Why Urban Rec Staff Are The Best

March 1, 2016 - 8 years ago

You have signed up to play a social sport. You think. Did that... work? Wait. How do I pay? You need to fill out tons of forms, and transfer the money by 3 weeks prior, and then you have no idea what time your game is, and you have no idea where to go. 

You get there, and no one is there to greet you, Are you in the right place? Who is in charge here? 

Finally you are in the swing of things, but you rock up on week 3, and no one is there but you and your team. What happened? You registered for a badly organised league. Shame on you. 

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At Urban Rec, we do things differently.

You pay your rego fee's, and we do the rest. Part of what makes that easy for us, is the staff we have dedicated to you, your team, and the league. 

In every league you get one league manager, and one event host. You will know them by name, or you will see their faces on our website here, and here. So, what do they do?

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League Managers

REGISTRATION: They help you throughout the registration process, ensure you have all the things you need to start in the league, and all your team mates have done their paperwork, you don't have to do the chasing, we will!

THERE TO HELP YOU SETTLE IN: They are always there for Season Opener night to help you settle in, especially if you are meeting your team for the first time!

RAIN OUT'S  OR SCHEDULE CHANGES: They ensure you are aware of any game changes or rain out's as early as possible by calling each Captain, and sending out texts to the entire league, so you don't waste your time getting to the venue for a cancelled game.

GAME CHANGES: They cater to any game change requests. We hate forfeits, and people missing out, so we make every effort we can to facilitate a game change, so you can play, and your opposition can too.

DISCOUNTS ON FOOD & DRINK: They organise specials for you at our Clubhouses for post-game hangs. We negotiate deals on food & drink, and organise fun events for the league to get involved in.

MAINTAIN A STANDINGS TABLE: They update your standings table, and results weekly, so you always know where your position is on the ladder.

MAINTAIN EQUIPMENT: They ensure all of your equipment is up to date, in good working order… say no to saggy balls, and sad bibs.

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Event Hosts

KNOWLEGE OF RULES: They ensure  all teams know the rules well, they also teach the rules to all players on the season opener night

SET UP EQUIPMENT: They set up, and pack up the equipment for you each night. Feel free to help, but generally… we got this.

STAY ON TIME: They keep games on time! (crazy right!)

KEEP AN EYE ON THE GAME: They keep score (in most leagues), and offer calls where possible when teams cannot make their own calls during the game

COACHING: They coach any teams or individuals who would like some extra tips or hints!

MUSIC: They are in charge of the playlist! (yes you can make requests)

SEASON ENDER PARTIES: They organise and host the season ender parties and Tournaments. The last week is always the most fun!

SOCIALISING: They quite often would love to join you for a beverage post game, so invite them along, and make them feel like part of your team.

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Why Urban Rec Doesn't Offer Insurance

March 1, 2016 - 8 years ago

Urban Rec doesn’t provide any personal injury, or personal accident insurance, and we want to make sure you understand the reasons why, and also how you can get yourself covered.

Australia has one of the best public health systems in the world. As an Australian resident through Medicare we are entitled to free medical treatment. If you do have an accident, generally the cost is covered. You can read more about this here. 

Most Australian residents now have private health cover. The government has made it beneficial from a tax perspective for most of us to take out a policy. If you do have private health, look into your policy, and see if they cover for ambulance, and rehabilitation services like physio. They are the things you will most likely need if you are playing sport. You can find out more here. 

Blanket insurance policies don’t provide the kind of cover worth claiming for. Some local clubs, or organisations offer a blanket insurance policy for all their players. In our opinion, we don’t think this kind of cover is worth the paper it’s written on. Often after lots of paperwork through associations, and months of proving your injury, filling out forms etc, you can claim a measly $20-30 off your next physio appointment. We don’t think it’s worth it. 

Everyone’s circumstances are different. Some people have dependants, mortgages or jobs that can be affected by injury, and therefore premiums are vastly different. If we were to secure cover that was really worth it, we would need to access intimate details about your personal situation.

Insurance can add a lot of cost to your registration fee. If we were to take out an insurance policy for you as an individual, we would need you to pay at least 12 months of cover, even if you are only playing sport with us for 11 weeks of the year. It would bump up your rego fee’s another $100-$200 per person, per season. We don’t think this is affordable for social sports.

