Summer Priority Registration

November 27, 2022 - 2 years ago

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE and priority registration is 28 nov – 09 dec!

If you’re currently playing with us, Priority Registration is your chance to register into your current league before things open up to other teams! Nice. Skip the FOMO stage completely by having peace of mind you’ve got a spot.

BUT → that spot it limited, so don’t miss out registering during Priority Registration!

This season your team will have the chance to win your team registration back! I.e. a FREE TEAM REGO (value up to $1000). WOW.

SO...how does it work?!

1. On Monday, 28 November @ 12:01a, your team captain will receive an email from Urban Rec HQ with a link to register your team.
2. Simply have your team captain register your team via that link anytime between Monday, 28 November and Friday, 09 December, and you’ll be entered into the draw to win your team registration back!
3. The winner will be selected the week of 12 December.

FAQs:

• We’re switching team captains...what happens?
  No stress! We’ll email the link to all players mid-week and/or simply reach out to UR HQ = [email protected] and we’ll send the new captain the link directly.
   
• I don’t have the $$ from all my teammates...what do I do?
  Simply put down a $150 deposit to secure your team spot and your chance to win your registration back. Deposit links can  be found on your league specific page OR reach out to UR HQ = [email protected] and we’ll send you the deposit link directly.
   
• We forgot to register between 28 Nov – 09 Dec...can we enter late to  be considered for the free team rego?
• Nope. So sorry, but early bird gets the worm so to speak! You’ll need to register before 11:59pm on Friday, 09 December to be eligible to enter the draw.
   
• We want to switch sports. Is that ok?
  Of course! Variety is the spice of life, so definitely ok to switch sports, provided it’s not sold out!

If you have any questions that haven’t been answered here, just reach out! We’re happy to help! xx

Netball Etiquette

October 1, 2022 - 2 years ago

Urban Rec’s point of difference from almost all other sport providers, is that we care about the experience had by absolutely everyone involved within our leagues, including our staff.

As with all Urban Rec leagues, we do not tolerate disrespectful or rude humans. We are inclusive, and welcome all levels of ability, and as a consequence – we are tough on any team or player who goes against our culture. 

To make things super clear, we have compiled a list of Urban Rec Netball player etiquette. Keep these points in mind, when playing in any of our competitions. It’s the Urban Rec way… 

DON’T

• Defend your opposing player face to face outside the goal circle, it's an old school netball tactic an it's way too intense for social netball.
• When defending a shot, if you lose balance, don’t use this as an opportunity to intimidate the shot. 
• Go for a pass like it's an AFL catch, if there is contact on a pass/catch like this, our Event Hosts will always award posession to the attacking team.
• If you are the team who hit the ball out of play, be the team to collect it...doesn’t matter if it’s not your throw in. 
• Trash talk the opposition or your own team! Goes without saying. Don’t be a rude.  
• Make calls or question a call of one of our hosts – this creates a shitty atmosphere and ruins our staff members evening and other players evenings. Wait till quarter time and have an adult conversation about your concerns. 
• Don’t make passive aggressive calls under your breath, talk to your host at quarter time. 
• Be way too competitive that it could be mistaken as aggression.

DO’s 

• Always put the enjoyment and respect of your opponents, ahead of your desire to win.
• Remember your Event Host is not a referee.  
• Socialise with other teams, they are not the enemy.
• Be honest – if you stepped, or contacted a player by accident, step out of play and let the opponent take a pass.
• Support and coach players that seem to be struggling.
• Play to the ability of your opposition, give beginner players and extra second, but compete when you see a player who knows the game/rules well. 
• Win and lose graciously – its fine to be good and its fine to win, but don’t enjoy dominating a team so bad that it spoils their game (points for and against is NEVER used in our standings). Same goes when you are on the losing side, its fine to lose and it really doesn’t matter if you’ve lost so do so with a smile on your face, you can still have a good time surrounded by mates.
• Cheer for the opposition if they pull off something spectacular.
• Always shake your oppositions hands

Do you play in our Netball leagues? Do you think we have missed something? Is there any behaviour or bad etiquette you would like to see abolished? Send us a message to [email protected] or contact your League Manager.

