How does netball help you lose weight?

May 18, 2023 - one year ago

Did you know that you burn an estimate of 449 calories in a 45 minute netball game? That is equivalent to 4 Gin and Tonics or 2 chocolate bars!

Netball is an epic sport that can help with a common new year's resolution almost all of us have. Do you have any guesses as to what we’re referring to? It’s weightloss! Netball is fast-paced as the nature of the game involves constant running, jumping, and changes in direction. You’re going to start working up a sweat within 5 minutes of playing and while you’re catching your breath, don’t give up just yet. Be sure to remember that playing netball helps to increase cardiovascular fitness, burn fat, and improve muscle tone. 

We mentioned that running and jumping are a part of netball but how does someone actually lose weight while playing netball? The thing is, you need to move quickly and efficiently using a combination of strength, agility, and coordination to outmaneuver opponents and score points. The intensity of the game means that players can burn a significant number of calories in a relatively short amount of time, making netball a great option for those looking to lose weight. Playing for a short time and burning a lot of calories sounds like a dream come true really! 

While netball is super great for weight loss, it is also a social sport that can help to improve mental wellbeing. Joining a netball team can provide a sense of camaraderie and belonging, as well as the opportunity to meet new people and make friends. This social aspect can be particularly beneficial for those who may be struggling with weight loss and looking for support and encouragement from others. Playing netball can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, which can be a common trigger for overeating or unhealthy food choices.

Here at Urban Rec, we love to support our community in achieving their goals. Whether it’s about trying to lose weight, learning a new sport, making new friends or all three and much more! Netball is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels which is what Urban rec is all about! Urban Rec provides a sustainable and enjoyable way to incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyle, leading to long-term weight loss and improved overall health.

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How does sport improve social skills?

May 15, 2023 - one year ago

Hey legends! We’re always saying Urban Rec is more than sports but do you know why? There’s a reason why you’re reading our blog so we think you already know the answer to that question. We’d love to let you know how freaking amazing sport is for your social skills. Here's the lowdown on how getting in the game can level up your social game:

1. Teamwork makes the dream work: Playing sports with a team teaches you how to work together towards a common goal. You gotta communicate, coordinate, and trust your teammates. This helps you develop awesome teamwork skills that transfer to real-life situations like group projects or even just hanging out with your crew.

2. Making friends: Sports are a bloody awesome way to meet new people and make friends. Whether you're joining a team or just playing casually, you're bound to meet fellow sports enthusiasts who share your passion. You share the highs, the lows, and the bloody awesome moments, which creates a bond that's stronger than a crocodile's grip.

3. Winning and losing gracefully: Sports teach you how to handle victories and defeats. You gotta learn to celebrate the wins without being a sore winner and accept losses without throwing a major tantrum. This helps you develop sportsmanship and resilience, which are key qualities for handling setbacks in life with a positive attitude.

4. Communication on fleek: When you're in the game, communication is key, ya hear us? You’ve got to shout out plays, call for passes, and support your teammates. Effective communication on the field translates to real-life situations, where you gotta express yourself clearly, listen actively, and understand others. It's like leveling up your social interaction skills! A win-win!

5. Respect all around: Sports teach you to respect your opponents, teammates, and officials. You learn to play fair, follow the rules, and treat everyone with respect, regardless of their skills or background. This respect carries over into your everyday life, making you a bloody legend to be around.

So, there you have it, mate! Sports give you the chance to develop killer social skills and that’s one of the things we love about Urban Rec. It’s more than sport. You practice teamwork, making friends, handling wins and losses, communication, and respect. Get out there, play hard, and watch your social game level up to epic awesomeness!

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Urban Rec Superbowl LVIII

May 3, 2023 - one year ago

Press Release: Urban Rec Australia’s Superbowl Flag Gridiron Tournament raises money for OTLR.

Release: Urban Rec Australia, the leading provider of adult recreational sports leagues in the country, held its annual Flag Gridiron tournament on Sunday, 12 February 2023 in honor of the NFL Super Bowl LVII. The tournament hosted two divisions - intermediate and recreational - with six teams each, for a total of 12 teams and about 100 players participating, marking Urban Rec’s largest annual Flag Gridiron tournament to date.

