Scotland is going to be sports mad this summer. With the Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon and the Fifa World Cup around the corner, if you aren’t in a sporty, competitive mood right now, you soon will be.
Over the summer holidays there’s a number of activities to get involved with. From the high profile games like football and tennis, to the lesser mapped sports like judo and aquatics, you won’t have an excuse for being a couch potato. Joining a sports club will not only look great on your CV, but can help keep you in good health, make new friends and generally have a good time.
To get you inspired, here’s a pick of the Source favourites, and advice on how to get involved with them.
Tennis
If you have good hand-eye coordination, strength and good balance, you could be the next Andy Murray.
Nearly every town and city in Scotland has its own tennis club, so give them a ring and see if they have any programmes you can sign up for during the summer, or just book some court time and play a friendly doubles match with your mates.
Judo
Judo is a highly physical, modern martial art that has become increasingly popular outside its Japanese home. Competitors score points by throwing their opponent to the ground or blocking their movement using arm locks, holds or strangles. So if you have excellent fortitude and a way with tactics, you could have a black belt in no time.
Scotland is home to many judo clubs, so pop your post code into this search box on the Judo Scotland site to find one near you.
Dance
I can hear a good majority of you protesting that dance is an art form, and not a sport. But because dancers need stamina, vigor and a creativity in order to succeed, it’s considered both.
Your local community centre might hold sessions, or there might be a local dance school with a variety of classes on offer. Dancing is a great way to relive stress and is a great tool for making new friends — get Googling what’s on in your area and give the Strictly contestants a run for their money.
Basketball
Basketball, like football and rugby, requires team work, determination and shooting and defence techniques.
Although not as profiled as some sports, there’s a fantastic basketball community in Scotland that’s open to all ages. So if you see yourself taking part in a fast-paced game that differs from the norm, check out the Basketball Scotland website to be part of the fun.
Aquatics
Aquatics isn’t just about swimming laps. If you love being in the water, you can get competitive in all sorts of action including diving, water polo, canoeing and boat racing. Basically, anything thing played in water can be turned into a thrilling game. Pick up the phone and ring your local pool or river club to find how to get involved.
And this is just scraping the surface of the many activities you could be embracing this summer – check out the Sport Scotland site at www.sportscotland.org.uk for further inspriation. Happy sporting!
