If you take just one piece of advice from me this week, let it be this: join a sports group.
Hi everyone! I'm Abhijeet Patel, your Sports Officer for the 2026/27 academic year, and I couldn't be more excited to welcome you all, whether you're just arriving for the first time or coming back for another year. Welcome can feel like a lot. New faces, new places, a timetable you haven't quite figured out yet, and about a hundred things all happening at once. So, if you take just one piece of advice from me this week, let it be this: join a sports group.
I'm not saying that just because it's my job. I'm saying it because I genuinely believe it's one of the best decisions you'll make this year. Not only for your fitness, but for your friendships, your confidence, and how much you enjoy your time here overall.
The Sports Fair, Your First Stop
First things first, during Welcome, make sure you go along to the Sport & Fitness Fair. Alongside it, there'll be a whole range of taster sessions running throughout the week too. This is the easiest, most no-pressure way to find out what's actually out there.
It doesn't matter if you've been playing a sport competitively since you could walk, or you've genuinely never picked up a racket, ball, or paddle in your life, the Sports Fair is for everyone. Come along and you'll be able to:
- Chat to committee members and current players from every single club we have
- Ask all the questions you want about training times, costs, and how much of a commitment it really is
- Sign up there and then, or just grab the details and mull it over
- Jump into a taster session with absolutely no pressure to join afterwards
Some of our best and most loyal club members are people who just wandered past a stall, got chatting, and ended up trying something they never would've considered before Welcome. You really don't need experience. You just need a bit of curiosity and the willingness to say yes.
Sports Night: What Is It, and How Do You Get Involved?
For anyone who hasn't experienced it yet, Sports Night is our big weekly social where every single sports club comes together after training and matches to have fun together. It's loud, it's fun, and it's honestly one of my favourite nights of the week. It's less about the sport and more about the friendships, the traditions, and the shared memories that come from being part of a club.
It really is one of the best ways to meet people from clubs you're not even part of, and more often than not, it's where the best friendships (and the funniest stories) start.
My Experience, Why Sports Groups Matter
When I first joined a sports club, I had no idea it would end up being such a big part of my time here. I went along thinking it would just be a way to stay fit and maybe meet a couple of people. What I got instead was a support network, a group of genuine friends, and a reason to feel like I belonged somewhere from pretty early on.
Stepping into the role of Sports Officer last year has given me an even closer look at just how much these clubs really do for people, and it's honestly reassured me even more that this is worth shouting about:
Get Involved
Keep an eye out for the Sports Fair and the taster sessions running throughout Welcome, grab yourself a ticket for Sports Night, and don't be afraid to try something completely new. Whatever your level, whatever you're into, there's a club out there with your name on it, I promise.
I can't wait to meet as many of you as possible this year, whether that's on the pitch, the court, the track, or the dancefloor at Sports Night.
Welcome, and let's make this a great year.
Written by Abhijeet Patel, Sports Officer for 2025-27