History of Urban Rec’s Annual Flag Gridiron Tournament: Since 2016, the tournament has been an annual staple to Urban Rec’s calendar. Wollongong serves as a prime location for the annual event, as it allows for teams traveling to from our other Urban Rec Cities. We had teams representing Sydney, Greater Western Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra. This year, Wollongong is also going to be hosting the 2023 Gridiron Australia National Championships from 24-29 April 2023, so it is Urban Rec’s hope that the 2023 Super Bowl Flag Gridiron Tournament has generated a bit of hype for this niche sport to encourage spectators to come out and watch the National Championships.

2023 Flag Gridiron Tournament: This year the sponsors and spectators really made the difference. Examples of this include but not limited to:

• A Young Henrys sponsored party cart serving up a classic American tailgate with hot dogs and beers from chilled kegs courtesy of Young Henrys.
• Fireball AU sponsored prizing for the intermediate division winners.
• Red Bull supported ‘Chill Out Zone’ featuring a tent, bean bags, tailgate games of cornhole and finksa plus Red Bull samples and the Red Bull event vehicle pumping DJ tunes all day.
• Wollongong Mustangs Gridiron Club sponsoring a field by staffing officials and bringing down a ‘ball launcher’ for players to show off their long-haul catches and TD celebrations.
• Spectators galore, including a team with a designated ‘water runner’ showing off his budgie smugglers throughout the day…truly embracing the spirit of the game.

A huge thanks goes out to Young Henrys, Fireball, Red Bull and the Wollongong Mustangs Gridiron Club for their generosity to contribute to the success of the event in their own unique way.

In addition to all of that, potentially the biggest difference in the 2023 tournament compared to previous years is the fact that all proceeds will be donated to Outside The Locker Room (OTLR), a charity that provides mental health education and welfare support to sporting clubs, schools and workplaces across Australia. With the help of the generosity of all of the sponsors, the 2023 Urban Rec Superbowl Flag Gridiron Tournament raised a total of $2145 for Outside The Locker Room.

"Outside the Locker Room are excited to partner with Urban Rec Australia as their wellbeing partner and to change the game for mental health in sport. The incredible support shown by Urban Rec Australia, its staff, its members and the entire community towards OTLR has been incredible. When presented with the opportunity to become partners, all of us at OTLR were ecstatic to become a part of the Urban Rec Australia family. What Urban Rec Australia brings to sport is amazing, focusing on fun, community connection, starting conversations and supporting one another, everything we stand for at OTLR. We believe with this partnership we can truly work together to connect our communities through conversation on the path to positive mental wellbeing for all."

Needless to say, the 2023 Urban Rec Superbowl Flag Gridiron Tournament was one to remember. Lindsay Malony, of Urban Rec Wollongong and Coordinator of the tournament, stated, “As someone who has been around American Football (Gridiron) for over 12 years. I can honestly say this was one of the highlights of my involvement in the game. The camaraderie of the teams, the buy-in from players in making it a memorable experience and the generosity from all our sponsors, all while raising money for a cause that is close to my heart, mental health awareness. This tournament reminded me how sport has the ability to bring people together. It’s events like this that reaffirm my passion to be involved in the sporting world and make social sport accessible to all.”

We can’t wait to see what this tournament brings in 2024, because it definitely will be back, so mark your calendars now for February 2024! If you’re keen to participate in other Urban Rec Australia events this year, 2023 has a high-energy calendar of events for the rest of 2023, including 3v3 Basketball Tournaments (Sydney, Canberra and Newcastle), City to Surf involvement (Sydney), a Touch Football World Cup (Canberra), a Soccer World Cup Tournament (Melbourne) and Beach Sports Parties (Canberra and Greater Western Sydney). Each of these events has its own unique personality and vibe, so you’re bound to find something that strikes your fancy, all while being active, having fun and feeling good about the fact that all proceeds will be donated to a selected charity partner.

For more information, please contact:

Madeleine Wilkie:

• Urban Rec Australia Pty Ltd
• 0406 669 500
• [email protected]

Urban Rec Australia Urban Rec Sports Club is a premier adult recreational sports organization that operates in major cities across Australia. They offer a variety of sports leagues and events for all adults and skill levels to participate in, including dodgeball, netball, flag football, football, volleyball, soccer, and more.

Access Social Sport Access Social Sport Inc advocates for positive change in the communities in which Urban Rec are embedded. We believe sport should be accessible to all Australians with added focus on minority groups. Accessibility issues in sport come in many forms depending on each persons individual situation, we aim to aid as many disadvantaged aussies as possible. We believe sport can provide endless enrichment to peoples lives and that this enrichment should be shared.