What can you do? If you don’t have a Medicare card or private health insurance, we suggest you take out a personal accident/injury policy such as this.  If you have a previous injury, or you are worried in particular about your income being affected by an injury, we strongly suggest you look into getting yourself covered with a personal insurance policy of some kind. Here are some example of insurance providers. (AAMI, GIO, Suncorp).

 If you’re visiting Australia from certain countries, you may be entitled to some subsidised health services under our Reciprocal Health Care Agreements. You can learn more about that here. 

At the end of the day, Urban Rec works very hard to make sure you are safe, and free from any hazards when you play with us. But, accidents do happen. So make sure you know what you are covered for, and stay informed. 

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Dudes Talking About Netball

February 17, 2016 - 8 years ago

Basically, Netball is a girls sport. Or so they say. We have plenty of dudes that play in our Fast5 league that simply, cannot get enough. They love it. But don't take our word for it, we think it's better if you hear it from the horses mouth... so alas…

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We got chattin to Ashley...

Why do you like playing Fast5 Netball?

Fast5 Netball is very fast yet easy to pick up and adaptable to all skill levels, with dropping the wings all players are able to move freely around the court and become involved in setting up the game play, or locking down their opponent on defense.

Have you played regular 7 aside, and how do you prefer Fast 5 Netball?

I played 7 a side netball a lot when I was younger in the and even represented the Navy against the combined services a few times, I started playing as I thought it would be a great way to meet women....hahaha! I prefer 5 a side though because of the games speed and the ability to get involved, its generally a lot more fun and not as serious as 7 a side.

Is there a stigma about men playing Netball, what do you think of that?

There is a stigma about men playing netball and my general response to men that knock it is to ask them if they've ever played? Generally the answer is no. 

I've played AFL, Rugby and Basketball all at representative levels and Netball is equally as challenging as they all are and if you're willing to try Fast5 Netty then you're able to apply the skills that have been learnt from other sports into the game and make it you're own.

Then we spent a few minutes picking Rob's brain...

 Why do you like playing Fast5 Netball?

I like playing Fast5 because of the pace, its not like Touch football or soccer, with short bursts of activity, Fast5 is all action right from the moment the whistle is blown.

Have you played regular 7 aside, and how do you prefer Fast 5 Netball?

Before playing Fast5 with UR I had only played Netball in high school, and considered it a sport for girls.

Is there a stigma about men playing Netball, what do you think of that?

There's a huge stigma attached to Netball and male participation, many people, both male and female scoff/laugh when I tell them I play. Until 18 months ago I thought the same, It wasn't until I started playing that I realised the importance of strategy and personal fitness.

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If you think this sounds like a bit of you. Then join us for the upcoming season of Fast5 Netball. We are taking teams, as well as individuals. You don't need to know the rules, just come along, and our staff can teach you everything you need to know. Find out more, and how to register online here. 

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Dear Captain,

January 1, 2016 - 8 years ago

Congrats in the title, and all the bossing around, and glory that comes with the job.  By now all your team should have received your UR Member cards, if you need extra, ask the staff at your games. 

There are a few other points we will be counting on you to manage.

Player attendance: You are responsible for having your minimum players turn up every week on time. If you have 3 or less players turn up for any game, you will be forced to forfeit, and play a friendly. If your team rocks up late, we will eat into your game time, and that may risk you getting low rec points. You cannot borrow players from other teams in your league, but you can bring in subs as needed or use our SUB ME IN Facebook page to recruit other Urban Rec Members from different sports or locations.

Forfiets Policy: If you forfeit more than once in a season, you will be forced to pay $60 fine to your opposition. This will not happen if you give fair notice (24 hours), or if a friendly game can be arranged, or if your team are not regular offenders!​

Game Cancellations: Please keep an eye on our twitter and Facebook. If the game in cancelled for any reason, due to weather or other circumstances, we will let you know on social media, and we will also text and email you (generally not the entire team, just you). 

Memberships and Waivers: You need to make sure all team players, have signed a membership form at the courts, or become a member online. Even if they are playing for one game, as a sub. All players need to acknowledge the waiver, and code of conduct before they play with us. We rely on you to make sure the team is maintaining their memberships. NB: Urban Rec is for 18+ players only. As such, we do not allow any under 18 year olds to play on your team, or sub in.

Insurance: Urban Rec does not cover for personal injury insurance. It makes our fees higher, and your registration, complicated, here are a few more reasons why. You play sports, at your own risk. If you, or anyone on your team does not have private health insurance, we suggest you take out an insurance policy similar to this.

