youtube video link for audio (soundcloud had issues) – https://youtu.be/fs6L7Gv9oFk
A new social has arisen in the Leeds community for Leeds Beckett and Uni of Leeds students, in the form of a five-a-side football league. The students with potentially less athletic ability or who just don’t have time to train for main sports at the universities, now have a competitive social activity to look forward to on the weekends.
When speaking with a new member of the five-a-side community about his experience playing his first match for his new team, he said “i didn’t know anyone in the team” and “by the time the game had finished I was mates with everyone, and we were off to the pub together”. This just goes to show the power that sports can have on bringing new people together.
However, this growing five-a-side league is mainly male dominated, seeing the few women who do attend usually watching, and very rarely taking part. When the new member was asked about the female participation he responded with “From what i’ve seen there has been no female players participating” and he followed that up by saying “opening a women’s league alongside the mens league would be a great way of showing inclusivity between the two genders”.
Having a five-a-side league for both men and women would also allow slightly less athletic students or the slightly older students to have the opportunity to play a less time-consuming activity, and also an activity that isn’t as competitive, and more seen as a social hobby.
“games aren’t taken as seriously, but everyone still wants to win making a very fun activity”