Spring Priority Registration

September 1, 2022 - 2 years ago

SPRING HAS SPRUNG AND PRIORITY REGISTRATION IS 05-12 SEPTEMBER!

Are you currently playing with us and wanna come back?! We sure hope so….

Our lil’ gift to you is this special thing called priority registration. That’s a week where our currently playing teams get access to the chance to get in early before registration opens to the public and/or the chance to win a cheeky prize. HOW F*ING GOOD.

This season your team will have the chance to win your team registration back! I.e. a FREE TEAM REGO (value up to $1000). WOW.

SO...how does it work?!

1. On Monday, 05 September @ 12:01a, your team captain will receive an email from Urban Rec HQ with a link to register your team.
2. Simply have your team captain register your team via that link anytime between Monday, 05 September and Monday, 12 September and you’ll be entered into the draw to win your team registration back!
3. The winner will be selected on Wednesday, 14 September at our Escape Room Social Night @Breakout Bar.

FAQs:

• We’re switching team captains...what happens?
  No stress! We’ll email the link to all players mid-week and/or simply reach out to UR HQ = [email protected] and we’ll send the new captain the link directly.
   
• I don’t have the $$ from all my teammates...what do I do?
  Simply put down a $150 deposit to secure your team spot and your chance to win your registration back. Deposit links can  be found on your league specific page OR reach out to UR HQ = [email protected] and we’ll send you the deposit link directly.
   
• We forgot to register between 05-12 September...can we enter late to  be considered for the free team rego?
  Nope. So sorry, but early bird gets the worm so to speak! You’ll need to register before 11:59pm on Monday, 12 September in order to enter the draw.
   
• We want to switch sports. Is that ok?
  Of course! Variety is the spice of life, so definitely ok to switch sports, provided it’s not sold out!

If you have any questions that haven’t been answered here, just reach out! We’re happy to help! xx

The Modern-Day Side-Hustle

August 22, 2022 - 2 years ago

Everyone and their dog seems to have a side hustle these days, Uber drivers, Deliveroo cyclists, selling old shit on Marketplace. Some people have started side hustle companies, developing apps, investing in bit-coin. What is next? Well, for the everyday sports fan, subscribing to Kayo does not come cheap, so Urban Rec Event Hosting might just be the side hustle you need to afford those ridiculous grocery prices.

You don’t need to be a qualified referee or umpire – in fact, we would prefer you weren’t. All we want if for you to understand the intricacies of your sport, have a passion and be willing to teach the new people in your league the rules. 

If you like making people’s lives better, then this could be for you. Without sounding like a bunch of wankers, being an Event Host, changes lives. People have been socially disconnected for so long and getting social in a sporting environment has been an intimidating choice. Our hosts are trained to make special

It’s simple to be involved. Once your league is assigned it’s yours for the 10-week season. You get handed a brand-new uniform, equipment and speaker and your League Manager will make sure you get a warm welcome to meet the players and captains. Your roster is sent out weekly and your payments go through every Monday. Goodbye weekend spending guilt!

The staff perks are good! You can play for free in any other league of your choice. We host insanely good social nights which act as a fun way to meet more like-minded people. Some cities even offer extra incentive for you to cover shifts on an ad-hoc basis.

The pay is generous. Starting at $28 per hour of potential tax-free earnings, this is a good gig. You get paid to train and you get paid to be a part of a fun-loving community.

Need more convincing? Just take it from some of our current Event Hosts

“I love hosting, it’s the best part of my week, I legit just forget my daily troubles” – RyRy

“Great money for beers on weekends" - Max

"I love creating an environment that's almost like one big group of friends where everyone is there to have a great time together" - Kia

"I enjoy the social aspects of meeting new people, making friends and enjoying a good beer" - Andi

"I get Paid to hang out with awesome people who become good friends over seasons" - Rachel

Choose a location and night that suit you and start making money in your side hustle as soon as next week. The process for applying is simple and easy and you get trained in everything you need to know.

The article was written by Skiddlebert Diddlepopper

5 Things To Do If You're Not Going to Europe

August 22, 2022 - 2 years ago

If you have been or are going to Europe, you can stop reading now. We don’t care...