OTLR focuses on providing critical education for mental health and other social issues, while also providing education for communities to become leaders and inclusive for everyone. OTLR provides education to sporting clubs, schools and workplaces across Australia, looking to show that sport is more than just a game, that in schools the stigma stops here and provide workplaces the space to connect their community through conversation.

Todd Morgan

• OTLR
• [email protected]
• 0423118833

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APRIL: MOST VALUABLE HOST

April 30, 2023 - one year ago

Our most valuable host for the month of April is Olivia Lei

Another fresh face to the team and Olivia has been an awesome addition. Starting off hosting at Urban Rec, Olivia knew minimal about Netball. But credit to her willingness to learn, and several youtube clips later she was an expert! Olivia is now the face of our Netball Camperdown leagues (and guess what her fave sport is??? Basketball LOL!) and is absolutely owning it!

If you see Olivia around your leagues please give her a big WELL DONE! She deserves it

It’s people like Olivia that make Urban Rec so special to thousands of members each week, so Thank you!

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MARCH: MOST VALUABLE HOST

March 31, 2023 - one year ago

Our most valuable host for the month of March is Ben Folcarelli

Ben completed his first shift on Monday February 27th and since that very moment he has absolutely nailed his time as a Urban Rec Event Host. Ben Hosts 3 of our most busiest, popular and much needed leagues from a Monday – Wednesday and I don’t think Urban Rec HQ has seen someone so quickly adapt and nail Hosting as quick as Ben. 

Ben has been a breathe of fresh air with his enthusiasim and willingness to become an absolute gun event host. 

Only 1 month into the swing of things and this legend is already collecting the accolades. Well done mate!

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HIRING: National Marketing Coordinator

March 16, 2023 - one year ago

Urban Rec Sports Club is a premier adult recreational sports organization that operates in major cities across Australia. We offer a variety of sports leagues and events for all adults and skill levels to participate in, including dodgeball, netball, flag football, football, volleyball, soccer, and more.

Our culture is very fun-loving, disruptive, colloquial and social. We pride ourselves on being flexible, and very high performing. We are super professional, but don’t take ourselves too seriously. We are looking for a National Social Media & Marketing Co-ordinator to support our Managing Director.

The role is 2 days a week (15 hours per week) with flexible hours so would suit someone studying or returning to the workforce. For the right candidate, this contract will expand quickly.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Create and schedule monthly marketing content for social media channels.
• Create content for seasonal advertising activities.
• Create a monthly newsletter template.
• Write content/articles for our website and Linked in Etc.
• Use Canva to create and oversee Brand Templates and Company content pools
• Review and approve content posted through our social media management platform - be the brand guardian.
• Reply to comments and questions, be proactive at monitoring conversations.
• Manage our Facebook Groups and communities to build brand loyalty.
• Find and pitch sponsors for our charity events.
• Create/update and send sponsor packages for national initiatives.
• Proactively seek and pitch PR opportunities.
• Organizing nationwide monthly events, collating presentations, setting agendas.
• Auditing and updating website content for national promotions and SEO requirements (attend monthly meetings).
• Manage and oversee paid advertising to find optimisation opportunities.
• Support MD on additional administration tasks as needed.

ABOUT YOU

• You are creative.
• You understand the internet and social media.
• Proficient or willingness to learn and upskill on platforms like Canva, Meta ads, Buffer, Monday.com etc.
• Good eye for detail and design as well as branding consistency
• Excellent copywriting skills for article writing, web administration, and caption writing.
• An interest in social media trends and hot topics (around sports, even better)
• A natural eye for video editing.
• No formal marketing experience required, though you need to have the flair and an eye of what our customers want.
• Living in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and available to attend leagues from time to time.

We are looking for someone to join our team long-term, but this contract is 3 months to start to ensure we gel and improve. We do not want an agency for this role, it is in-house only!

HOW TO APPLY

Send your resume and a cover letter/email to [email protected]

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UR-Royalty

March 1, 2023 - one year ago

Urban Rec Royalty Program, 2023.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce to you the Urban Rec Royalty Program.

Be the beneficiary of a $100 or $200 ‘Royal Pardon’. The Royalty Program is our shiny new loyalty program designed to show our appreciation and give back to those that support our Urban Rec family the most. In a time of impending Republicanisation we have decided to start crowning our Royal Family here at Urban Rec.

