NAIDOC WEEK 2023

June 22, 2023 - one year ago

This Naidoc week Urban Rec asked artist, Urban Rec Member and proud proud Ngunnawal, Bundjalung and Kamilaroi woman Shaenice Miles to create an artwork that represents our community. Shaenice wanted to create something to represent the amazing community Urban Rec creates. We are so excited and proud to have something that represents us so well.

BUY A SHIRT

This Naidoc week we will be selling a limited edition (80 only) Narragunnawali shirts with all proceeds going to National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy, who use sport and mentoring to engage young people, build self esteem and enable a strong sense of autonomy through personal development. You can find out more about the amazing work NASCA is doing or donate directly here.

Get the squad together and get a new kit or just get yourself some epic swag while helping an amazing organisation. Pre-order your shirt here. There’s only 80 and its first in, best dressed. Shirts are $35 with all proceeds going to NASCA.

MORE ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Narragunnawali (English Translation Coming Together)
The Artwork I wanted to create was something to represent the amazing community Urban Rec creates and will create. Each component of the artwork – the middle bit is a meeting circle with each of the community members coming together to play sports. There are footprints representing the different journeys and diverse backgrounds we all come from. The different meeting circles at the bottom is all cultures coming together to represent Reconciliation. The dots is to represent all the sports and sporting levels each individual brings. The blue, orange and yellow bit represents everyone coming together during different seasons and times throughout the year.

MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

My name is Shaenice Miles, and I am a proud Ngunnawal, Bundjalung and Kamilaroi woman. I have grown up in Canberra and have been amongst the Urban Rec community playing social basketball. The one thing I love about Urban Rec is the social community, and friends you get to connect with.

ADDITIONAL NAIDOC WEEK AKNOWLEGEMENTS

This Naidoc week Urban Rec is coming together with our community doing the following to celebrate the first nations people of this wonderful country we call home.

• We’ve partnered with artist proud Ngunnawal, Bundjalung and Kamilaroi woman Shaenice Miles to create Narragunnawali a design that represents our community.
• We’ve created a limited edition shirt using the design which we are selling with all proceeds going to the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy.
• We’ve changed all of our sports locations to include the (land) that they are located on.
• We’re adding an acknowledgement to country into our League Managers first day on ground team welcomes with the help of indigenous leaders.

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Gender Identity Inclusion, Rule Updates, Pride Round 2023

February 17, 2023 - 2 years 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 - 2 years 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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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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