► Tom Davidson
Unity Through Sports – Together, we can do more
The state of sport at Plymouth University has been at the forefront of both University and Student Union agenda for many years now and has seen constant and progressive improvement in the standard, range and scale of sports provided by the university to its students. In national BUCS competitions, there have been consistent success stories in a wide range of sports from golf and sailing to hockey and motorsports. However, despite this progress there is still, as there always should be, room for improvement to sports at Plymouth; both on and off the pitch. In the competitive arena there are many areas in which our teams could benefit from increased coaching time or improved facilities as displayed by the relegation of the Mens Rugby 2nd XV last year. Off the pitch also, there have been persistent and severe breaches in discipline by some high profile sports clubs at the university.
Simply put, the quality of sports at Plymouth has come so far in the past few years but there is still much more that can be done; and so much more that I intend to achieve as Vice President of Sports if I am elected.
My aims are to improve not only the overall standard of sport practiced at Plymouth but also the infrastructure and surrounding issues that have become apparent in my three years at university. Gym fees have steadily risen and despite the construction of a new gym in the Nancy Astor sports centre, the comparison between the annual fee of £83 and the often crowded and cramped gym space, although well equipped, is not a favourable one when viewed in light of other deals available in Plymouth. I will work to either cap this fee or reduce it entirely over my term as VP Sports.
In tandem with this reduction in fees I intend to continue the process of expanding the university’s facilities; a number of playing fields in the Plymouth area are currently nearing the end of their leases and I plan to work with the university to make a successful bid for these areas.
Following this theme of accessibility, I will give far more support to inter-mural and inter-halls sports leagues, both casual and competitive, so that all students are able to enjoy team sports without the pressure of being seen to ‘perform’ for one of the University’s many BUCS teams.
Furthermore I aim to establish introductory days for individual sports clubs and in the hopes of giving more students the opportunity to try new sports without paying costly sign up fees.
Overarching these schemes is the University’s vision of ‘Team Plymouth’; gathering all our sports clubs under one banner and facilitating a move towards a higher and more complete standard of sports provision at Plymouth University through increased co-operation and a competitive spirit that will ensure that the great potential of our sportsmen and women is not wasted in Britain’s ‘Golden Decade of Sport’.