If you are loving this Wollongong weather and can’t get enough of the sunshine that has blessed graced us after the rain, read on. Who is to say that we can’t still be experiencing amazing new things while we’re still in our hometown? (even if we’re getting a lil’ jealous of friends’ travel pics...) We have complied some new experiences to tantalize your interests to finish out the winter season!

1. TRY MINI GOLF @ HOLEY MOLEY GOLF CLUB
   Mini Golf is a fun way to test your patience and not take yourself too seriously. Holey Moley is in Wollongong Central and is sure to be full of giggles and laughter.
   MON-THURS OFFER: Urban Rec members get $10 games and $6 house drinks Monday through Thursday.
   🔓 SHOW YOUR URBAN REC QR CODE (ON THE URBAN REC APP) TO ACTIVATE DISCOUNT.
   
    
2. GET TICKETS TO OUR WINTER SOCIAL EVENT = ESCAPE ROOM & KARAOKE NIGHT
   If you’ve never done an escape room, now’s the time to tick it off the bucket list! Breakout Bar in Wollongong Central has 5 different escape rooms to choose from, PLUS they have a karaoke room and a full-service bar, including specialty drinks and cocktails!
   
   The Winter Member Social Event is coming up on Wednesday, 14 September, and it’s going to a fun AF night! As one of our newest member perks partners, Breakout Bar is stoked to be hosting us for a night of mystery, teamwork and cheeky mid-week bevvies.
   
    
3. LEARN TO PLAY FLAG GRIDIRON
   Flag Gridiron is as close as you can get to tackle gridiron without all the hard knocks, helmets and pads. This league is perfect for people who want to play and have a good time. There are a few yanks rolling around, but don’t worry, they know how to play fair. This league runs at UOW on Tuesday nights. Plus with the NRL season drawing to a close and the NFL season quickly approaching, why not try something new?!
   
    
4. GET YOUR CYCLING FIX (OR PLAN AHEAD….) FOR UCI WOLLONGONG 2022
   If you haven’t already heard, there’s this thing called the ‘UCI Road World Championships’ coming to the Gong. It’s going to include 8 days of elite racing and what they’ve called a ‘non-stop city festival for the whole community.’ We’re not exactly sure what that means, except some sort of an Urban Race situation trying to figure out how to get to work, school, etc for lots of you, so this is our Urban Rec courtesy to be sure you CHECK OUT UPDATES so you can be sure to join in all the fun, but also be prepared for when you’ve got to navigate the road closures and lollipop people directing traffic.
   
    
5. COUNT YOUR MONEY
   If all else fails, open your band app and think about the extra $5-10,000 you would not have if you were off “making memories.” We are not bitter at all…

This article was written by Madeleine Wilkie, with adjusted local facts by Lindsay Malony

Why Indoor Sports?

July 20, 2022 - 2 years ago

Rainy days got you feelin’ down? → PLAY INDOORS!

We know the rainy days and grey skies, especially during winter, can put a damper on your vibe, so we’ve worked hard to give you heaps of INDOOR sports to choose from! Best part?! → indoor courts can play rain, hail or shine!

Check out which indoor sports we’ve got running this season. Grab a group of mates to create a team or register as an individual to make sure friends!

• Monday Basketball @ UOW → SOLD OUT
• Monday Netball @ Berkeley
• Tuesday Street Netball @ UOW → SOLD OUT
• Tuesday Basketball @ North Wollongong
• Wednesday Dodgeball @ North Wollongong
• Wednesday Netball @ Berkeley
• Thursday Cornhole @ Dusty Lizard Brewing
• Thursday Indoor Soccer @ North Wollongong
• Thursday Multisport @ UOW

The fun is just the beginning!

Winter Is Here!

June 6, 2022 - 2 years ago

BRRRR – it’s cold out there! But we’re here to light a fire in your soul for all things active, social and fun!

Check out all the epic AF things we’re up to this winter! [** = indoor league]

Registration is now open for individuals or teams. If you’re coordinating a team and want to secure a spot, $150 deposit options are open too!

