Category: Performance

Get active at NTU Sport

by ntusport, posted in Clubs, Fitness, Nutrition, Participation, Performance, Wellbeing

At NTU we have many different ways you can get involved in sport and exercise, and we currently have some special early bird offers in place for you to make the most of.

1. Two early bird gym membership offers:

   a) Early bird Annual Active Gym Membership = £110 (will increase to £140 on 16 October 2017)

   b) 3-year Special Offer (only available between 1 September – 16 October 2017)

Both memberships will give you:

  • Access to two gyms, the City Suite on City Campus, and the Lee Westwood Sports Centre on Clifton Campus.
  • A free gym induction
  • Discounted fitness packages, including Boditrax scans.
  • Unlimited access to NTU Fitness Classes and Blast Sessions, with priority booking. They are very popular and offer a huge variety of options, with classes taking place at City and Clifton.
  • Free hire of our world-class facilities, such as the brand new tennis centre, sports halls, squash courts, and the 3G to have a bit of fun with your mates.
  • Free Play for Fun sessions, which offer an alternative to just going to the gym by giving you the chance to start something new, get back into a sport you love, make new friends and most importantly, have fun!
  • Access to the University of Nottingham’s casual swim sessions for only £2 per visit.

2. At NTU there are 60 sports clubs for students to participate in, catering for every level of experience.

3. Volunteering is a great way to get involved, and we work in partnership with Nottingham Trent Volunteering to offer a huge range of sport volunteering opportunities.

4. We have very popular intramural leagues in Football, Netball and Rugby, where you can enter your own team. Represent your hall, society, course, or simply round up some of your mates – everyone is welcome.

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CLUB COMMITTEE HANDOVER

by ntusport, posted in Clubs, Participation, Performance

Today marks the official committee handover day, so we caught up with NTU Sport staff members to hear their thoughts on this year, and what they are looking forward to next year!

Uttley, Lawrence (Participation Sports Development Officer):

Ok then chaps. It’s come to the end of the year for committee. Thought this would be a good time to reflect on how it’s gone. First of all from the newbies; Steve and Tom. Is this what you expected? What’s been the most challenging/ rewarding?

Drake, Steven (Outdoor Activities Sports Development Officer):

It has been a fantastic 9 months and I feel that I have had to learn a lot, but this challenge has been welcomed for the most part. One of the most enjoyable parts of my role has been working with clubs that I have not had much experience of doing myself, such as Rowing and Equestrian. I think the main challenge I have faced, is the minefield that is finance but I am slowly getting there.

Armstrong, Thomas  (Coaching and Competitions Manager):

Since joining the University late last year it really has been a case of being thrown in at the deep end. Coming in half way through a year presents its own problems, getting to know my clubs and committees, and the best ways I can support them in the short term has been hard. However seeing the great work our students are doing to develop their clubs has shown the potential all our students have to exceed, not only on the sports field/hall/court, but off it too. I have really enjoyed engaging with my new club committees, seeing them set plans and targets for next year has me excited of the possibilities for next year! What has been particularly pleasing for me is how the committees have engaged with their coaches and the University in maximising the potential of their clubs. As my role involves a lot of performance focus, our climb up the BUCS table and improvement in team performances has been great to see and long may it continue.

Uttley, Lawrence:

Tom, I know you’ve mentioned a few times that getting to know committees half way through the year and seeing what their targets are has been tough. How is everyone looking for targets for next year now that we’ve completed all our development plans and budgets?

Armstrong, Thomas:

Targets wise, all clubs have set themselves goals to move the club on in every aspect. This includes membership, performance and community/student engagement. I’ve challenged them to be ambitious while also being realistic about what they can do in their time in position.

Uttley, Lawrence:

Any big plans in the pipeline that you’ve got a particular eye on? Steve – what about you?

Drake, Steven:

Yes, I do Loz. I am looking at getting equestrian involved with Brackenhurst and using their state-of-the-art facilities. I am also looking at getting part of rowing programme moved to Lee Westwood for their S & C sessions. Our climbing team will be looking to get their highest BUCS points next year with the help of Molly Thompson-Smith (GB Climber Team Member) joining us for 2017-18. Do you have any plans Loz?

Uttley, Lawrence:

I genuinely don’t think there is a club that hasn’t got big ambitions next year. I’m personally looking forward to seeing Water Polo add a women’s team and how the men get on in a higher league. Boxing is also a sport I think we have a lot more to come from. With 6 out of my 19 presidents returning, I think it will mean changes can happen rapidly over summer. It will be interesting to see the students represented by a Non-BUCS student (Izzy Gregson) for the first time in my 8 years working and studying here. Definitely going to be strange without Matt around. Tom?

