Sports at oxbridge?

If i get the grades to get me to oxford I wouldnt mind trying a bit of rowing but i'm 5'5" so does this mean i'm too short. Also i thought of perhaps squash, badminton or basketball, but i've only slightly played these at school so do not know the rules and aren't v gd, so can you play these sports at oxford and can u start from the v basics?

Reply 1

Helenia

20

5'5 is fine for college rowing - we have girls in our W1 who are only about that height, so it shouldn't be a problem, and you can start as a complete novice, in fact loads of people do, and then they get hooked! As for the others, I don't know - we have lots of little college leagues and stuff, but I don't know how good you have to be to play.

Reply 2

Hoofbeat

14

_mad_moo_

If i get the grades to get me to oxford I wouldnt mind trying a bit of rowing but i'm 5'5" so does this mean i'm too short.

WAHOOOOOOOOO PROSPECTIVE ROWER <jumps up and down with excitment!!!!> ! I was about 5ft4 when I started last term as a complete novice and within a term I'd grown over 2inches - my hamstrings stretched! hehe! Don't worry about being too short or anything, it's completely irrelevant at college level! Most sports are represented at Oxford and you can play either as a complete Novice or as an expert in one of the Bleus squads!

Reply 3

JUSTaGIRL

Don't bother faffing about in a boat....play rugby instead.
A sport for REAL women.... :wink:

Reply 4

Hoofbeat

14

JUSTaGIRL

Don't bother faffing about in a boat....play rugby instead.
A sport for REAL women.... :wink:

Reply 5

Hoofbeat

14

deianra

Taking up rowing makes you taller?! But I don't want to be any taller...but I want to row! :frown:

I'm a very happy 5'6" and this really is a marvellously great height... :frown:

Awww, don't worry. No-one else in my crew has grown at all and most people don't believe me when I say it was the rowing that made me taller. I firmly believe that my hamstrings probably have stretched, as being a horse-rider I always found I had quite tight hamstrings, but since rowing my legs definitely are longer. However, everyone else argues that maybe it's just all the good hall dinners I'm having ever evening that's making me grow, or maybe it was just the time in my life when I'd have a growth spurt. All I know is that I got home to find I was taller than my mum and catching up on my dad (and no they haven't shrunk), I'm taller than my old school friends and I now need long length trousers! hehe. So the moral of this message is...

TAKE UP ROWING :biggrin:

Reply 6

El Stevo

11

meh... i was thinking of doing rowing, badminton and rugby :smile:

Reply 7

Carelesswhispers

OP

1

JUSTaGIRL

Don't bother faffing about in a boat....play rugby instead.
A sport for REAL women.... :wink:

Lower down the school i played rugby for my county, like in yr 7, but then i gew boobs :smile:

Reply 8

Helenia

20

Hoofbeat

Awww, don't worry. No-one else in my crew has grown at all and most people don't believe me when I say it was the rowing that made me taller. I firmly believe that my hamstrings probably have stretched, as being a horse-rider I always found I had quite tight hamstrings, but since rowing my legs definitely are longer.

Darling, just stretching your hamstrings will not make you taller. Your bones growing make you taller, not longer muscles! Maybe you just hadn't reached the end of your growth spurt :rolleyes:

I haven't grown since starting rowing, but I have lost weight, which is good and bad, because my arse now has much less padding so the seat hurts much more. Our boat club captain has been rowing for about 5 years and she's only 5'4, so I think your evidence is rather anecdotal :p:

Reply 9

Mop

El Stevo

meh... i was thinking of doing rowing, badminton and rugby :smile:

You'll be dead by Christmas :p:

Reply 10

H&E

3

I did rowing and rugby, no problem. Rugby's a pile of piss, only a couple of first division sides train regularly. Corpus/Somerville got promoted to the First Division this year with a grand total of about 5 training sessions, though obviously next year we'll up it as we're in the big league. Rowing's a lot harder, but still easily manageable. There's a lot of time in a week!

Reply 11

Willa

11

rowing actually gets to dominating your life when you take it seriously...i.e. beyond novicing. But it's definitely worth a go in your first term when it is quite manageable. Just continue with it with caution. Cos in no time you'll be dancing around like a boatie in lycra, and then there's very little going back!

Reply 12

Hoofbeat

14

Willa

Cos in no time you'll be dancing around like a boatie in lycra, and then there's very little going back!

Think I'm a good example of that. I pretty much live in my splash jacket now. Can't believe I'm probably not going to row for another 7 weeks *cries*. If ANYONE at ANY college needs a sub then just ask (I'm a strokesider, but will have a go at bowside!)

Reply 13

Elles

17

Hoofbeat

Can't believe I'm probably not going to row for another 7 weeks *cries*.

why not? how bizaare.. i think our all start again Thursday. then 'rowing camp' in -1 of next term too, i think. :p:

anyway.. sport..hmm, yes. lacrosse & netball myself. with varying degrees of commitment & success! :wink:

Reply 14

Hoofbeat

14

Elles

why not? how bizaare.. i think our all start again Thursday. then 'rowing camp' in -1 of next term too, i think. :p:

QUOTE]

Yeah, the 1sts (I'm assuming) and 3rds (definitely) are continuing training, but us 2nds have been left high and dry - my coach sent us all an email "signing-off", so I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms (although the lie-ins are great!). Have heard the 3rd's might not have a Stroke on Wed tho, so I'm hoping to offer my services!

Reply 15

El Stevo

11

Mop

You'll be dead by Christmas :p:

sounds like a wager to me :smile:

Reply 16

granddad_bob

it is extremely easy to get involved in sport at oxford, there's really no excuse not too.

Reply 17

H&E

3

Well, that's true if you have a major accountancy firm tripping over itself to throw money at you, give you free kit, pay your entry fees etc...

Reply 18

granddad_bob

or if you have free coaching from a CUBC coach, use of one of the most imprssive school fleets in the country and an old boys' scoiety with near unlimited funds...

and lets no forget pembroke "we have a new empacher every week" college...

Reply 19

H&E

3

Yeah I agree, the rowing opportunities at all these places are fantastic. Just as, I'd guess, Rugby at SPC and SEH is great. Just pointing out there is an excuse not to get involved at some other colleges, where standards are lower, everything is self funded, and facilities are non-existent. I still got involved, but unless you're really committed, it's tough. Not least because unless you have previous experience it's impossible to get involved in many sports: I couldn't pick up football from scratch at college level just as others couldn't pick up first 8 rowing without a very serious commitment, and even getting a game for our College XV is almost impossible if you've not played before at a high level.

Sports at oxbridge?

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