Have you played sports your whole life? Or looking to try something new?  

Joining a sport whilst at university is a great opportunity to explore new sports, gaining new skills, as well as meeting new friends. Starting university is a great way to go back to a sport you may have used to play or carry on with a hobby. At UEA there is over 50 clubs available. It can be daunting joining such big clubs to start with so here is some tips but also some benefits to joining a sports team.  

You can head to ueasport to find information about sport at UEA as well as the many programmes they offer to stay active whilst at university. All clubs and UEA+Sport have an active social media presence. Instagram is a key platform which is used across all clubs, and they all produce such amazing content throughout the year! This will give you an insight to their weekly sessions, social events, and any matches/competitions the clubs get up to! I would definitely recommend taking a look!  

During Freshers week, you will find UEA hosts a Sports Fair which gives you the opportunity to ask the committees any questions about the club but also check out some demonstrations that the clubs put on. For example, amazing performances from the Dance and Gymnastics clubs, Mixed Martial Arts and Karate, Netball, and many more. Another great way to check out as many clubs as possible is to attend their taster sessions. Clubs will hold free taster sessions during the welcome period for you to get a sense of what training sessions are like and find out a bit more information about the club.  

I personally joined UEA Dance Squad in my first year! This was to carry on my love for dancing but since joining the club I have been an active member since. Coming from a dance background I can see how cheap sport is at UEA. In order to be a member, you need to purchase the uea sport membership which is £55 for the year as well as the club membership you’re choosing to join (Dance Squad is £30 for the year). But from being a part of dance I have been able to perform in 2 shows in the year, compete at 3 competitions a year, and also be on committee. This club is where I have made lifelong friends and has been a massive part of my university experience.  

There is so many benefits to being on a sports team from meeting new friends to staying active whilst being at university. There are 56 clubs on campus so I’m sure there will be something that sparks your interest! So, take that leap, take a flat mate with you to those taster sessions, and definitely check out the Sports Fair.