CHOOSING A SPORT

It’s that age-old student conundrum: ‘What can I do to fill the void between studying and drinking?’ The answer… Sport.

Even the most ardent of students would recognise that your time at university is not simply to be spent with your nose embedded deep within the pages of ‘Doctor Faustus’ or  ‘Quantum Mechanics for Dummies’.

However spending your time sprawled outside of Slater’s after having one too many ‘Quads Vods’ isn’t exactly the extra-curricular activities employers, nor your parents, had in mind.

So there heralds that age-old student conundrum, what can I do to fill the void between studying and drinking? The answer…. Sport.

For those who think sport in Liverpool is all about spending 90 minutes kicking a ball of air between a couple of sticks, think again!

The beauty of sport at university is that there’s so much to choose from and luckily for you The Tab is here to help.

We’ve devised an ingenious, fool-proof, and downright beautiful interactive chart to help you decide which sport is best for you:

Your Result:

Tennis – Is that a McEnroe esq. “You can’t be serious” we hear? Well we are serious and it looks irrefutable to us that tennis is for you!

That hair-do was deadly serious…

Football – Is there a more divisive sport in the entire of Liverpool? So whether you’re red or blue get those boots laced and hope you can make it to half time before last night’s donor kebab makes a re-appearance.

Basketball – Only at The Tab would a penchant for ‘Hula Hoops’ lead you to committing to a sport for the next few years, we apologise! (Also handy if you’re 7ft plus).

Try scoring past this guy…

Rugby – Ever fancied wrestling in the mud for an oversized egg for 80 minutes, all whilst your ears slowly begin to demonstrate ‘cauliflowery’ characteristics? Well step this way.

Swimming – Born with an innate ability to look good in a pair of speedos, some goggles and a swimming cap? No us neither, but hey there’s no harm in a little denial as we attempt to master the 50m butterfly…. Lifeguard!

Sydney 2000’s swimming sensation – Eric the eel

Athletics – Fancy making it from Abercromby Square to Brownlow Hill in less than 10 seconds, well athletics could be just the sport for you. So whether you can run, jump or throw (or even if you can’t) athletics in Liverpool is definitely something to get involved in.

Badminton – If you possess the maturity to realise that a ‘shuttlecock’ is more than simply a synonym of ‘spacepenis’ then badminton could well be for you. If you can’t, stick to rugby.

Boxing – Whether you ‘float like a butterfly and sting like a bee’ or ‘float like a buoyant turd and sting like a bubble’ there’s boxing to accommodate all levels in Liverpool so why not give it a go?

Golf – Whether it be on the driving range, practice green, 18^th hole or sliding that winning putt under the windmill and through the clown’s mouth, golf can be enjoyed at all levels and abilities. Pub golf doesn’t exactly count, mind.

Kraymer secures a European win

Handball – One of the most under-appreciated sports around, handball is high intensity, exhilarating and for all abilities. Still not convinced? A quick Google search of the Swedish women’s handball team may change your mind.

Hate to say I told you so, alright!

Netball – So much more than just 14 women running around in short skirts, netball is one of the quickest and most technically impressive sports around. Women, it’s definitely worth signing up and men, it’s DEFINITELY worth a watch.

Rowing – To the tune of Row row row your boat’;  ‘Row row row your boat, gently down the stream, Merrily merrily merrily merrily, stock up on protein!’

Table Tennis – The Tab’s great enigma. We can’t confess to being experts in table tennis but from what we have picked up, it’s a fantastic 9-a-side, adrenaline-fuelled orgy of violence, so don’t forget your helmet and stick…

You can pick up a table tennis table at any good furniture store…

Ultimate Frisbee – Sport’s equivalent to your quirky second cousin just returned from his gap-year hitchhike across south-east Asia. Although it’s unusual, it’s a hell of a lot fun and definitely worth trying at least once.

Skiing – Skiing in Liverpool isn’t just restricted to strapping a couple of flattened pizza boxes to your feet and sliding down Brownlow Hill on an icy day. Despite the lack of natural piste’s there are plenty of snow sport societies who run a variety of ski trips throughout the year.

Not a bad effort…

Archery – Fancy adding archery as a feather to your cap, but the thought of stringing up a bow leaves you quivering? Well brace yourself because there’s an abundance of archery opportunities in Liverpool.

Sky Diving – Fed up of boring ‘orthodox’ sports? Fancy trying something a bit more exciting? Ever wanted to throw yourself out of a plane? If you answered yes to those 3 questions The Tab knows just the sport for you!

Also a spectator sport…

Cheerleading – Gimme an ‘L’, gimme an ‘I’, gimme a ‘V’, et cetera, et cetera….

Karate – Don’t fancy hurtling down a mountain or jumping from a plane? How about being on the receiving end of a kick to the face, because that sounds much more appealing? Of course karate is so much more than that, it’s a great source of self-discipline and a unique way to get fit and meet new people.

Cricket – Throwing, catching, hitting a ball as hard as you can, fashionable white knitted jumpers? What’s not to love!

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