Student Sport: The story on and off the pitch

Aaron Black reflects on a successful beginning to the Year of Student Sport

Until the beginning of the 22/23 university year, there was a lack of Jewish representation in university sports leagues. However, through the Year of Student Sport project, UJS and Maccabi GB have been brought together as collaborators with the aim of giving as many Jewish students access to Jewish sport.

In memory of Joshua Freddie Carr, The Year of Student Sport has set out to support existing teams and promote the foundation of new ones by providing free sports kit and paying university league fees.

The Year of Student Sport now supports 8 different JSoc sports teams across the country, empowering these students to create close friend groups, put on events and lay foundations that future students can enjoy!

Teams in the Spotlight:

Birmingham JSoc Football – Maccabi

Selly Oak

Sam Ucko

“In Birmingham, Maccabi Selly Oak has gone from strength to strength this season. For the men’s team, we managed to win our league on the final day of the season to gain promotion, and we also beat our arch-rivals Hapoel Hyde Park in a game which raised money for charity.

For our women’s team, we have taken our first steps in making university football more inclusive for everyone, regardless of gender. We have held training sessions and are currently in the process of organising matches against other women’s teams. Off the pitch, the connection and unity in both men’s and women’s teams is unrivalled. There is a real sense of community and players are proud to display the Maccabi Selly Oak logo on their tracksuits around campus. We can’t wait for next term where without doubt, we will continue to grow even more!”

@brumjsoc

@maccabi_selly_oak

Nottingham JSoc Netball

Jenna Morris

“Being on the committee for JSoc this year there were discussions about whether to continue the JSoc netball team and I am so glad that with the proposal of the Year of Student Sport we went ahead with it. Without a doubt, the netball team has been a massive highlight in the year so far. Every Wednesday the team gets together to play another university team and the spirits are so high, everyone leaves the match with a smile on their face.

I have been able to see the amazing passion for netball that a lot of the team have been able to rediscover, but also it has been so special to see year groups integrating and forming an amazing bond. Every player brings something unique to the team and I am so grateful that netball has allowed us to meet. I am beyond proud of the Nottingham JSoc Team and what we have achieved so far (even though it’s just the start). We have placed second in the league and have won almost all our matches so far. It is an amazing group of people and I am so lucky to be part of it. I can’t wait to start playing other unis and letting the other JSocs know that we are really part of something exceptional.”

@notts_jsoc

St Andrews JSoc Football

Noah Getz Brzezinski

“St Andrews was a footballing pickle for our JSoc to tackle. The extremely competitive Sunday League with extortionate fees was no place for the casuals of St Andrews JSoc FC to inhabit. In search of shelter, we worked with the University Chaplaincy and Sports Director to create our own league: The Interfaith Football League.

Eight teams and a dozen matches later we were playing biweekly fixtures against Catholic, Hindu and other societies whilst forming friendships along the way. The donation bucket we bring to every fixture has also become heavier as we raised £500 to charity. UJS has been a fantastic source of help along the way. A special thank you is due to Jodie Franks, Grace Silverstein and Arieh Miller, who’ve helped us with new kits for 2023 as well as with the final of our league on April 15th, which we can’t wait for. This final is our biggest source of excitement, with it being a community event ticketed at £5 held at the local football club. Proceeds are enabling disadvantaged children in the area to play football. With bands and food-trucks planned and a specially negotiated reduction to £3 pints, we’re sure it’s going to be a rocking party that all other JSoc football teams in Scotland are invited to enter!”

@standrewsjsoc

What’s coming next?

We will work to support any teams that wish to follow in the steps of Leeds and Birmingham JSocs and play across universities; facilitating this and bringing students together in this way is central to the initiative. The Year of Student Sport is currently centred around football and netball with the project aiming to use these sports as a launch pad for the future of Jewish sport across campuses. As take-up in sports across JSocs grows, the hope is that UJS and Maccabi can begin to incorporate more sports moving forward. So far, the campaign has been hugely successful in expanding the reach of JSocs by helping them cater to a wider demographic of Jewish students. By supplying this sports funding to JSocs, students have been empowered to use sport to make a difference – as showcased by the Birmingham and Leeds students who raised £3,106 for the charity Shalva, and St Andrews students raising £500 for the British Heart Foundation. Most importantly, sport is now an accessible way for Jewish students to form strong bonds and stay involved with the Jewish community on their campus.

Leeds JSoc Football – Hapoel Hyde Park

Jonah Lazarus

“Hapoel Hyde Park have made incredible progress this season, having already scored more goals by December than in the whole of last year’s campaign. This term, the team were able to finish 4th in their Wednesday social league and secured some incredible results including a hard-fought draw against the league leaders. Hapoel manager Jasper van Veen has said that the team feels more like a family this year, and squad unity has been second to none, with regular club socials after games, such as the Otley Run. We are proud of the team’s ability to bring Jewish students into campus life who may not feel comfortable attending Jewish events on campus. Our media has also taken a step forward this year, conducting regular interviews on matchday and having our match reports published in the local Jewish Telegraph, helping with further publicity for the team and its events. Onwards to next year and Forza Hapoel!”

@leedsjsoc

@hapoelhydepark

Get your JSoc involved!

• Form a team

• Find a league

• Get in contact!

@yearofstudentsport

The inspiration behind ‘The Year of Student Sport’ is the late Joshua Freddie Carr; his silhouette has been featured across the logo and branding. Josh was a student in Leeds and involved himself heavily in everything Jewish on campus; he had a drive to create a positive and supportive society for all Jewish students on campus. Josh achieved this by volunteering countless hours, holding a position on the JSoc committee and co-founding the student football team, Hapoel Hyde Park. Josh had an innate ability to bring people together and he used this to create communities. This initiative aims to carry on Josh’s legacy and use sport as a vessel to bring Jewish students together, honouring his drive and passion to improve the Jewish community around him.