A survey of students at the University of York demonstrated that in the areas of advertisement and pricings, sport at York currently lets itself down.
However, not everything is doom and gloom, and there are a number of positives to take from the survey results. Of course, a survey of 69 individuals is not fully reflective of a community consisting of over 10,000 members, but from the results clear patterns developed, which correlated with official YUSU surveys. A range of students were asked, from different backgrounds, years, and subjects, providing a relatively accurate picture of feelings regarding sport at York.
Participation levels advocated that 55% of students are members of a university backed sports society, but only 13% belong to more than one. These figures are slightly higher than YUSU figures, which suggest that 40% of students are members of a sports society.
Indeed being a member of sports societies takes up numerous hours, and can be a big commitment with training sessions, matches and socials cutting into a busy schedule; however, other factors must also play a role in creating these figures. College sport is much less time consuming, yet only 29% said that they regularly competed in college sport, whilst 51% stated that they had never represented their college in sport. A YUSU survey of college sport participation, found that out of 500 students, 46% were involved at some time. This is fairly similar to Vision’s results. Despite the seemingly low figures, this in fact ranks in the top five of British universities. However the participation rate could be further increased, helping to remove problems such as Langwith’s absence of a college rugby side.
One of the key factors is the poor advertisement, leaving people unaware of the vast array of societies on offer. Only 17% believe that sport at the university is well advertised, an alarmingly low number.
Freshers’ Fair provides solid advertisement, but after that any real advertising campaigns die out and new members can be difficult to attract. The general consensus tends to be that the Refreshers Fair in term two is a let down, and many assert that it is hard to enter a sports society midway through a year, as this can seem a daunting and intimidating experience.
First year physics student, and keen kayaker, Dan Ellis called for better advertising to raise awareness, by arguing: “There was only really the Freshers Fair. There was a hint at the Refreshers Fair, but I believe many sports didn’t attempt any advertisement there.”
Undoubtedly this is an aspect where there is room for improvement, and better advertisement would surely help to increase participation levels. College sport especially suffers, and many never get involved as they have little knowledge of the system. York Sport President Sam Asfahani acknowledges this, commenting: “Advertisement is something we are working on pushing next academic year as a priority because we need to.”
Third Year Stephanie Ashwood, captain of Alcuin College Hockey Team, stated that if she could make one alteration it would be to “raise greater awareness and increase participation in college sport, which is very accessible for everyone, and involves only minimal costs.”
The expensive nature of university sport is also an off put for many, who living on a tight student budget, struggle to afford to get involved with a number of societies. Currently aspects such as the costly gym membership, high society membership fees and initial outlay on university kit, mean that being a member of a sports society can soon empty your wallet.
Only 26% stated that University sport is affordable, with 44% claiming it is too expensive. However moves such as abolishing York Sport membership, and running free training camps should benefit students from the next academic year.
Many also consider the current facilities to be slightly below the expected standard. The absence of a swimming pool and running track are disappointments, whilst the poor state of the pitches on 22 Acres hampers the standard of both university and college football, often leading to postponements.
When asked to rate the current facilities out of ten, the average rating was five or six, inferring that the facilities are of a satisfactory, but not great standard. More worryingly, 13% clearly showed their displeasure, by marking the facilities with a three or below.
However, this issue is already being tackled, and the construction of modern sports facilities on Heslington East will surely be of great benefit to sport at the university. 92% of those surveyed believed that these new facilities would have a positive impact, even if some also argued that the location on the new campus might put off some potential users.
Not everything is downbeat though, and as well as emphasising areas for improvement, the survey also highlighted positive aspects already present with regard to sport at the university. 91% of those surveyed believe that a satisfactory range of sports is offered by the university, with very few people complaining of any sports that are missing. The belief that sport at the university is open to all abilities is also encouraging, with 70% agreeing with this statement, and only 9% claiming that it is not.
For some, the standard of competitive university sport may be too high, but this is another aspect in which York’s college system is beneficial, enabling everyone to get involved. An anonymous source, however, said they’d like “more club sessions in mainstream sports for people who aren’t that talented”. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that sport is accessible for those of all abilities, and is inclusive rather than exclusively for the talented.
The final question inquired as to whether people believe that sport at York compares well to other universities. This received a mixed response, with some arguing that in competitive terms York fared poorly, and that some of its facilities compared unfavourably with other institutions in the northern region.
Others, however, believed that with the wide range of societies and benefits of college sport, York actually stands in good stead in comparison to other universities. Indeed, the new facilities will further boost sport at York, and although York is not renowned as a top sporting university, the prospects look bright for York’s sporting reputation to improve in the future.
The marvellous constructions on Heslington East will provide solid foundations, and help to attract more keen sportsmen and women to the university, thus improving the standard over the coming years. Additionally, by making minor adjustments, such as an increase in advertising, and a slight reduction in prices of society memberships and university kit, more students will get involved in the future. This would also increase the already high satisfaction rates, which currently show that less than 5% of students are dissatisfied with sport at the University of York.