Uniforms: Your team may choose to pick team colours, if you do this, make sure you confirm with your League Manager your chosen colour, it's first in best dressed. If you don’t want to pick a colour, just bring a black, AND a white t-shirt each week.

If your team has already chosen a colour for the season, make sure everyone definitely comes along in that colour each week. It’s essential to make the job easy for our event host, and also the game better for both sides. If you do recruit any subs, make sure they come in the same colour too.

Click here to go to Urban Rec’s Uniform Shop

Equipment for Netball players: On the first night you will be given a set of bibs, which are yours to keep for the season, take turns in washing them, and bringing them each week, at the end of the season you will need to return them. 

Equipment for Softball players: On the first night you will be given 3-4 balls for you and your team to keep for the season. You will also get a team clipboard for scoring. These will need to be returned at the end of the season. 

Rec Points: At the end of each game, your team awards the opposition with rec points, based on their sportsmanship, and how fun they were to play. Please make sure your team submit that score to the staff every week at the end of your game. (You can view the Rec Points summary online here)

Sportsmanship: The Urban Rec Event Host, is there to keep an eye on the game, and make sure you are playing by the rules. If you don't think your opposition are playing with good sportsmanship, make sure you use the Rec Points as your voice. The staff are not responsible for disciplining players for not being honest, or playing fair - that's on the players themselves

Disputes: If there is an altercation or a dispute that cannot be resolved on the night, an Urban Rec staff member will call you to discuss the incident in detail. You will also receive all call if a rec point of 2 or below is recorded by you, or against you, to understand why the low point was scored. 

Captain of Fun! You are the head honcho for all things FUN. Your team, and others have signed up to Urban Rec to have an recreational sports season, and part of that means you should keep an eye on aggressive, or mean, or overly competitive behaviour. Help our staff by encouraging your team to be Urban Rec legends, and take out the rec champion title! We will be handing out beer jugs to the funnest and best sports, team for the week, so be a contender for that. 

Lastly, we encourage our teams to get together and socialise after the games, at the pub. It's an excellent way to wind down and catch up with new and old friends. Make sure you organise a few get togethers over the season, (if not every week) meet other Urban Rec peeps, eat some great food, have a laugh, and celebrate the awesome season.

We always post awesome photos up on Facebook and Instagram. So make sure you follow us so you can see your team shots!

If you have any questions, please talk to our staff or drop us a line to [email protected] 

Well done Capt'n, we know you'll be great!!

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Forfeit Fees introduced for Spring

July 6, 2015 - 8 years ago

This Spring, we are bringing in a new rule, which is tough, but fair. Below are some Q&A for you and your team to go over. If you have any questions, you know where to find us!

If your team forfeits more than once in a season, you will be charged a $60 fee payable to your opposition. 

Why are we doing this? To make it fair on everyone. We don't want any players to miss out on their games. You all pay seasonal fee's and we don't think it's fair for you to miss out on getting your moneys worth. 

How can you avoid paying the fee? By making sure you have a full squad every week. 

Is it OK to bring substitutes? Of course, just make sure they sign an Urban Rec Member form/waiver. 

Is it OK to borrow players from other teams? If you do not have enough players to field the side, you will need to forfeit. You can then choose to borrow players from another team, and play a friendly game. 

If we forfiet, and still play a friendly, will we be forced to pay the fee? No, if we can organise a friendly, we will not fine you. 

What about exceptional circumstances? Of course, if something has happened, please talk to us, and we will consider your situation. If we have enough notice we can make sure we get a friendly match going. 

Can we ask to have our game time moved, so we don't need to forfeit? We will do everything in our power to make sure you and your team can play your scheduled game. If moving your game doesnt inconvenice your opposition, or any other teams in the league, we will try and move it. There is no guarentee we can do this.

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Reasons Why Rebound Volleyball Is the Ultimate Winter Sport

June 18, 2015 - 8 years ago

As Australians, we tend to be very traditional sportspeople. Heck, we are world famous for our innate ability to be brilliant at all things sport, but slowly, and surely we are seeing a rise of niche sports - something our USA friends have been doing for some years. 

Enter Rebound Volleyball (aka Wallyball). Just like it's forefathers Dodgeball, Kickball, and Flag Gridiron it reicks of North America, but heck they know how to have fun, dont't they?!

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Here are 4 reasons why this sport is going to rock your world! 

1. It's great for beginners, or people that lovey Volleyball, but suck at it. It takes all of the principals of volleyball, and affords players to make mistakes like hitting the ball sideways. Instead of that ball headed for the ocean, and your opposition rolling their eyes (cos you suck), the ball is played off the wall, and created a great diversion, and a quick eye to return. 

