I recall the day I walked into Oxford as a student for the first time just over a year ago, casting my eyes along the cobbled road around the Bodleian Library, around the stunning green fields of University Parks, and across the peaceful banks of the River Cherwell. More clearly, I recall that stroll through the sport club section of the fresher’s fair, falling behind my fellow college students as they quickly passed the Aussie Rules Football stand without much interest, and did not take the time, as I did, to quiz the various club representatives on their calendar, team quality, facilities and record.
There is a lot to be said for being a part of the great sporting tradition proudly held here at Oxford. A quick flick through the history books will tell us that this great educational institution produced Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to break the 4-minute mile, along with the winners of over 150 Olympic medals, an FA Cup final victory (in 1874 against the Royal Engineers), a host of former world record holders, and this is all without mentioning the world-famous boat race.
Of course, this is all in relation to the elite sportspersons of our great university, those great athletes who stroll into town, and could run to the Bodleian faster than I could cycle, who have already played for national sports teams or are on some Olympic fast track.
Oxford sport is about much more than the elite the university, quite rightly, would like to show off. In what is clearly a somewhat cliché source of praise and pride, sport here is mostly about diversity.
On the one hand, diversity is about the vast plethora of sports available with ease to any and all students here. There are, of course, opportunities to go out and continue years of football, rugby, cricket, swimming or athletics and all the other mainstream sports. So too are their chances to engage in the known but comparatively less popular sports, with everything from American football, to archery, quidditch, ultimate Frisbee, yachting and water polo.
However, for those still unsatisfied, for those aching to have walked through the fresher’s fair and found some sport that they had never even heard of, Oxford will never run out of opportunities to encourage its students to sweat. If you want something new, go and try out korfball, or kendo, or real tennis (not regular tennis), dancesport, octopush, orienteering or whatever it is that catches your eye; Oxford has something for you.
Despite this array of choice, there is a niggling doubt found in even some of the keenest students, just pining to get involved. Too many times, students claim a love of sport, but a fear that they lack the talent or time to commit. Take it from a talentless third team college football captain (my greatest boast): whilst there may be the elites out there and, indeed, some of you who may not think they have what it takes to excel might get in a boat for the first time this week and row your college to glory over the course of the year, there is so much more opportunity for the somewhat more amateur members of our university.
Every sporting club offers the chance for fresh faces and new players to try their hand at whatever they like, and most often there will be opportunities for less regular commitments. Regardless of how good you think you are, or how good you may actually be, there is always the chance to play sport at Oxford. I even offered and got asked to play cricket for my college last year when they were short a man, despite the fact that I was so poor at cricket at school that when the cricket competition started, I was in the cohort sent to play softball instead. I promptly lost the softball match each time. Fortunately, my blushes were spared when said cricket match was rained off.
For those less confident of their athletic prowess, I tell you that the college seconds and thirds teams that I at one point or another played for last season survived relegation on the final day and were relegated, respectively, and yet I loved every minute of the season.
There is no talent barrier nor is there a ceiling to success for sport in Oxford. If there is one thing that Cherwell and I can do for you this first week of your Oxford career, it is to encourage you that no matter what expectations or doubts you have over sporting participation, there is always a place on some pitch, court, rink or field for anyone and everyone to get engaged in Oxford’s great sporting tradition.
