Dylan Tuck
Sport Editor
Not everyone who joins a sports society is up for getting all competitive. A lot of the time, it can be nice to have sports as a hobby, or an outlet for when times get stressful and you want a bit of a distraction. So while the main sporting societies will get plenty of newbies signing up, here’s just a few of our picks for societies you can join to have a bit of fun.
Potholing (Caving)
If you fancy getting your exploring on in a cave somewhere across the United Kingdom’s many shores, than perhaps the Potholing society is the one for you. You’ll get to descend down into caves to explore “underground river systems, cave formations, stalactites, stalagmites and fossils”, which sounds pretty neat. With trips every second weekend of the month, this is an ideal society for those students who want to explore and learn.
Yoga
The most relaxing one on this list, yoga is an inclusive and enjoyable activity that is known to relieve stress and be good for the body, mind and soul. Yoga “tries to connect individuals to be more receptive to their inner body feelings and allows the appropriate compassion and care to be given”. With two classes a week and a fair few socials, there’s plenty of chances to come and meet like-minded people and let go off regular stress and anxieties.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering, hill walking, scrambling, rock climbing, ice climbing, mountain biking and skiing – these are what joining the mountaineering society can offer you. The society gives students the chance to see the best of Scotland’s vast scenery, meaning there’s plenty of chances to get out of the city. It’s a very sociable society, and certainly worth joining.
Muay Thai Boxing
Muay Thai, or “art of the eight limbs”, is a form of martial art that originates from Thailand (hence the Thai part, right?) that has “an element of clinch fighting” making it useful for learning self-defence. The classes are on regularly, all of which are all inclusive and great for fitness, Muay Thai Boxing is a great way to enjoy sports and make friends too.
Sailing
The sailing society does offer competitive sailing opportunities, but also has chances for beginners and social sailors to enjoy too. For beginners, they offer open dinghy sailing every Wednesday at Bardowie Loch, where a team of qualified instructors will teach you to sail – and you can even get your official RYA level one and two qualifications. For social sailors (providing you know your stuff), they host an open sailing session every week.
Sky Dive
Yes, you did read that correctly. The university has a sky diving society where you can, in fact, learn to sky dive. Probably the most extreme sport that GUSA offers, The society has regular trips over to the Skydive Strathallan dropzone, where you’ll learn to “solo static line jump – where a ripcord automatically deploys your parachute upon exiting the plane at 3500ft”. Sure, this is a more extreme example of “fun”, but if this floats your boat (or flies your plane?) then be sure to check them out.
For more information on all of these societies, visit the GUSA webpage on the University’s website, or pop along to the Sports Fayre in the Stevenson building from 11am-5pm on 17 and 18 September.
