18 January 2013

Give It A Go' and take up a new sport

Students at the University of Dundee will next week be encouraged to 'Give It A Go' and try their hand at new sports.

Taster sessions in 28 sports as diverse as archery and water polo will be held at the Institute of Sport and Exercise (ISE), University Swimming Pool and Riverside Sports Ground from 12.30-9pm on Wednesday, 23rd January.

This is the second such event to have taken place to showcase the wide range of sports, clubs, and facilities on offer at the University. The one held at the start of the autumn semester, combined with the upsurge of interest in sport as a result of London 2012, has helped significantly boost participation figures.

More than 17,000 visits to student sports club sessions took place between September and December - an increase of 44 per cent in the past three years.

Give It A Go is being organised by Dundee University Sport, the partnership between ISE and Dundee University Sports Union.

Paul McPate, Assistant Director of ISE, said he was delighted that participation figures continued to rise and he expected even more students to take part in the Give It A Go day.

"We were confident that this academic year would break records for participation and that has been the case," he said.

"The Olympics, and the success of Dundee University athletes across a wide range of sports, has helped boost interest and the more students who are becoming involved, the more their enthusiasm will rub off on their friends.

Andy Smart, Sports Union President, also looked forward to a busy day's sporting activity, saying, "The first Give It A Go event was a great success and next week will see further taster sessions being offered on campus by the student sports clubs.

"It's an opportunity to try out a sport that they fancy without obligation and, with 28 different sports being promoted, there is a variety of choice available to them."

Investment in club development is continuing through Dundee University Sport, with a volunteer development programme for club officers providing guidance and information through workshops on topics such as safe sport, development planning, leading/chairing meetings and promotion/marketing.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277