Your Loyalty makes U-Royalty… each season your team will earn a gem for their crown, a full crown needs 3 gems. Once your crown is full, you will be bestowed your chamberlain with your Royal Seal of approval and we will reduce your 4th season registration fee by $100 or $200. To those that earn this Royal Pardon, we love you and we truly are, in fact, your loyal subjects.

UR HQ

Annual Priority Periods (Sydney & Melbourne)

• Season 1 into Season 2: 27th March – 3rd April 2023
• Season 2 into Season 3: 10th July – 16th July 2023
• Season 3 into Season 4: 25th September – 2nd October 2023
• Season 4 into Season 1: 8th January – 15th January 2024

T’s&C’s

• Teams that register in three (3) consecutive seasons in 2023 to receive a $100 reduced team fee on their 4th season.
• Teams that register and pay in full during priority/promo week for three (3) consecutive seasons in 2023 onwards are to receive a $200 reduced team fee on their 4th season.
• Teams that register in three (3) seasons non-consecutively, with only one (1) season break, are eligible to receive a $100 royal pardon.
• Teams will be notified within priority registration leading to the 4th season and will be provided a private link for registering with the discount.
• The $100 or $200 will not be refunded to a card if the team has paid in full before realizing - a credit may be offered in this instance against the captain's account.
• The team does not have to have played in the same league/sport throughout the year.
• The team must be made up of over 50% of the same members, or have the same team captain.
• Teams using the deposit function but not paying the balance during priority registration will be eligible for $100 royal pardon.
• This promotion is in effect from January 2023 onwards.

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February: Most Valuable Host

February 28, 2023 - one year ago

Our most valuable host for the month of February is Cindy Hoang!!! 

Cindy made all of her shifts in the month of February as well as filling in for additional shifts too. Not only is she reliable, she is extremely nice and amazing with our all of our members across Tuesdays and Thursdays. We can always count on Cindy and there is no wonder why each league she is at always sells out each out season! Obviously, we aren’t the only ones that love Cindy. 

An OG host of ours who is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure her league is fun and sociable for all. See above photo, Cindy was kind enough to hand out roses and chocolates to members on Valentines day. 

Cindy you are a star! Well done and congrats, keeping doing you. 

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Gender Identity Inclusion, Rule Updates, Pride Round 2023

February 16, 2023 - one year ago

Urban Rec is proud to announce that we have recently updated our gender identity options across member profiles, the registration process, and rules within our club. 

While Urban Rec has always been LGBTQI+ friendly, the functionality of being able to offer places on team rosters for those that don’t identify as man or woman, has not been possible…Till now. 

We believe that all Australian’s should have access to social sports. We welcome all people, of any gender identity to join Urban Rec and benefit from the physical and mental health benefits that come with playing social sport. Urban Rec aims to provide a supportive and inclusive space for everyone, now and always. 

HERE ARE THE SMALL, BUT IMPORTANT CHANGES

1. Players can select a gender identity other than man or woman when creating their member profile.
2. Individual teams will have space available on team rosters for people who are non-binary, transitioning etc. 
3. Our sports rules have been updated to remove references to gender advantages or disadvantages in the context of scoring, defending, or positioning.
4. Urban Rec has become a member of Pride in Sport, a national not-for-profit sporting inclusion program specifically designed to assist sporting organisations at all levels. 

WHY ARE WE NOT MAKING ALL LEAGUES OPEN? I.E. NO GENDER REQUIREMENTS

Urban Rec has long been at the forefront of efforts to drive gender equity in the social sports environment. While many of our counterparts in the adult recreation space claim to be facilitating mixed-gender environments, there are very few other adult recreation providers that are facilitating exclusively mixed-gender leagues with the minimum inclusion requirements that we have long held to be fundamental to our programs.

All sports need to have a minimum gender identity requirement. Without gender identity requirements within a mixed sports environment we would unfortunately take away the equity of women, men and non-binary individuals having access to play in a mixed-gender, social, fun and fair environment. Simply stated, we would become a male dominated sports club. 

MORE ON RULE UPDATES

• Our sports rules have been updated to remove references to gender advantages or disadvantages in the context of scoring, defending, or positions. 
• Where appropriate physical advantages and disadvantages have been taken into consideration.
• These include Touch Football, Basketball, Softball, Flag Gridiron and Netball.
• These rules are now live within your member dashboard and on our website.