Armstrong, Thomas:

Anything away from performance you guys? For me I have a number of clubs setting out plans to get more girls into their sports including an American Football Flag team, while also getting some clubs engaging with local partners and communities. A number of my clubs have expressed a desire to do more charity and fund raising work this year with some great ideas to support local charities. There is also of course the performance aspect, which gets harder each year to improve on, but all the clubs are attacking this with a great attitude and commitment to their sport and the University.

Uttley, Lawrence:

Haha, the performance officer taking it away from performance goals. Ironic. This time last year, I set cheerleading a very tough target of making sure that anyone who wants to do cheer at NTU can, and I’m proud to say that they succeeded. There’s potential to add another team next year. My aim is to get all of my clubs to have a local club partner, providing avenues for both ends of the sport. Outside of sport, I want clubs to increase charity work. Athletics have been great teaming up with cricket to support BacZac the legacy. I’m really pleased clubs are starting to take on their own ideas around mental health and looking forward to my own personal development and pushing awareness even further.

Drake, Steven:

All my clubs are looking to grow next year and some have set themselves a target of growing by more than 50%. Equestrian are looking to keep up their great volunteering programme, and Triathlon will be looking to take on the staff again with a Dryathlon to raise money for John Van Geest research centre. Surf and Wakeboarding are also looking to keep active throughout the winter months with trips away which would mean more student engagement with water sports, which, would be a first for these clubs.

Uttley, Lawrence:

So basically what you’re saying is ‘watch this space’. Haha. Anyway fellas. Just want to say what a great year it’s been. It’s been great meeting you both and looking forward to working with you and sharing ideas for next year. Saturday was the Sports Awards and it was great to see so many clubs there, getting the recognition they deserved. Here’s to a successful 2017/18!

10 things i love about Varsity

by ntusport, posted in Clubs, Performance

Are you ready for Notts Varsity 2017?!

The big event ‘kicks-off’ with Rugby League tomorrow (Lady Bay, 4pm), and we are so excited to finally get underway!

We’ve put together a checklist of 10 #NottsVarsity related things to do during the series, all to get you in that Varsity spirit…

  1. Take a photo with an NTU player in their kit… then share it on social media!

  2. Tweet your support for our teams, tag @NTUSport, and hashtag #NottsVarsity

  3. Get a photo with our mascot!Mascot

  4. Get your hands on one of the Varsity T-shirts and show your support to the players from NTU!

    Varsity Tshirt

  5. Wave your #NottsVarsity foam finger in the crowd!Varsity Foam Finger

  6. Make a Snapchat story using the Varsity filters at each eventVARSITY SNAPCHAT GRADIENT 2.jpg

  7. Travel on any NCT bus for just £2.50 unlimited day travel!eventrider.png

  8. Paint your face pink!

  9. If you are competing, get yourself a discounted Sports Massage with Fairclough Sport PerformanceC7mSUzEVAAQ5Hc1

  10. Finally, and maybe most importantly…. make a lot of noise in the crowd!! The players need to hear you!

    For updates during the series, make sure you follow NTU Sport on Twitter and Instagram!

Volleyball Varsity preview

by ntusport, posted in Clubs, Performance

Ahead of this weekend’s Women’s Volleyball Varsity, we caught up with the President and captain, Theresa Hipolito…

How are you and the team feeling in the build up to varsity?

We are are feeling quite confident as we’ve had a great season this year, finishing up in 2nd place in BUCS. We’ve been training hard and looking forward to the big game on Sunday!

What will the team be doing on the lead up to the big event to prepare for varsity?

We’re not going to have a couple key players with us on the day as they have National league games or will be away at the time, so we’ve been trying to adapt to those changes and making sure everyone steps up their game! We’ve also been attending strength and conditioning sessions with NTU Sport in order to better our performance on the day.

DSC_0700

How do you and the girls mentally prepare for a big game such as varsity?

We just try to stay together and keep the overall team spirit high! When it comes to big matches, we already have some experience together as we’ve been through decisive matches before. So it’s all about staying hyped and focused!

Is there a lot of pressure on you as the captain/president to help lead the team and make sure they are ready for the game?

There is always pressure on me as President and Captain, but not any more than there is on all our players and match officials on the day. Making sure everything goes according to plan can be overwhelming, but our VP Sport Matt Nicholson and NTU staff have made the process as smooth as possible for all of us. Just have to make sure we all work together and are at the top of our game! Smiling also helps 🙂

How do you think the Trent fans impact your game?

Trent fans can have a huge impact on our game. Having a pumped up crowd full of energy helps us want to do better and keeps us going! The more the merrier and the louder the better!

Finally, do you believe you will win this year’s varsity game?

It is never safe to say whether or not we will win. Having said that, I am more than confident in my team and I know we can play great volleyball and trust that we have what it takes to beat UoN. It will definitely be a challenge for all of us, but we’ve done it before, we can do it again!