BASKETBALL

• Mondays @ UOW **
• Mondays @ North Wollongong **
• Tuesdays @ Unanderra **

DODGEBALL

• Wednesdays @ North Wollongong **

FLAG GRIDIRON

• Tuesdays @ UOW

MULTISPORT

• Mondays @ UOW
• Tuesdays @ North Wollongong **
• Thursdays @ UOW **

NETBALL

• Mondays @ Berkeley **
• Tuesdays @ UOW **
• Wednesdays @ Berkeley **

PUB GAMES

• Tuesdays @ Holey Moley and B.Lucky & Sons (Mini Golf & arcade games) **
• Thursdays @ Dusty Lizard (Cornhole)

SOCCER (FOOTBALL)

• Mondays @ UOW (outdoor – grass)
• Wednesdays @ Wollongong **
• Thursdays @ UOW (outdoor – synthetic)

TOUCH FOOTY

• Thursdays @ UOW

Netball - Urban Rec style!

May 11, 2022 - 2 years ago

Hi y’all! Our Wednesday night Netball-7s league is starting up tonight, so we felt this was a good time to remind everyone of how Netball rolls with Urban Rec.

We know Netball is one of Aussies most beloved sports, and we also know that it can be a complicated beast. In order to keep the vibes safe, social and fun, and keep all players happy, there’s some things we do a lil’ differently than your traditional Saturday Netball competition.

#1 = OUR EVENT HOSTS → We pride ourselves on making sure our Event Hosts are most than just faceless umpires. Our staff have personality and a coaching style. We recognize that in order to learn, you need someone who knows the rules intimately, so we are committing to hiring Event Hosts who have umpiring experience or an intimate understanding of the rules.

• Please note this does NOT mean that they are there to solely blow the whistle at every tiny infraction.
• This means that they are there to offer coaching and support you in learning the rules.
• It also means that they have the ability to make some switcharoos with some rules or be more leniant if they feel it will positively impact the game.

#2 = CALLING YOUR OWN CONTACTS, OFFSIDES & STEPPING → Across all Urban Rec leagues, we ask you to be adult enough to make these calls if you know you’ve made a mistake. We never want our leagues to be where people come to cheat...BUT if you are a learning or genuinely don’t know you’ve made a mistake, our Event Hosts will make the calls and explain it to you.

• I.e. if you stuff up and don’t call yourself out, our Event Host will in hopes that you’ll learn and be better at making the call for yourself next time.

#3 = ‘OPEN’ LEAGUES → Our Netball leagues are ‘open’ leagues, meaning that you can have an all female team OR a mixed team. If you have a mixed team, there is a maximum of 3 males on the court at a given time, with positions as follows:

Male players shall play one in each area of the court (mid court, goals and defense)

The combination is one male in either:

• GS or GA
• WA or C or WD
• GD or GK

** Please see the fancy diagram for reference where 1 male is allowed in each of the oval areas. **

CHOOSING A NETBALL LEAGUE THAT SUITS YOU AND YOUR TEAM:

STREET NETBALL:  This style of Netball is basically the gateway sport for people who are new to the sport, and want to learn more. We take away all the intimidating factors. No bibs, fewer postisions, and in some cases, fewer hoops (wow). The same principals apply, and the basics of netball remain, but this is Netball re-imagined, and re-purposed for people that truly want to play a simplistic and non-intimidating version of the game. Expect to see alot more of this style game popping up, and opportunities for you to learn and play this style of Netball.

7’S NETBALL: This is the style of Netball you have come to know and love. It’s proper 7-aside, and a more traditional version of the game. There is a bit more structure, and if you are a Netball purist, you should probably start here. HOWEVER!!!! → This is not some horrible and scary comp with faceless umpires, this is still Urban Rec style, meaning you will use fun points, and always play with a fun first attitude. We will continue to offer some more of these leagues across Wollongong, but we are concious that there’s plenty of other people doing it, and we don’t want to saturate the market!

These changes, we hope, will help elevate your experience and help you to choose the right league that suits you, and also understand that we are listening, and we do want to make changes if you guys are want them. It is, afterall… your sport. 

