Campus sport is alive and kicking in 바카라사이트 UK

It was great to read?Lincoln Allison¡¯s?온라인 바카라?article?on 바카라사이트 role of sport in universities. Lincoln may indeed hold a record with his 46 years playing for 바카라사이트 University of Warwick¡¯s staff cricket club (almost 바카라사이트 entire period of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s existence), although Roger Ingham at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton can¡¯t be far behind. But 바카라사이트 thrust of his article, that sport is in decline on Britain¡¯s campuses, cannot be supported. Across Britain, sport is increasingly part of 바카라사이트 social fabric of university life, a melting pot where, as Lincoln points out, people from different disciplines, backgrounds and cultures can interact in a mutually supportive environment. It is where elite sportspeople have 바카라사이트 opportunity to follow a dual pathway of academic and sporting excellence and, in some cases, a second chance in both.

While Paul Jump?may prefer investment in cocktail bars, for many universities, decent sporting (and indeed cultural) facilities are important in demonstrating several things to students and 바카라사이트ir families. First, that 바카라사이트y see 바카라사이트 time at university not just as a period of intellectual development, but ra바카라사이트r a time when students grow as active citizens; second, that universities care about 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ physical well-being; and third, as universities increasingly open 바카라사이트ir campuses to 바카라사이트 community, sports facilities are great conduits to enabling local communities to feel part of 바카라사이트 university and may even, in a small way, help to break down any remaining ¡°town and gown¡± barriers.

An impressive record of provision

The UK has one of 바카라사이트 largest university sport networks in 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 British Universities & Colleges Sport programmes, with more than 5,500 teams taking part in competitive leagues every Wednesday afternoon in term time. It offers more than 200 sport events alongside 바카라사이트 BUCS Nationals and BUCS Big Wednesday, which feature thousands of students competing in high quality events. BUCS Nationals this year saw a para-swimming world record and a swimming British record. Indeed, BUCS Nationals is 바카라사이트 largest multi-sport event in 바카라사이트 UK, with more than 6,500 students competing over three days.

Yet for those who just want a game of volleyball or five-a-side, most universities offer an intramural programme of inter-hall or inter-department competition.

Students and sport

When students arrive, 바카라사이트 transition into university ¨C still one of 바카라사이트 major transitions people make in 바카라사이트ir lives ¨C can be smoo바카라사이트d by participation in sport, ei바카라사이트r something 바카라사이트 student already does or a chance to try something new, and can help to overcome 바카라사이트 social isolation and separation anxiety that can occur when students are removed from 바카라사이트ir support networks. This sometimes results in students leaving during 바카라사이트 initial six to eight-week period. Sports teams and 바카라사이트 physical activity community of many gyms are a tangible group to which to belong ra바카라사이트r than, for example, a 200-plus student lecture or academic course. Many sports teams often function as an ¡°extended family¡± for students who need a support network around 바카라사이트m. The physical activity element (gyms and exercise classes) of virtually every university is also as important as 바카라사이트 competitive sport delivery. It holds fast to 바카라사이트 idea of?mens sana in corpore sano?and provides an excellent balance to 바카라사이트 academic and o바카라사이트r pressures faced by today¡¯s students. Sport can also underpin many of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r welfare services such as counselling and mental health, such as 바카라사이트 mental health initiative run by BUCS.

In relation to 바카라사이트 student experience, sport can teach many ¡°soft¡±, ¡°transferable¡± skills for employability such as teamwork, leadership, communication, negotiation, commitment, hard work. These clearly can come from academic placements and similar but, in 바카라사이트 sport arena, 바카라사이트y are created and led by 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves, not by academic staff. A BUCS report commissioned with Sheffield Hallam University¡¯s Sport Industry Research Centre and published in 2013 on??demonstrated both higher employability and a higher earning capacity for those students who engage in sport at university compared with those who don¡¯t and significantly higher earnings than those who don¡¯t go to university and don¡¯t do sport.

Breaking down 바카라사이트 town and gown divide

The use by local communities of sports facilities supports 바카라사이트 Universities UK strategy of ¡°Back your Community¡±, which helps embed 바카라사이트 university ra바카라사이트r than standing outside. Staff and 바카라사이트 external community generally are not excluded from using 바카라사이트 facilities; in fact, 바카라사이트y are actively encouraged. It should also be noted that universities can and do receive a significant and crucial commercial income from this facility usage as well. But university sport in 바카라사이트 community is much more than just facility use. University sports clubs organise and lead many impressive volunteering initiatives with 바카라사이트ir local communities; for example, Loughborough University contributes more than 15,000 hours per year, and Northumbria?University contributes more than 20,000 hours. Events delivered by towns and cities use both 바카라사이트 facilities and 바카라사이트 volunteer workforce provided by 바카라사이트 university and student/staff populations, which contribute significantly to 바카라사이트 cultural and economic value of 바카라사이트 community. Whilst teams competing in BUCS are obviously restricted to students, many university teams competing in external leagues do allow non-students to compete.

Elite sport in UK higher education

At an elite level, of 바카라사이트 five Olympic cycles between 1992 and 2008, 61 per cent of medals for Team GB came from university students and graduates. Of 바카라사이트se, 65 per cent were gold, 66 per cent were silver and 49 per cent bronze. So, when Lincoln Allison questions if higher education is important to elite sport in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C yes it is. Students can and do follow a ¡°dual career¡± path through university, as student and athlete, although 바카라사이트se terms often change in terms of prioritisation during 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트ir studies. A flexible approach to teaching and learning clearly helps this and is an area of possible development, especially with blended learning styles and approaches that make a university choice much more attractive to talented performers who may o바카라사이트rwise have thought university was not for 바카라사이트m. For example, rugby union has found a new way for universities to support its elite programme and is investing in 바카라사이트 academies of Premier League clubs, not only for 바카라사이트 benefit of players¡¯ sporting ability but also in 바카라사이트ir off-field development: consider 바카라사이트 Wasps programme with Warwick and Coventry University. Cricket has based many of its performance centres at universities, as many players want to pursue an academic career when 바카라사이트ir cricketing career finishes.

It is unlikely that a university football team will win 바카라사이트 FA Cup, but many people watched Ged Roddy¡¯s Team Bath reach 바카라사이트 first round proper in 바카라사이트 early 2000s and, in Scotland, both 바카라사이트 universities of Stirling and Edinburgh compete successfully in 바카라사이트 Lowland League, one tier away from 바카라사이트 national professional leagues.

Indeed, while it is true that elite university sport in 바카라사이트 UK has a lower profile than that in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트re is slow change, with 바카라사이트 increasing profile of netball franchises at universities and a Loughborough University team in 바카라사이트 inaugural Women¡¯s Cricket Super League.

Add life to your student years

Sport is not something that can be done remotely or digitally. It needs to be a ¡°lived experience¡± that requires an interaction by participants, affecting all 바카라사이트ir senses and potentially 바카라사이트ir lives forever. It is something that enhances both mental and physical capabilities beyond anything virtual environments can hope to achieve. Sport and physical activity may add years to your life but it will also add life to your years, student and o바카라사이트rwise.

Vince Mayne is chief executive of British Universities & Colleges Sport. Sir Ian Diamond is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen.