Unis for playing sport if you are not an elite player

[GoodNamesOnly]

It's a way off but this will be a consideration for my DC. He likes to play a range of sports and is in a couple of school teams and one team outside school, but is not an elite player. He has not had any training in most of them beyond PE lessons.

I keep reading of kids being disappointed they didn't make tryouts when they are actually pretty sporty because the level is so competitive.

I know there is sometimes a department football team, but football is one of the few sports he doesn't really like.

So, any recommendations of unis where it is easier to get involved in sport at a less competitive level?

I think those with a college system would be good for this. Any other unis to look out for?

In my day, The University of York was pretty good for this. I played badminton and was in the sailing soc and ballet and all of them had separate groups for different proficiencies, including total beginners. I think York Uni Athletics Union has a website which might give more info. I had the opposite experience there with music and drama though.

So my DS is at Loughborough... I know, I know, but hang on.

Yes it is tough to get into the BUCS (uni v uni sport) team for athletics unless you are, yunno, tip-top level, ditto footy. DS tried for the footy teams and was one of 400+ going for like 25 places. He was good but not that good.

BUT a) there are so so many sports done at Lboro that there may be one that will take rookies and needs a bigger squad. DS flipped to his other sport, American football, and was very unusual in his first year on the team in that he had actually trained and played it for a couple of years before. Most of his first-year teammates were rookies (tho obvs sporty people). There are lots of other examples of other sports like this.

The other thing that happens in intra-mural sport – so the uni halls (Lboro is a very big campus) put up teams and they play each other. In his first year DS played footy for his hall and also frisbee! He couldn't play for the hall AM footy team as he was on the BUCS team but he got involved with coaching.

The IM opportunity continues throughout uni even if you don't stay in hall (plenty do).

In addition the uni, maybe aware of a rep for only wanting elite sportspeople, really encourages participation in sport at all levels. This week the Loughborough rec sport account on Insta posted an amazing timetable of opportunities for all, from intro to padel to coached endurance running.

So it is a great option IMHO for those who want to do sport but are not fussed about competing for BUCS. Yes, if you want to run the 100m for BUCS then unless you actually are Amy Hunt or Zharnel Hughes you probably need a different uni. But otherwise well worth a look.

At Durham there are lots of opportunities at College level for sport. The DU teams are incredibly competitive but college sport is for everyone.

Most unis have a range of sports on offer and very good facilities, so I would think that pretty much anywhere would suit a DC who enjoys sport and wants to participate, but isn't necessarily a high level player. College sports clubs and teams are for everyone!

Lancaster has a college system and I think a lot of sporting activities.

ULan (formerly UCLan) in Preston does a lot of sports for those who want to keep it social with their Students Union Leagues, and they have their own sports arena on the edge of the city.

Practically every uni. That's the beauty of going, there's sports and sociti4s and funding to start your own. I know medsoc/dentsoc used to do annua lsports days against other unus for eg.

I meant to post again to say ofc all unis will have a good sporting offer. Agree I have heard good things about Lancaster.

If it’s athletics (my sport really) then great offers are at Nottingham, Birmingham Leeds Beckett, Swansea, lots of Scottish unis (like Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow), Cardiff Met, Edge Hill. Not always the most popular unis tbh.

There will normally be a range of teams so yes there will be tryouts for the top teams that compete at BUCS but most Unis will have recreational teams or development teams especially some of the less popular sports. There is also the opportunity to join teams not directly linked to the Uni if he can't find anything at Uni that suits him.

As an example, Sheffield University has either 8 or 9 netball teams in the netball society and social netball too, plus loads of the subjects have their own netball team eg medic netball, psychology netball so there are lots of opportunities to play for fun, not just the 4 ‘league teams’ within the 8 teams of the netball society.

It’s rarely on anyone’s lists, but Worcester for sport.

