Editor’s Letter: “it’s a real sport, honest!”

When I tell people I play Ultimate Frisbee, their response is usually a mixture of confusion and laughter. You won’t be shocked to hear I had no such issue when I played football or tennis – two sports that are sensible enough to involve things that are spherical rather than disc-shaped.

I try not to get involved in the whole “my sport is better than your sport” argument. Instead, what I am trying to say is that sometimes the things you do in your free time – be it the sports you play, the societies you’re part of, or your post-Neon fast food choice – make people think about you in a certain way.

Instead of signing up in first year I resolved to do what many other freshers do and avoid societies altogether – a decision I still regret today

It’s the same reason I waited until my degree was half-over to start writing for our student paper: “But it’s so Boar-ing! [chortle]” And so is that joke, but that doesn’t change the impact that other people’s opinions can have when you’re 18 and so many of your decisions are based on one question: “What will people think?” Instead of signing up in first year I resolved to do what many other freshers do and avoid societies altogether – a decision I still regret today.

I’ve since learned how important clubs and societies can be during the few years you spend here. They give you a new network of friends, an outlet away from coursework, and, vitally, an excuse to go to the SU dressed as a character from The Lord of the Rings.

Work and time constraints are a factor, of course, and there are times when getting involved in stuff at uni can feel as awkward and frantic as boarding the U1 at rush hour. In my year of inactivity I eagerly signed up for everything from Rowing to Real Ale, only to be stopped in my tracks by the reminder that essay deadlines are still a thing.

Committing to a single sport or pastime can become even more difficult when you’re presented with literally hundreds of options here at Warwick. Still, I wonder how many of our readers are holding themselves back simply because they worry that it’ll change how people perceive them. I know I certainly did. I doubt I’ll be able to avoid the reactions I mentioned earlier. The fact of the matter is the sport I choose to play has a name that, admittedly, sounds quite silly.

My conclusion? When it comes to clubs and societies, do whatever the hell you want. And if somebody finds that amusing, laugh along; they don’t know what they’re missing.

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