For Black History Month, we spoke to some of our Black athletes on their experiences of sport at UCL...
Sasha Green
UCL Netball Club, Netball President 22/23 and Sports Representative 21/22
How has sport defined your time at UCL?
Sport has played such a huge part in my time at UCL. From my first week as a fresher to this day as Netball President, UCL netball has always been such a fun environment where you can just let your hair down and take a break from life. The netball community at UCL is so welcoming and I would definitely encourage anyone who’s considering playing a sport at uni to go for it, especially if that sport is netball!
What is your greatest sporting achievement at UCL?
Coming 1st in LUSL League and 2nd in BUCS league last year :)
What has been your proudest/ favourite moment with TeamUCL?
Probably being voted in as President! It’s such heart-warming feeling knowing that people trust in you enough to take care of a club, especially one as big and loving as netball.
Why should students get involved with sport at UCL?
Because sport & exercise is not only good for the body, but good for the mind too! Playing sport is like having a whole other family in your corner, and when you need a break it’s always there. So much goes on in the UCL sporting world that you can get involved in! It’s not a case of just playing a match and saying goodbye, you really get to build friendships and spend time with people that you otherwise may have never been introduced to. It’s honestly just the best thing you could do for yourself at uni!
What do you think sports clubs could be doing to increase inclusivity at UCL?
Definitely reach out specifically to the cultural societies at UCL to encourage more diversity within clubs. Running events specifically for minority groups would be a great way of giving people the opportunity and confidence to get involved.
What have been your experiences of being a black/mixed race athlete at UCL?
I’ve only had positive experiences being a mixed-race athlete at UCL but I definitely believe more could be done to encourage black/mixed race students to take up sport at UCL. We need to see more representation of black/mixed race students in sports clubs to encourage other students to turn up and own their space.