For many university students, joining a sports team can become the highlight of their campus life, an opportunity to find a group of like-minded athletes who share a passion for sports, and keeping active in an environment where other aspects, such as alcohol and food preparation, can become less healthy. Other issues that become focal at university, for example mental health and boredom, can also be resolved through sports participation. Despite this, membership fees have skyrocketing in recent years, on top of further costs, with an increasing number of students having to forego these experiences due to their own financial restrictions.
Participating in university sports not only offers physical health benefits, as it also plays a crucial role in supporting students’ mental health. For young adults moving away from home for the first time, it can come as a massive shock and prove to be an overwhelming bedding in period. Factors such as academic pressures, financial freedom and the constraints that come with it, as well as a lack of a familiar support structure can hugely negatively impact the mental wellbeing of students. A study conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence found that 122,500 students said that they had a mental health condition in 2023/24. This number has almost quadrupled since that start of the decade. Higher rates of such conditions have been found to affect; women, undergraduate students, full-time students and 2nd and 3rd year students.
A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine in the US, took a sample of 11,235 young adolescents to study the correlation between team sports participation and mental health. It was discovered through this investigation that those who engaged in team sports had a 10% lower anxiety score, a 19% lower depression score, as well as a 12% lower attention problem score. This solidifies the enormous importance of sport to an individual’s mental wellbeing, especially when at university, an environment where many can struggle.
Due to this, a plethora of students turn to sports when they enrol. Universities host sports fairs in the opening weeks of the academic year to push sporting opportunities onto new and existing students. The predicament with this is the costs of participation. The prices depend on geographical location, as well as the prestige the university carries, however most students have seen an increase in costs in recent years. The British Universities and College Sports require a payment usually between £50 – £75 as a league fee, with further costs for BUCS tournament participation. Additionally, all universities have a sports federation, who organise sports activities for students require a fee per annum, that can cost upwards of £50. Phoebe Gardener, a 1st year student at Plymouth Marjon, who has represented her university in both hockey and lacrosse this year, said that she is happy to pay these costs if it means she is able to play, but believes ‘’there should be a discount for those who play more than one sport so it doesn’t penalise them or deter those students who wish to persue multiple sports.”
Moreover, some sports such as lacrosse and hockey have a greater kit demand, thus adding to the cost of playing. Lucy, a 2nd year university student is affected by this, and said this, “I have paid for a stick, mine is on the cheaper end at around £65. I have also had to pay for astros and studs which cost over £100 combined and for a gum shield. To pay for varsity each person had to pay £7 and then around £50 for the kit. I think this is quite expensive for the sport as a whole as these costs obviously have to come after paying rent and for food. I definitely had to pick up an extra shift or two to cover these costs.”
Dr Kerry Griffiths of the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam, said: “Evidence suggests that participation in sport and physical activity declines as young people reach university age. There is also evidence to show that people of low socio-economic groups are less likely to participate in sport and physical activities at all ages.” Another issue that some face due to financial constraints is that due to the fact that lower university teams do not cost money, as there is little to no training and no BUCS league fee, competent players opt to represent them, leaving players who are looking for a less competitive environment at their athletic level get little to no game time as a result.
New students are likely to question the need for an immediate decision on whether you want to participate in the sports as soon as you begin at uni. With the sports fair held usually within the opening fortnight of the academic year, there is a great deal of pressure to decide on what sports you would like to join, and whether or not the fees that come with joining a team are a smart long-term investment. This can quite easily lead to a person continuing to persue a place in the team due to the money spent, no matter a person’s enjoyment of said sport. A person who originates from a poorer family, or someone who is more frugal with their expenses can become overwhelmed by the instantaneous commitment needed for joining a team at the very start of the semester. This was a decision that affected Miss Gardener, who said, “particularly at the beginning of the year I was having to cut down on food costs and other costs to afford the sports fees.”
With potential difficulties supporting the finances required to be on a team, more students are beginning to opt out of university sports. This can not only lead to adverse effects on their physical and mental health, but potentially lead to regression in their academic performance. A study conducted at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid between 2008 and 2014 found that students who played sports alongside their higher education studies had a grade point average roughly 9% higher than those who did not partake in a university sports team. This study, which was taken from 3,671 undergraduates, found that this was due to better discipline and time management.
Potential solutions to help those who have to take drastic measures, or who are simply unable to afford the luxury that university sports have become is by implementing payment plans, staggered payments or reducing the price entirely. Therefore, any student, no matter their financial situation, has access to utilising physical exercise and the social and emotional benefits that come with a team sport to help navigate what can be tumultuous and difficult period in a young adults life.