For updates during the game on Sunday, follow @NTUSport on Twitter!

 

Varsity: The captain has his say

by ntusport, posted in Clubs, Performance

We spoke to Matthew Ross, the Rugby League Men’s first team captain, about how he and the team are feeling about this weekend’s Varsity fixture against University of Nottingham.

How are you and the team feeling on the build up to varsity?

Yeah we’re feeling pretty confident, we’ve had a successful season with some good results, and after not winning for two years everyone in the team really wants it this year.

What will the team be doing on the lead up to the big event to prepare for varsity?

We’re quite lucky in the fact we’ve got games every week before varsity, which will help with everyone’s match fitness. We are also doing a one week drinking ban before the game. We’re going to make a big day of it this year, going for a squad breakfast the morning of the game and things like that.

Is there a lot of pressure on you as the captain to help lead the team and make sure they are ready for the game?

Not really, a lot of it’s down to each individual. We set some targets at the start of year, one of which was to win varsity, and all the lads have really bought into it. This has taken the pressure off me to get on everyone’s backs.

How do you feel when you arrive on the pitch and see all of the Nottingham Trent fans watching and cheering you on?

Yeah it’s a good feeling, and I always find the chants very entertaining.

Finally, do you believe you will win this year’s varsity game?

I do! Everyone in the team does as well. You’ve always got to back yourself or you might as well hang up your boots. We’re preparing much better for it this year, and all the lads really want to win it as most of us are final year.

RUGBYLEAGUEVARSITY

The big game will take place on Saturday 25 March, KO 4pm at Lady Bay. For updates during the game, follow @NTUSport on Twitter.

You can see a full list of #NottsVarsity fixtures on our website.

Men's Rugby celebrate winning Varsity 2016

Brexit & University Sport

by ntusport, posted in Clubs, Performance

There is no area of life which isn’t going to be effected by the decision to leave the EU – it is a decision which has the potential to define the direction of the country for decades to come. Whether this is a positive or negative depends on your view point, however this decision, and the potential knock on factors have the potential to reshape elements of the university sporting programme.

How legislation looks around students entering the U.K. will no doubt impact the number of students coming to the UK from Europe, and also what universities decide to regarding the setting of fees. Will they be increased to match those of students coming from outside of EU or stay as they are now in line with U.K. fees? My guess would be at least somewhere in the middle with leading academics and vice-chancellors having expressing serious concerns including the VC of Oxford Brookes describing a hard ‘Brexit’ (I hate that word) in the Guardian as ‘the biggest disaster for the university sector for many years’.

The tone of the speech given by the Prime Minister last week, including where she still hasn’t been able to give guarantees about the status of EU nationals inside the UK (and also saying some other European leaders were posing some challenges around this), would indicate that negotiating easy access for European students to the UK may not be an easy ride.

Universities receive significant levels of funding both from EU students and a variety of other means (which I am not expert on), but not receiving these funds (if that ends up being the case) may lead to prices having to increase elsewhere, alongside potential fee hikes. Will membership fees of sports clubs and facilities need to up to cover less central funding being received? Will ever increasing fees lead to more students focusing purely on education and extra-curricular becoming more of a side show? Will it lead to a decrease in people wanting to commit to BUCS sport but more to participation programmes? Who knows.

The funding gap could well impact UK students fees as well now universities have more opportunity to look at fee increases, and there are other potential knock-ons which have could see significant changes. The Scottish First Minister has clearly indicated on a number of occasions that, as Scotland have voted to remain in the EU, they wish to retain membership, and last week’s speech, where the Prime Minister indicated the UK will not be part of the single market or the customs union in its current form, indicates that a second referendum has become more likely.

A leave vote would then question the role of Scottish universities in BUCS sport, especially if there were border restrictions. This would lead to a significant shake up in the league table with Edinburgh and Stirling in particular well established universities, but also the running of the organisation which relies heavily on membership fees – losing 24 members of approximately 160 would come at a cost.

On the flip side, could movement from other parts of the world become easier? Countries like the US (with Donald Trump indicating he is very keen to speak to UK regarding trade deals) be more open as they are dealing with one country and not a whole union? Could this make it easier for American students to come into the UK and support our growing Lacrosse, Basketball and American Football programmes? Who knows?

The reality is, although we will all be effected, no one knows. My views on it, as have probably come through are that leaving has a potential of being extremely damaging, although being honest, who knows where we will be this time next year. Did anyone think at the start of 2016 we would have voted to leave and seen Donald Trump elected as US President? I haven’t met anyone who did, so I wouldn’t put it past something happening in the next 12 months which none of us expect, which may change the landscape again.

Chris Campbell – Performance Sport Manager