Sport is helping so many students find their community at DMU.
Ever thought of joining a DMU sports team? We all know that sport has the power to bring people together, but recent research has shown that playing it could really boost your experience of uni. That’s not just about your physical health, but also mentally and socially too, and it could even boost your career prospects.
Recent studies from BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) show that over 90% of those who play sport at uni say it boosted their mental health, two thirds said it positively impacted their academic work, over half said it improved their employability, and almost 95% said it helped their sense of belonging and community at Uni.
Don’t just take our word for it, though. As March’s Varsity event draws closer we talked to four students who are hoping to compete, to find out how their team is adding to their uni experience. As you’ll find out, DMU sport isn’t just for elite athletes, there’s room for beginners too. And you haven’t missed the boat if you didn’t sign up as a fresher – there are so many opportunities to get involved.
Natalia, Archery
I'm currently doing my Master's degree after graduating in Psychology from DMU. I always wanted to do archery, but I never felt like I had the time because I was doing full-time uni and working two jobs. So it was just tough to squeeze any hobbies into that, and I went three years just thinking about it.
I had my gap year and now I’m back I thought, well ‘now's the time!’ I'd never done it before this year, but I like it a lot.
My friendship groups have changed a lot since I finished my undergrad course, mainly because I took a gap year. Most of my friends did their Master’s straightaway, so they’ve all finished, and some of them were international students, so they’ve left the UK now. So I came back to DMU not having really anyone.
Honestly, I'm not trying to glaze anyone, but everyone in archery is super, super great! It's been a major part in me coming back into social groups here, and helping me find those people that I've kind of lost along the way. So yeah, archery has been really important.
George, American Football
So how did you get into that when you started uni or you kind of played before halfway?
I’d never played American Football before uni, I swam and I never really had the time to do both. But I’d been been following it for a few years, and went to one of the NFL games in London. I found out DMU had a team before I got to uni, even before I was accepted, so when I arrived I just thought it was the perfect time to start. I haven't regretted it since – it’s an amazing sport!
Sport has played a massive role at uni for me. I think I've always been a very competitive sport-led person anyway, so to be able to have the friendships and the connections from the sport as well has been great. I’ve ended up being closer to friends from my team than my course mates. We spend time together outside training and matches – it’s a second family for me, really. I mean I literally spend every minute of every day with them where possible!
Teagan, Climbing
Did you do climbing before uni or did you, were you beginning when you started?
I did a bit of climbing before uni, but just for fun. And then when I came to DMU I saw there was a society, and I looked into it, and thought yeah, that’s definitely something I want to join.
It’s definitely helped with friendships too – I definitely made a bigger group of friends quicker than I would have if I'd just met people one-on-one without sport.
Maddie, Leicester Uni climbing
It’s been great, because literally our whole house of eight has been dragged to climbing events, time and time again. Three of us are in the society, and on the committee and go to competitions, but it’s also been really nice to have proper support from others wherever we go too. Everyone in the team is really close - we're friends through the society, but also outside of that now.
It’s never too late to join a team or a sports club. Check out our website to find the next drop-in style activity and our active sports programme, and access the fixtures for Varsity 2026 here.
Posted on Monday 19 January 2026