High hopes for sport as GUSA Fair attracts over 3000 students, reports Nicole Wilson
Following in the footsteps of previous years, the GUSA Freshers’ Fair illustrated both the wide ranging and diverse selection of club and recreational sports on offer to freshers as well as existing students.
Staged at the Stevenson Building, the event which was attended by over 3000 students provided the opportunity to see the full range of activities on offer. Representatives from over 40 sports clubs and numerous exercise classes all benefited from the chance to sign up new members and support.
Clubs thrived on the prospect of increased membership and player aptitude as sign ups reached unprecedented levels.
The Ski and SnowBoard Club (GUSSC) which always proves to be a big hit with freshers saw 200 members sign up for the new semester.
Euan Miller, current GUSA President was pleased with the interest that this year’s Fair attracted: ‘The response was absolutely brilliant. It was also good to see smaller clubs such as archery and kendo attract such huge interest, the fair giving them the chance to raise their profiles.”
With outstanding facilities and a plethora of clubs and recreational programmes to choose from, sport at Glasgow is not only a training ground for those who have never experienced team integration before but also a haven for elite talent.
GUSA also offers the opportunities for high profile sporting figures including Commonwealth Gold winner swimmer Becky Cooke and Scotland player Johnnie Beattie, highlighting the quality of training and facilities avaliable. With such a focus on sport as well as the academia side of the university, the GUSA president renewed his plans for the forthcoming semester:
“We’re looking to improve the standard of coaching in all of the university teams. Certainly clubs like squash, hockey and the swimming clubs would definitely benefit from a stronger focus on concentrating on the basics.”
Miller also touched on bringing new elements to the sporting calendar: “We’re definitely looking at the possibility of an interfaculty sports day this year. It’s commonplace in many English Universities and would be a good addition to sport at Glasgow.”
Last season saw triumphs across the board with the athletics club winning the Scottish University Indoor Championships, and the girl’s swimming club also securing first place honours in national competition.
Miller is enthusiastic to build on these achievements and hopes that other clubs can follow their example: “We are looking to take inspiration from previous seasons and hoping that the new season will see clubs such as the squash and basketball clubs return to form.”
