While the sports centre remains popular with foreign students, Delft’s sports’ societies aren’t doing very much to reach out to foreign students. "There’s a sports culture difference between foreigners and Dutch students," says a Student Sports Union board member.
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According to a recent survey held by the Delftsch Overleg, some 90% of international students practice some sports or would like to. The survey also reveals that the most popular sports among international students are tennis, fitness and football. Which is quite a departure from the traditional Dutch craze for field hockey, skating and rowing (yes, the Dutch national sports are field hockey and skating, not football!).
The question many new TU foreign students are asking themselves is, what does it take to do sports in Delft? Searching the TU website is not particularly helpful, as it delivers an information download dating from 2001-2002. However, Theo van Leeuwen, the Sport Centre’s program officer, says reassuringly: “There’s a new English-language website coming within a couple of weeks.”
The DSSF Students Sport Union website simply advises non-Dutch speakers to contact the board with any questions. Hardly foreigner-friendly, and indeed, a survey of the TU sport societies reveals that only three . Delft Dragons (American football), Force Electro (frisbee) and Thor (rugby) . of the 22 listed on the TU website have a complete English-language version. Two others have an English page . Trinity (triathlon) and Ariston (football) – although Trinity’s needs an update and Ariston has no link on it.
As far as TU sport’s societies are concerned, their collective attitude could be summed up by the climbing society, Yeti, whose website advice to foreign students is, “Pick up some Dutch”, which, incidentally, are the only English words on their website. Aardig.
Christien Zeijlstra, a DSSF board member, says: “There’s a sports culture difference between foreigners and Dutch students. For example, there are no societies for sports which are popular among the many Chinese students here – badminton and table tennis. Also, many sports are being practised within the ‘gezelligheid’ student societies, and you usually have to be a member to be able to practise. Since the average age of foreign students is around 24, I really don’t see them flowing to Virgiel or the Corps.”
Discount
Zeijlstra says that in the newer universities, like Nijmegen and Twente, the sport societies often provide the ‘gezelligheid’ and not vice-versa. Perhaps that’s why the TU Sports Center sold only 6,000 sport cards last year. Those newer universities also have fabulous sports centers with shining new fitness equipment and swimming pools. Research done by the Dutch Sport & Recreation Institute in 2002 shows that there is approximately one swimming pool per 10,000 Dutchies. Delft has only three for its one hundred thousand citizens.
Is there a chance that the TU might build a swimming pool for its 15,000 students and five thousand employees? Sports Centre officer Van Leeuwen: “It’s simply too expensive. No chance. But if you want to swim, you can get a discount at a local swimming pool. You can also join Wave or Trinity swimming clubs, which have their designated swimming hours.”
Van Leeuwen is keen to stress that if not a pool, the TU is busy upgrading its sports facilities: “There will be reconstruction works here this year and the fitness space will be renewed. We also offer a new fitness discipline . power pump, which is supposed to be especially attractive for men. It will be advertised on the new website. And last year we built a boulder climbing wall, which is now open every day of the week.”
Although reliable information is hard to come by on the web, if you send an e-mail to one of the sports societies, they should respond with all the information you need. And there are reasons for optimism. After all, the Sports Centre does offer more than 40 different sports for only the 55 euro price of a yearly sports card. Some of the sports are also given in English, and if necessary, there are enough friendly people around to translate instructions for you. But will there come at time when the TU’s sports societies and centres offer more web-info in English (and hence accessibility to foreign students)? Both Theo and Christine promise “to put it on their list”. Seems some people still don’t realize that TU Delft is an international university.
@03 Fotobijschrift:‘Yes, yes, but where are the ping-pong tables?’ (Photo: Hans Stekelbeek/FMAX)
According to a recent survey held by the Delftsch Overleg, some 90% of international students practice some sports or would like to. The survey also reveals that the most popular sports among international students are tennis, fitness and football. Which is quite a departure from the traditional Dutch craze for field hockey, skating and rowing (yes, the Dutch national sports are field hockey and skating, not football!).
The question many new TU foreign students are asking themselves is, what does it take to do sports in Delft? Searching the TU website is not particularly helpful, as it delivers an information download dating from 2001-2002. However, Theo van Leeuwen, the Sport Centre’s program officer, says reassuringly: “There’s a new English-language website coming within a couple of weeks.”
The DSSF Students Sport Union website simply advises non-Dutch speakers to contact the board with any questions. Hardly foreigner-friendly, and indeed, a survey of the TU sport societies reveals that only three . Delft Dragons (American football), Force Electro (frisbee) and Thor (rugby) . of the 22 listed on the TU website have a complete English-language version. Two others have an English page . Trinity (triathlon) and Ariston (football) – although Trinity’s needs an update and Ariston has no link on it.
As far as TU sport’s societies are concerned, their collective attitude could be summed up by the climbing society, Yeti, whose website advice to foreign students is, “Pick up some Dutch”, which, incidentally, are the only English words on their website. Aardig.
Christien Zeijlstra, a DSSF board member, says: “There’s a sports culture difference between foreigners and Dutch students. For example, there are no societies for sports which are popular among the many Chinese students here – badminton and table tennis. Also, many sports are being practised within the ‘gezelligheid’ student societies, and you usually have to be a member to be able to practise. Since the average age of foreign students is around 24, I really don’t see them flowing to Virgiel or the Corps.”
Discount
Zeijlstra says that in the newer universities, like Nijmegen and Twente, the sport societies often provide the ‘gezelligheid’ and not vice-versa. Perhaps that’s why the TU Sports Center sold only 6,000 sport cards last year. Those newer universities also have fabulous sports centers with shining new fitness equipment and swimming pools. Research done by the Dutch Sport & Recreation Institute in 2002 shows that there is approximately one swimming pool per 10,000 Dutchies. Delft has only three for its one hundred thousand citizens.
Is there a chance that the TU might build a swimming pool for its 15,000 students and five thousand employees? Sports Centre officer Van Leeuwen: “It’s simply too expensive. No chance. But if you want to swim, you can get a discount at a local swimming pool. You can also join Wave or Trinity swimming clubs, which have their designated swimming hours.”
Van Leeuwen is keen to stress that if not a pool, the TU is busy upgrading its sports facilities: “There will be reconstruction works here this year and the fitness space will be renewed. We also offer a new fitness discipline . power pump, which is supposed to be especially attractive for men. It will be advertised on the new website. And last year we built a boulder climbing wall, which is now open every day of the week.”
Although reliable information is hard to come by on the web, if you send an e-mail to one of the sports societies, they should respond with all the information you need. And there are reasons for optimism. After all, the Sports Centre does offer more than 40 different sports for only the 55 euro price of a yearly sports card. Some of the sports are also given in English, and if necessary, there are enough friendly people around to translate instructions for you. But will there come at time when the TU’s sports societies and centres offer more web-info in English (and hence accessibility to foreign students)? Both Theo and Christine promise “to put it on their list”. Seems some people still don’t realize that TU Delft is an international university.
@03 Fotobijschrift:‘Yes, yes, but where are the ping-pong tables?’ (Photo: Hans Stekelbeek/FMAX)
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