Do you have any suggestions you think would help improve our Netball leagues? Please shoot us an email [email protected] and let’s get chattin’.

FriYAY Intern Corner

May 6, 2022 - 2 years ago

Meet Lucy & Chelsea

These legends are doing their internship with Urban Rec Wollongong and we’re STOKED to have them on board! You’ll see them around your leagues over the next month or so. They can’t wait to meet you all and help contribute to the positive vibes!

Each Friday, we’ll update the ‘FriYAY Intern Corner’ giving you a lil’ sneak peek of what they’ve been up to and what they think of all you amazing humans who play with us!

FRIDAY, 20 MAY – LUCY:

On Thursday night Urban Rec were lucky enough to trial not one… but THREE new event hosts. It was a busy night for us all, but we all came together and made the most of what was a very cold night! 

My night started off at dodgeball with event host Leo, and trial host Cameron. It was great to meet Cameron and introduce him to multisport/dodgeball with good vibes all around! Cam was very enthusiastic and seems to be a great fit for the Urban Rec team, especially with his DJ skills! 

We then had our multisport game of street netball where we trialled Hannah, who plays netball with us on a Wednesday! She was keen to meet everyone and work alongside Leo to help the players with this week’s sport, and most importantly to have fun!  

I then headed over to Touch Footy and met Damon who was trialling with touch footy and soccer. It seemed he really enjoyed these sports and from what I saw, enjoyed the role of being an event host with Urban Rec.  

Overall, these new event hosts seemed to have lots of fun with their sports and event host guides and would be a great addition to the Urban Rec crew. Be sure to say gday to them when you see them around!! 

FRIDAY, 13 MAY – LUCY:

This week began with an exciting Season Launch! My first port of call was Monday Night Basketball with Event Host Patrick! With the season being a SELL OUT having a full 8 teams registered, we had a big night! Great to meet all the smiling faces returning to Urban Rec, with lots of new faces to basketball as well!  

All our teams had been with us at Urban Rec before, playing a variety of sports such as soccer, netball, and multi-sport! So, it was awesome to see everyone already learning and growing in the sport of basketball, seeing lots of lay-ups, key plays and even the odd 3-pointer to boost the scoreboard! Really looking forward to getting to know each team as the season goes on, I think this is going to be a fun one!  

FRIDAY, 13 MAY – CHELSEA:

Another great week down at Urban Rec! This week was my first experience becoming an Event Host. Every Thursday I will be Event hosting soccer with James. To say the weather wasn’t great was an understatement, with it absolutely pouring down rain. Luckily, we were on the synthetic hockey fields! We had some news teams including a new individual’s team which was amazing. To see and be a part of the other side of what Urban Rec does on a league night was fantastic. The night went well with everyone having fun in the rain, there were so many fun and laughable moments. I can’t wait to be an Event Host in the coming weeks.  

FRIDAY, 06 MAY – LUCY:

Hey everyone! My name is Lucy and I am super excited to be on board with Urban Rec as an intern in the position of Assistant League Manager! I am currently studying a Bachelor of Sport at UOW and was lucky enough to be selected for this internship with such a great organisation! So far, I have had the pleasure with working alongside Lindsay who has allowed me to help all of you guys by getting our Autumn leagues up and running! On Monday night, I was lucky enough to head out to Illawarra Sports High to run our Netball competition with Event Host Grace. It was such a great experience talking and getting to know the teams who were coming on board with us this autumn. The spirits were high as Grace’s tunes kept the vibes happening across our three games. I can’t wait to see what this season brings, and I cannot wait to meet more of you out there!

