Anke van der Merwe
If the gym is getting too boring or if you cannot watch another rugby game, have a look at these interesting sports that you might have missed on campus.
Ultimate Frisbee
Your favourite beach activity is an official Olympic sport and Maties has a team right here on campus. There are 17 clubs across South Africa that compete in many tournaments, Mixed Nationals being one of the biggest.
Two teams of seven players each compete on a playing field about the size of a narrow football field. The scoring area is situated at opposite sides of the field which is called the “end zone.”
A team scores if one of their players catches the frisbee in the end zone.
There is no physical contact, and teams consist of men and women. It is a fun way of staying active.
“You meet a lot of new people and make good friends,” said Petro van Eck, one of the representatives.
Practices take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 17:15 to 18:30 on the field next to the B cricket field.
Go and test your December beach skills with this lively sport!
Rowing
There is no rowing your boat gently down the stream with this sport. Maties rowing competes in two competitions during the year, both of which are InterVaristy.
The first is a 1 km sprint at USSAs and the second is a boat race, which is a longer stretch and is for 8-man boats.
Training mostly takes place on Mondays to Thursdays at the rowing shed near the Coetzenburg rugby fields. On Saturdays and Sundays, training commences at a dam in Elgin.
“If someone only wants to train twice a week, that’s great! If someone wants to train every day, that is also great! We want people to know that you can take it seriously or you can do it for fun and become part of something bigger,” said Keeley Knutton, member of Maties rowing.
It is a tough sport where people can achieve great things, individually or as a team. “It takes a toll on you physically and mentally, but having a squad that understands what you are feeling is priceless,” said Knutton.
Who doesn’t want a great squad backing you, literally and figuratively?
Gymnastics
Have you ever wanted to be like Spiderman and do amazing stunts? This is the way to go. Maties gymnasts have a blast doing all kinds of gymnastics, including blacktop (trampoline), mini trampoline, artistic, rhythmic, tumbling and group events.
The competitions are optional and the level of intensity varies. Thus, there is no need to be like Nadia Comăneci. USSAs is the main event, and Maties gymnasts never disappoint.
The practices take place at the Van der Stel sport grounds on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 19:00 to 21:00.
The Maties gymnastics club is open to anyone. They are committed to fitness and family.
“We are big on being social. We camp and [socialise] together a lot,” said Mari van der Westhuizen, Maties gymnastics vice-chair. “It is our home away from home. We sweat, play, compete and win together.”
If you are looking to make good friends, whilst working on that summer body, then gymnastics is the place for you.
Fencing
Fencing is a good way to relieve some of that everyday student stress. Fitness and balance are some of the advantages that await.
“Our club is small and we have limited equipment, but we are like a small family and we help each other out,” said Mari Clift, secretary of Maties Fencing.
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 19:00 to 21:00, in the Sport Centre at Coetzenburg Gym, is when the action happens.
No experience or equipment are necessary. Go and have a look and maybe you could take part nationally at USSAs.
Surf
It is not only in Jeffreys Bay where the wave action takes place. Our Maties surfers take on the best surfers at stunning locations like Muizenberg and Victoria Bay.
The goal in a competition is to surf the wave to its fullest potential. Judges score the surfers on their speed, power and flow of the manoeuvres being executed. The competitions work in rounds, and in every round a surfer is eliminated. The finals consist of the four best remaining surfers.
Maties club has a surf school course that runs over a 5-week period. Beginners are always welcome.
“Meeting people and enjoying the ocean is what you experience in our club apart from getting your surfing career up and going,” said Marc Moir, one of the stars of Maties surfing. Get your wetsuit and GoPro ready for this thrilling ride.
Volleyball
Our volleyball players have the choice of playing either indoor or on the beach. Maties has two excellent beach courts, where practices take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 17:30 to 20:00.
The action on the indoor courts takes place on Fridays and Saturdays.
There are about 65 registered players and there is always space for more; no experience is necessary. The Maties players play in the WP League.
Kiran Maharaj, manager of the Active Lifestyle Unit, said that volleyball creates a sense of brotherhood and family, “and is a great excuse to go to the beach,” laughed Maharaj.
The sand courts are situated at the hockey astros, so take a leap of faith and take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of one of the most fun sports you will ever learn.
