Connecting over a game during University Battle
‘Sport brings people together. Not only team sports do, but even individual sports like fitness,’ says Inge Schepers, event manager at the Sports Center. For that reason, a sports event had to be part of the 90th anniversary celebrations at Tilburg University, given its very appropriate theme of ‘Connecting people and knowledge’. The University Battle was mainly about the first aspect.
By: Melinde Bussemaker
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Every team has its own T-shirt color. And so colorful groups of sports people gather on campus on the Thursday morning of Tilburg University’s 90th anniversary. A perfect sky has been set up in between K and P buildings, in front of Starbucks. Full of expectation, participants brave the morning chill to join in the warming-up by dancer Chilton Galimo and student dance association DanceNation.
Dance and stretch
First, the participants are addressed by Koen Becking. It is the first of five events he will have the pleasure to open today. In his best suit, of course, he ‘unfortunately cannot join in the fun’ because he has ‘some serious work to do today’. After his word of welcome, the eighteen teams, their supporters, and other interested people admire Chilton’s terrific dance moves. Next thing, everybody is invited to try out the dance and stretch moves. A bit awkward for some, a welcome opportunity for others to do hip rolls. Chilton gives the signal for the run to the Sports Center. The real runners are in front, with jogging participants, who are mainly in it for the fun, bringing up the rear.
Field hockey and ‘jeans hanging’
If it had been up to Schepers, she would have organized a whole sports day. ‘But there are so many nice events today that we have limited ourselves to the morning and a total eighteen teams. The places filled up quickly!’ The teams do battle against each other on the following components: basket shooting, football, field hockey, fitness exercises, and ‘jeans hanging’. At this latter component, men score points after hanging on to a pair of jeans for 80 seconds and women after 30. ‘All components were suggested by the student sport associations,’ Schepers explains. The FOSST Sports Council organized the event.
Nail-biting final
Since the teams consist of groups of friends, colleagues, or sports association members, the atmosphere in the two sports halls is amicably fanatic. Some students and staff have come to support their fellow students or colleagues. Schepers: ‘The nice thing about a University Battle is that it is also a team-building exercise.’ Towards the end of the morning, it is still hard to say who is most likely to win the trophy. Two teams shared the lead and the final game didn’t make a difference. The result is a nail-biting tie. Across the board, the Toppers and Sabasco & Girls have scored the same number of points and the goal difference is no tiebreaker either. So it has to come down to a ‘hang-off’: what team will be able to hang in there longest?
Sporting team
Both teams send their best player up into the jeans. It takes some time for student Vasco of Sabasco & Girls to get a good trip on his jeans, but then he doesn’t let go until he has won. The team of International Management Master’s students are proud to receive the trophy and the goody bags. Why they participated? ‘Because we all love sports and already formed a great team during our studies. This is a great event for us!’ Pleased with their results, they head for the changing rooms. But the other teams can look back on a morning well spent, too. After all, connecting is more important than winning.