FRIDAY, 06 MAY – CHELSEA:

On Monday was the epic launch of the Soccer and Multisport season. It was a massive evening with 2 leagues starting up and 19 teams to manage. It was quite an interesting day, seeing as the UOW graduation was on in the Sports Hub. This created quite a distraction from being able to find a car parking spot to not being able to access the office until a certain time, to the hockey fields being out of action. With being unable to access the hockey fields Multisport was relocated to the oval. Luckily the grass oval was open to play on even though it was quite squishy and slippery. This meant that three fields going all at once with the amazing event hosts DP, Leo and Morgan. To say I was a bit nervous was an understatement. The thought of being at a big launch night with so many new faces, new sports, kit bags and goals to pack the nerves started to set in. Not only this but ensuring that I understood and knew how to say the welcoming speech and be able to greet and organise all the teams. Once games started and came to an end, I had to make sure I posted fun stories on the Urban Rec Instagram. This involved asking players what the best thing was about the game or what they were looking forward to for the rest of the season.

To say the night was a success was an understatement. The ability to understand all the factors that come into consideration to make a launch night was unbelievable. To be able to interact with all the teams, hear great feedback about how much fun they were having and to the event hosts on making the games so much fun was amazing.

Massive credit must go to Lindsay because without her amazing skills and guidance I wouldn’t know a single thing to do, and the leagues wouldn’t be able to launch. I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season plays out.

Summer MFPs

May 4, 2022 - 2 years ago

CONGRATS to all our Summer MFPs!

This past season, we awarded a MFP (most fun player) each game. This person was chosen by their opposition as someone who displayed the true spirit of Urban Rec. We send our HUGE appreciation to these players for embodying our Fun First Policy and being influential in bringing the smiles and laughs each week.

As a show of thanks, we’re Urban RECognizing you here, and will be doing a prize draw so some of you lucky winners will receive some sweet AF Urban Rec merch.

If you want a chance at being an MFP for the Autumn seasons, be sure to check out our Fun First Policy and embrace it!

<3 xx

CONGRATS MFP’S:

• Adam Baverstock
• Akima Purdon
• Angus Brooks
• Angus Warnock
• Annie Vanderstoep
• Ashleigh Doherty
• Barnaby Pekin-Stores
• Bec Ellis
• Braith Porteous
• Braydon Webster
• Byron Bullock
• Cameron Shelley
• Cayley Robertson
• Celeste Murdoch
• Chelsea Ripia
• Cheyenne Vetenibua-Finnerty
• Cody Cowin
• Cody Crowe-Pace
• Daniel Christodoulou
• Denzie White
• Edward Atkinson
• Elisabeth Breuninger
• Elise Nandan
• Elizabeth Boyd
• Ellen Mckendry
• Ellie Ames
• Ellise Breust
• Ethan Hedger
• Finn Holdgate
• George Peter
• Hannah Walton
• Isabell McCallum-Keyte
• Jade Smith
• Jarrod Lynch
• Jayda Hinkley
• Jayden McInally-Rixon
• Jayne Emms
• Jennifer Gardner
• Jescinta Brennan-Lal
• Jesse Jarvis
• Kane Taylor
• Kate Bradley
• Kate De Abel
• Kathy Olafson
• Katie Robinson
• Kelsey Bamford
• Kiana Ryan
• Kimberley Smythe
• Kiosha Gardner
• Kirra Somerville
• Kirsty MacKinnon
• Leah Brown
• Loren Laughlan
• Lucy Gray
• Luis Mota
• Maggie Leonard
• Maighan Mashford
• Maree March
• Marielle Cleary
• Melinda Herron
• Mia Lock
• Morgan Whittall
• Morgan Ramsay
• Mrudula Dhamgawe
• Nathanael Hutchinson
• Nic Heaps
• Nicole Shelley
• Nilesh Rohit
• Orla Driscoll-Carmody
• Patricia Argue
• Peter Tran
• Petra Reinl
• Rachael Hoddle
• Rachel Salmon
• Rebecca Kinchinton
• Rhianna Padwick
• Ross Yeoman
• Roy Nunes
• Scott McIntosh
• Seth Reay
• Shania Fogg
• Sheridan Gho
• Simone Chambers
• Siri Schlebaum
• Sofia Rosenberg
• Stuart Derbridge
• Talina Dolan
• Tess Loder
• Tim Crameri
• Tomothy Kirkwood
• Utkarsh Verma
• Vivian Tang
• Vladimir Pan
• Zane Nutter

If you were awarded a MFP card but are not on this list, you didn’t register yourself! Oh no! We still thank you for being you! :)