Playing korfball with a hangover: TOP Week sports day gets off to a slow start
A whole sports center for students is, of course, great fun, but only if it’s actually used. On the Wednesday morning of TOP Week, there’s plenty of opportunity to try out different sports.
The sports morning is slow to get going. Students are assigned to groups for the whole week but need to sign up individually for time slots. The 10:00 AM slot isn’t particularly popular. Members of the student equestrian association, Cave ne Cadas, are still waiting for their first interested visitors to tell them about their activities in the arena and forest, dressage, and nature rides.
Dry training
Just as Cave ne Cadas is without horses, the student skating association, Braga, is without skates on the tennis court. They are doing some dry training with long elastic bands to practice cornering techniques.
They do get some interested visitors. For them, there’s even ice as a reward after the effort. In this case, a popsicle. They’ll see the ice rink later that afternoon when the TOP Cantus takes place.
Meanwhile, it’s a hit with the student rugby association, Tarantula, on the same field. The basics of rugby are being taught to some interested students. An international student wears a T-shirt from the European Wrestling Championships, which looks promising. Did he participate in that? Absolutely! He’s also got talent, says his Tarantula trainer, and yes, he’s already signed up. That’s promising.
Students are still in bed
Most students are still in bed halfway through the morning, after what might have been a heavy evening, suspects Jasper van Popta. He’s the chairman of F.O.S.S.T., the umbrella organization of all student sports associations in Tilburg. And he’s mainly referring to Dutch students; the internationals are earlier risers.
Despite the slow start, interest eventually picks up, he notes. After the introduction, his last official activity, he can hand over the baton to his successor with peace of mind, he says.
Always scoring
Things go differently on the various sports fields. The morning basketball session is quite intense, but on the adjacent badminton courts, the shuttlecocks are lazily floating over the nets. In another hall, the table tennis tables are used for relaxed games of ping-pong.
And outside, the T-shirts of the student korfball association don’t seem to match reality. ‘At Melmac, you always score,’ it reads, but the candidates’ balls rarely get near the korf, let alone inside it.
‘It’s a technical sport. You can’t just jump in; it takes about three months to get the hang of it,’ is the explanation. Still, newcomers are indeed signing up for the association, even internationals, and that for this typically Dutch sport.
‘We’re a smaller association, which makes us more approachable. We’re also the only truly mixed sport.’ Perhaps the hashtag under the slogan on the T-shirt also plays a role: #mixedshowers. Is it true? ‘We always say: just join in, and you’ll find out for yourself.’
Balls on the beach
By 11:30 AM, it’s bustling on the beach volleyball courts of the student volleyball association, Gepidae. It’s been like that all day, says Kevin, the chairman of the association’s introduction committee. In fact, some of the 10:00 AM registrants enjoyed it so much that they’ve stuck around.
Yes, registration forms have been pushed under noses and signed. By the way, beach volleyball is primarily the association’s summer activity. From September to May, all activities are back indoors.
Board games
Those who are less into balls or movement also get their fill. The student e-sports association, Link, can also be found at the sports center for this occasion. It turns out that it’s not just about game consoles, PCs, joysticks, and screens. At several tables, board games like Ticket to Ride, Uno, and Secret Hitler are played with great enthusiasm.
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