Getting started
finding a local club
To help you find local sports clubs, we’ve put links under each sport to
- online directories of local sports clubs (that we know about)
- the websites of the sport’s governing bodies – for example, if you want to play Badminton, Badminton England lists clubs and leagues in England.
If this doesn’t help, search in
- www.google.co.uk, or other Internet search engines. Enter the names of the sport and your location.
- The Sports Focus directory. Enter the names of the sport and your location.
- The Yellow Pages or other phone directories – look under “Sports Clubs and Associations”.
ask questions
When you’ve found a club, ask questions to see what they offer and that it’s right for you:
- Can you try out for free?
- What facilities do they have?
- Can they lend you equipment to start with?
- How much does it cost to join and play?
- Are they at Clubmark Standard? The Clubmark website has information about sports clubs certified as suitable for young people and a download-able Microsoft Excel database of Clubmark certified clubs.
finding local sports facilities
The Active Places website lists over 50,000 sports facilities in England. Click on a map, or search by location or name.
finding a partner to play with
If you’re looking for a partner to play a sport with, try the Find a Sport Buddy website.
fit enough to start?
You’ll get fitter as you play your sport, but to enjoy it from the start it helps to be in reasonable shape. Check out Getting Fit for useful ideas. If you have a medical condition, you’ll want to check with your doctor first and take things easy to start with.