2. You can always get courts! Rebound Volleyball is played on a squash court which is an added bonus given most of those spaces are left vacant in the important hours. It's a quick moving, high intensity sport, which will test your quick eye, and quick arm. 

3. Great fitness, duh! Because the sport is quick, and never stops, there is less stoppage, and a lot more running around like a chicken with no head. It's a really wild chase, and you are left with the sweaty marks to prove it. 

4. You only need 4 on the court. Which is great, because trying to convnce 3 of your friends to play is way easier than getting 5 of them onboard. Heck you could ask one friend, your Mum and your Dog*, and you have a team!

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If you think this sounds like you, then make sure you join here so you can say "you played Rebound Volleyball, before it was cool". 

*Doggy's dont have opposable thumbs, so do not make great team mates. 

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3 Ways to Meet (And Not Meet) Other Sydney-Siders - UrbanRec

June 4, 2015 - 8 years ago

Being a small fry in a big city can be super intimidating. Everyone seems to be rushing to their next physio appointment before they meet a friend for coffee, then cocktails in Paddington.

Meanwhile some of us bury our head in MX Newspaper on the way home before hitting the gym, passing glances to anyone else who looks even vaguely interested in the hope they might want to go for a beer afterwards. Depressing. 

Well Sydney siders, if you are new to town, or just sick of your friends, or your boyfriend, we have picked

3 ways to NOT meet people, and 3 great ways to get your social life buzzing

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DO NOT. Try and chat to randoms in the pub. While it’s fair game for most travellers, if you want to meet local Sydney siders, they will most likely snub you.It’s not something we are prioud of, but it’s a fact. Maybe it's all the "dont talk to strangers" mentatlity we grew up with, but we don’t know how to do random chats.

DO NOT. Join some singles under 30 group in Meetup.com – recipe for creepville. For some reason, all of the creepers of society make their way to these groups, and unless you have found a good one (tell us), then we ware you away.

DO NOT. Rely on online dating if you want to meet friends, and lots of them. If you are looking for love, then shoot for the stars. But not everyone you want to meet is romance worthy, and it can get awkward. Just sayin.

DO. Get a job. It’s a sure fire way to meet some folks. Sydney siders love some after work drinks in the city on a Friday. Better yet, start working as an Uber driver. The Uber user demographic is 18-45, and you will see all the hot spots as you drive your passengers to swanky bars on Saturday night.  

DO. Sign up for social sports. Urban Rec is Sydney’s biggest provider of social sports, for people that are looking to play… mostly to meet people. You can sign up as an individual, and get matched with a team. AKA Your 8 new best friends. The leagues are totally fun, and totally fine for beginners. 

DO. Volunteer. If your nights and weekends are empty, why not volunteer to work at some of the local sporting events, or races, sport clubs, and community stuff. This is so not awkward for you because hell… you’re working, and it’s a really easy way to meet other volunteers, and people in the community. 

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Why UrbanRec Doesn’t Offer Personal Accident or Injury Insurance

May 28, 2015 - 8 years ago

Urban Rec doesn’t provide any personal injury, or personal accident insurance, and we want to make sure you understand the reasons why, and also how you can get yourself covered.

Australia has one of the best public health systems in the world. As an Australian resident through Medicare we are entitled to free medical treatment, if you do have an accident, generally the cost is covered. You can read more about this here. 

Most Australian residents now have private health cover. The government has intensified most of us to get this with tax breaks. If you do have private health, look into your policy, and see if they cover for ambulance, and rehabilitation services like physio. They are the things you will most likely need if you are playing sport. You can find out more here. 

Blanket insurance policies don’t provide the kind of cover worth claiming for. Some local clubs, or organisations offer a blanket insurance policy for all their players. In our opinion, we don’t think this kind of cover is worth the paper it’s written on. Often after lots of paperwork through associations, and months of proving your injury, filling out forms etc, you can claim a measly $300, or $20 off your next physio appointment. Which we think is hardly worth it.

Everyone’s circumstances are different. Some people have dependants, mortgagees or jobs that can be effected by injury, and therefore premiums are vastly different. If we were to secure cover that was really worth it, we would need to access your personal situation.

