoy?
I was handed a poster at fresher’s fair last year which read “Treble Pogba and Koke football trials, this Thursday,” and left it lying on my bedside drawer for a few days. Come Thursday morning, I thought to myself, why not give it a go. Fast forward to now, and going along to that trial was the best decision I’ve made since coming to Newcastle University.
I’ve been playing intramural football every Saturday for over a year now, and I have to say, it has easily been my favourite part of my university experience so far (yes, even more than the hangovers believe it or not), and in my eyes, if you have any interest in football, it’s a must to be involved in.
Intramural football now has a whopping 48 eleven-a-side teams competing against each other across 6 divisions, operating on a Wednesday and a Saturday. And this isn’t all, with there being 16 teams in the weekly seven-a-side league, with registrations for next semester now being officially open, on top of there being both five-a-side and seven-a-side opportunities for women.
For me, there’s nothing better than lacing up my boots and stepping onto the carpet that is Cochrane Park, completely zoning out for 90 minutes while I play the game I love the most.
Tom Brearley is the intramural sports officer at Newcastle University, and is the man behind the scenes when it comes to intramural football. Tom looks after the program as a whole, ensuring the games are ready to go weekly, sorting all the admin and any fixture rearrangements (which have been common as of late unfortunately thanks to Storm Darragh).
He said, “It’s a fantastic alternative to BUCS for students who still want a healthy dose of competitive sport whilst at University, without the additional costs, travel and commitment. Our programme is exclusively for Newcastle University students, which offers an amazing social opportunity and community for our students to engage in.”
Jordi Fairs, a player/captain/manager for eleven-a-side team Borussia Modernlangbach, shared a bit about his experiences, expressing, “There’s a lot of benefits, but for me the main this is having that big social aspect.”
If socials are something you fancy, the chances are you’ll end up in Soho on a Wednesday night, so don’t worry, you can still go out get those morning hangovers if you desire, but hey, at least you’re now doing it while keeping fit.
Jordi added, “I’ve made a whole new set of friends and there is a real sense of community when we play together.”
Reasons to get involved
- Chance to meet new people
- Great sense of community
- Keeping physically and mentally healthy
- Weekly games
- Access to fantastic sport facilities all-year around
- Different leagues based on ability levels
- Make memories that will define your university experience
So, what’s stopping you? Well, studies have found that some barriers to sports participation include financial background and a lack of support. In fact, studies find that more than a quarter of adults are cutting back on sports participation due to financial means.
However, luckily for us, here at Newcastle University there is an array of support on offer, with the student union continuing to develop help on offer to students. For financial support specifically, there are grants on offer such as the Activities Access Fund, which can provide £350 to eligible students per year to help with any memberships or fees.
Alex Duggan is the Athletic Union Officer at the student union and is always aiming to get students involved in sport at the university. She said,
“Just try it. Even if you don’t like it it’s worth turning up to one session. If there’s a sport you’re even the slightest bit interested in you could dip your toe in the water. You might be fantastic at it.”
How to get involved
The only thing left to do now is to bite the bullet and get involved. Here is how.
You can join this Facebook group to ask if any teams are looking for players, or respond to any captains who are seeking them.
- Contact Captains
The intramural football section on Newcastle University’s website has full names, emails and phone numbers of all the intramural captains in every division, so take your pick if there’s any specific teams you would like to get involved in.
Ask yourself this. How will you spend your time next semester at university? Will it be a new year, new you and cut out those bad habits? Or will you stick to what you enjoy doing from first semester, even if you end up with those hangovers (don’t worry I’m not judging). Whatever it may be, why not do it while trying out something new, and most importantly, something that could transform your whole university experience.
Any questions? Get in touch! Instagram @leaguesofourown_ncl.