For Black History Month, we spoke to some of our Black athletes on their experiences of sport at UCL...
Elisia Swaby
UCL Dodgeball Club, President 23/24
How has sport defined your time at UCL?
The majority of my time at UCL has been dedicated to sports in some way, shape or form. I tried various taster sessions during Welcome Week 2021, but it was eventually the Dodgeball Club that began my sporting journey at UCL. With fun training sessions on a Monday and Friday, it proved to be the best way to start and end a busy week of med school lectures and an opportunity to be surrounded by some of my favourite people. This academic year, I am President of the Dodgeball Club, so I am more involved with the leadership aspect of the club than ever before!
What is your greatest sporting achievement at UCL?
Making it onto England Dodgeball Women's Development Squad in February 2023! It was also my first experience trialling for a sports team, so it was an incredibly fun yet mildly frightening experience. However, attending trials with two other UCL Panthers made me so proud of the club's achievements and realise how far we had all come to get to this moment!
What has been your proudest/ favourite moment with TeamUCL?
I have way too many! A recent one has been speaking to students at TeamUCL Campus Takeover and Welcome Fair 2023. It was a really insightful and educational experience for me to hear how variations of dodgeball are played across many cultures! In my first year, it was definitely watching our coach and teammate Issy Smith being awarded Unsung Hero at TeamUCL Sports Awards 2022; you can probably hear myself and another teammate yelling "Go Issy" from the back of the theatre on Youtube. A yearly favourite is the TeamUCL club photo day; it's amazing to have everyone gather together and document the growth of our club over the years!
Why should students get involved with sport at UCL?
It's the one of the best ways to make friends! Though I befriended quite a few of my medical school peers, I met the majority of my university friends through the Dodgeball Club, as well as many non-UCL friends from within the wider dodgeball community. Entering a team of yourself and a couple of mates into a Project Active or TeamUCL League (preferably a dodgeball one!) is an amazing way to strengthen the bond between friends and an amazing opportunity to make new ones!
What do you think sports clubs could be doing to increase inclusivity at UCL?
Definitely by creating/developing the beginner-friendly aspect of your sports club. I believe this will have a great effect in allowing students who never envisaged themselves in a particular sport, to feel able to start their journey.
Having been educated at a state-comprehensive school in a working-class area of West London, there were not many opportunities provided by schools to learn the rules of football, netball, basketball, rugby etc. Success in these sports would often depend on if your parent or guardian could afford to send you to a local youth club. As a result, I did find it quite daunting trying taster sessions during my first week that weren't advertised with a particular skill level, as when I attended, it felt like everyone already knew the rules of the sport and how to communicate with each other on court/pitch.
In the end, I felt like the Dodgeball Club was one of the most beginner-friendly competitive sports, as they had a super attentive and supportive coach (shoutout to Issy!) who really took the time to not only explain the rules of the sport coherently, but also taught me how to communicate effectively to improve my confidence and leadership on court!