Insurance can add a lot of cost to your registration fee. If we were to take out an insurance policy for you as an individual, we would need you to pay at least 12 months of cover, even if you are only playing sport with us for 11 weeks of the year. It would bump up your rego fee’s another $100-$200 per person, per season. We don’t think this is affordable for social sports.

What can you do? If you don’t have a Medicare card or private health insurance, we suggest you take out a personal accident/injury policy such as this.  If you have a previous injury, or you are worried in particular about your income being effected by an injury, we strongly suggest you look into getting yourself covered with a personal insurance policy of some kind.

At the end of the day, Urban Rec works very hard to make sure you are safe, and free from any hazards when you play with us. But, accidents do happen. So make sure you know what you are covered for, and stay informed.

Learn More

The Optimists

April 1, 2015 - 9 years ago

I recently saw this trailer on my Facebook feed, and it seriously hit me to the bone. It represents so much of Urban Rec and here is why:

Take a look. 

1. Sport is not always about the sport. The main reason I am passionate about what we do at Urban Rec is because I am passionate about bringing people together. Sometimes, we just need a good reason, a common interest, a common goal to get us together. It's part of what structures, and maintains long lasting relationships. 

2. Being juvenile is amazing. Most of our members are young, but one day, we are all going to be old. It's inevitable. Being young is a state of mind. Even as we see people approaching their 30's we seem to have this idea that being an adult means being serious, and.... well,boring! It doesnt have to be that way. Be a giant kid, have fun, laugh at yourself, and keep building new experiences always. I hope our members can take this methodology with them into their 90's.

3. Losing is OK. Learning how to be a good loser is such an integral part of playing sport, and playing life. If you can understand that sport is very little about winning, and very much about having a go. Now, I am not saying we are all going to get a participation medal at the end of the season. But be OK that you lost, and be happy for those that won. It's a very liberating feeling.

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Future Dodgeball Festival 2014 - A Huge Success! - Urban Rec

July 20, 2014 - 9 years ago

Urban Rec was very excited to host their annual Future Dodgeball Festival last Sunday on July 13th, 2014. The event was a roaring success with the anticipated 20 teams registered, and plenty more spectators, friends and family to boot.  20 teams from all over Sydney met on 4 courts over 3 hours, playing a total of 4 games each in the round robin.

The event was not going unnoticed across the Country with Today Weekend Show crossing live to the event, on national television and the hosts witnessing a small taste of what would lay ahead for the day. 

Nearby on courtside, with Budweiser as a major sponsor of  the event and “The Bud Bar” was in full motion, and proved an excellent resting place where patrons could donate money for buckets’o’bud, with 100% of their donation going to charity. All the while they enjoyed the funky 90’s beats coming from the (unreliebale) sound system.

While they waited dressed up as Bogans, ducks, and 90’s RnB bands, teams took advantage of the Bubble Soccer kindly donated by Kikoff Centre Fraser Park. For a small donation, teams were tumbling, and laughing, and really playing very little soccer, but having a fantastic time all the same.

By the time lunch came around, players had worked up a hunger, and thanks to Got Fries and The Sizzle, they were not disappointed. Well-fed players watched on as the finals teams for both the Scrubbers Cup, and Championship were announced. In a single elimination, and highly competitive round, only two teams would walk away with glory.

Drop Bears took out the Scrubbers Cup and Mixed Nuts took the Champions league, with Urban Rec Champion t-shirts, and a glistening silver cup to treasure till next year. The winners ceremony saw all teams showered with beer including the best dressed winners, Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies.  

A huge thanks is owed to our event sponsors, Budweiser, Kikoff Fraser Park, and Urban Rec. A humungous thanks and praise to all of the volunteers, who gave up their whole Sunday in the name of charity and fun. Without them, the event would not have been a possibility. We managed to raise$3500 on the day for Project Futures. 

Photos and Videos

Event photos can be found online here, and event video to be released in the coming weeks.

More Editorial and Media Exposure

Editorial in Timeout Sydney Online

Editorial in Timeout Sydney Magazine July 2014

Editorial in Weekend Notes

Editorial in Inner City Weekender

Live cross with Channel 9’s Weekend Today on Sunday 13th July

Live segment with Channel 9’s Weekend Today on Saturday 26th July

About the Charity

PROJECT FUTURES is a not for profit organisation, run by a passionate network of young and inspiring professionals. We raise awareness and funding for programs dedicated to combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation globally.

If you would like to join us for any of our Urban Rec Dodgeball Leagues, you can do so by clicking here to see when our next league is starting. Otherwise we look forward to seeing you all next year!

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