We have the ability to succeed! Often that’s forgotten, and the fact that we finished outside of the BUCS Top 40 last year was considered a failure by many parties, after the large emphasis placed on the goal.
The truth is though that it shouldn’t be, and the last 12 months have underlined the potential that is present within the York Sport Union. Sometimes we have a tendency to measure success in the wrong way, and forget that in reality we are making great strides forward.
A number of our teams have enjoyed momentous successes, and that serves to show that we truly can compete with some of the leading institutions in the country.
We’d be foolish to think that we will all of a sudden become a sporting heavyweight, but the signs are there that we are making progress, and through clubs such as futsal, rugby and fencing we have professional models that we can look to replicate throughout the wide repertoire of sports on offer at York.
There appears to be an increasing sense of professionalism developing at York, with rugby providing the most vivid depiction of such a notion. The club may have suffered three consecutive narrow defeats to date this year, but no one can criticise their attitude or commitment. The club train up to five times a week, and eventually they will surely be rewarded for their effort.
The highlight of last year was the brilliant success of the Futsal club, as they produced a series of sublime displays to progress through to the semi-finals of the BUCS National Championships, before representing their country in this summer’s European Championships.
Futsal may not be the most high profile of sports, but regardless it shows the progress that York is making, and that through a large measure of commitment and dedication we can compete with the very best. The same goes for fencing, a sport that York has developed a reputation for excelling in, and the fact that we attract international standard athletes demonstrates the potential on offer.
And the most exciting part has to be the new facilities on offer at the University. For years, York was held back by its sub-standard and decidedly shoddy facilities, but under the stewardship of Keith Morris, the University has made significant developments over recent years in creating exceptional facilities.
The York Sport Village is something we can be proud of, whilst the improvements to the gym in the sports centre have further boosted what we can offer to prospective students. Add on the plans for a new tennis dome, county standard athletics track and new astroturf, and you have the recipe for success over coming years.
Of course we might still finish outside the Top 40 this year, but that really isn’t the end of the world. Sometimes we focus on facts, figures and stats too much, and as a result miss the wider picture. Whatever people say we’re making progress, and exciting times lie ahead. We can succeed, be positive! And if all else fails, I’m sure we’ll still win Roses.