ACKNOWLEDGE THESE CHANGES WITH URBAN REC’S FIRST PRIDE ROUND

• Pride Round is happening nationally within all Urban Rec cities, Feb 20 till 24, 2023.
• To acknoledge all of our LGBTQI+ community as well as the additional announcements and updates.
• We welcome players to wear some rainbow to show their support.
• In Sydney, Our Party Cart will be attending a league each night with support from our sponsor, Young Henrys.
• Donate what you can for a sausage and a beer towards Access Social Sports, and PrideCup.
• What is Access Social Sports? Check out our instagram post here.

WHAT DO URBAN REC MEMBERS NEED TO DO?

Get to know your updated rules, continue to play with kindness and fairness. If you have a question about someone's gender identity before, during or after a game, talk to your Event Host. Urban Rec has zero tolerance for homophopia, biphobia and transphobia. 

These updates are new for our club and an ever-progressive process for us all. We will not get this right the first time, and we do not pretend to have it all figured out, but we promise we are trying our best. Through our membership with Pride in Sport and the input from our LGBTQI+ community, we will continue to update and evolve as necessary. Our commitment is enduring. 

If you have any questions or suggestions about the policy or updates, please contact [email protected] 

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Netball experience life changing for Emma Bastable

February 15, 2023 - one year ago

Emma Bastable (far right) pictured with her teammates. 

By Renae Smyth

Transgender netballer Emma Bastable first started playing in the Urban Rec Netball league in Sydney’s inner suburb of Redfern in 2018. 

A mixed social competition that Emma signed up for as an individual on a whim. A daunting step to take, given she didn’t know her teammates or the rules of the game.

Although, having played cricket, rugby and soccer growing up, Emma knew the rules and friendships would come later. So, for now, she focused on the fun and the opportunity to switch off from her days, working as a solicitor.

Taking more than eight years away from playing any sport, Emma admits there was always a concern in the back of her mind. An uneasy feeling that she may not be accepted by her team or the club.

“I was worried about the transgender stuff at first, I think that was one of the reasons why I hadn’t played sport for so long,” she said.

To her surprise, her gender was never a problem.

“It was totally not a big deal. Everyone accepted me and validated me in my gender. It was just never an issue,” she said.

Emma felt the support of fellow teammates and instantly felt welcome. Pulling on the GK bib for ‘The Flinstones’ felt right.

“I got really lucky in a way. I met a group of people that I really liked,” she said.

“The team was super supportive. I told them that I had never played netball before, so they were giving me tips and helping me along the way.”

Emma now plays multiple nights a week in five different teams and can’t imagine life without the game.  

“Netball has become such a huge part of my life and a big part of my identity.

“Having positive experiences over and over again has just made it easy to slowly start to play in more leagues and progress my abilities.

“I don’t know what I would be doing with a lot of my time if I hadn’t had such a good experience [with netball].”

The community netballer has thrown her support behind Netball Australia’s recent announcement of policy guidelines for inclusion of transgender and gender diverse athletes in the elite competitions.

“Diverse representation at higher levels is just so important for making everyone feel welcome in the leagues and in the teams.

“Kids look up to high-profile players and if they decide to pursue netball more seriously as a career, it is comforting to know that it’s an option for them. An option for everyone.”

To Emma, knowing the netball community has provided pathways and opportunities for others like her within the sport brings a level of acceptance, but hopes to see more engagement at the grassroots level.

“It’s really important for transgender people to be accepted and given the opportunity and to know that someone out there has there back.

“It takes a lot to take that first step of signing up for a community sport and if you have a bad experience, it could be enough to disincentivise you to stop playing sport all together.

“Encouraging  transgender people to participate in community sport goes a long way to changing attitudes and normalising acceptance of us and showing that we’re just out there doing our own thing and living a normal life.”

Emma will be a voice within the transgender and gender diverse community that will work with Netball Australia and netball member organisations as they develop policy guidelines for inclusion of transgender and gender diverse netballers at a community level.

Taking that brave step onto the court is an experience that Emma believes has changed her life and the person she has become, very much for the better.

“I’ve made so many friends through netball, friends that I never would have met before if I wasn’t playing netball,” she said.

“It allows me to be a better person and live a better life than I otherwise would be.”

For the original post from Netball Australia: https://netball.com.au/news/netball-experience-life-changing-emma-bastable 

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