Thank you, this all sounds really positive and that he's likely to have a good opportunity to play sport at his level wherever he goes. It's such a positive part of his life in terms of the games themselves, but also the social side. Hopefully I have nothing to worry about!

If that is the case, it does seem like things have improved since I was a student, which is great to hear. Sport should be for everyone. I wasn't sporty but my friends were kind of school team level and none of them ever got on a team at uni. My brother was county level and couldn't get on a team, although that was Loughborough. Sounds like there is a much wider range of levels now.

The University of Southampton has a huge range of sports teams and clubs. Make sure you check what is on offer - not all universities are like this. The sports and other clubs offering at Solent is dismal.

Another shout for Durham - because of the college system, there is competitive sport at every level. DS played BUCS rugby and cricket (3rd teams, mostly) but played soccer, tennis, mixed lacrosse and squash in the inter college leagues. The Friday night floodlit intercollege rugby is a massive part of college life - playing and supporting!

Bath does have sports at all levels - eg there was social netball for fun as well as the elite level.
There's also sports like handball and volley ball where it tends to for fun and most people haven't played before.

I know what you mean about uni sports in the past. I played hockey at school level but didn't have the confidence to try the hockey club as I had never been a star player.

I would also add that if the uni has a medical school, there are often MedSoc teams. They will take players from any degree. They will play in NAMS, usually at weekends to avoid missing placements. Fewer games usually than BUCS but a great social scene. My DS is at Birmingham doing medicine and they have a thriving medsoc sport set up. In fact they got banned from the Sports Fair for nicking players from the BUCS sports !!!

On the other hand, in rowing at Newcastle, there are only 4 crews - 2 for men and 2 for women. There don’t seem to be any development boats at all! Very poor provision for anyone lower down the ranks.

Manchester has a lot

Competition for the elite teams at Notts is really fierce but there are other teams. I know DC who play for Medics Football having not made the Uni team for example. Plus all Catered Halls include free membership to the sports centre

What sports is he into at the moment? He can always just look for a local club and join that rather than the Uni team

Bath. Amazing sports facilities.

York have a college system and lots of teams for a wide variety of sports. They also have The Roses games where the York colleges play the Lancaster colleges.

Yeh I was also wondering what sport he is keen on @GoodNamesOnly

There might be someone here who knows the best unis for it. My rapid athletics list could be expanded – from several years officiating at BUCS athletics I see that the big teams don’t always come from the top unis.

Examples: over the last few years I have seen very few T&F athletes from Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Southampton, Leicester, Liverpool, St Andrews and some London unis like LSE, Imperial, UCL.

Otoh as I say there are usually big teams from Brum, Lboro obvs, Leeds Beckett, Cardiff Met, Sheff Hallam, Edge Hill, Nottingham, NTU, Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow, Bath, Manchester, Man Met... (I bet I have missed loads out).

I mean I am not saying “go to Sheffield Hallam if you are a sprinter and Leeds Beckett if you run 800m” – if you could get into Oxford or Warwick then of course that's preferable!

Oxford and Cambridge, like Durham mentioned above, have college teams for many sports. Some of the minor sports are so inclusive that they also play against local schools. 😀

Here’s a page about college sports clubs at Cambridge and here’s one listing over 70 different sports.

Another who came to say that practically all Universities offer many, many opportunities to play sports. Many will have numerous teams in any given sport.

Plus, as long as you go somewhere in a City, there will also be all the clubs that are nothing to do with the University that you can play for. There will, to some extent, in all Unis, but of course if the Uni is in the middle of a City then it is easier to get to training and matches.

A fourth vote for Nottingham - the sports facilities are amazing as a result of a very large donation to build them. DD competes nationally in her v niche sport but the club is open to beginners - she's coaching them this term. Most other sports are the same - they have elite scholarship teams for some but the range is incredible - despite being about the most landlocked uni in the country they even have a surfing team....Its also a really lovely campus with its own hotel (with a discount for a uni connection!)