Thirteen sports in Groningen you wouldn't think of quickly
Everyone knows football, fitness and tennis. You can also do these sports in Groningen, and there's a good chance you've never considered them.
Sportspots editorial team, updated on
Photo: snowlimits.nl
-
Korfball
Men and women always play on the same team
Korfball comes from the Netherlands: four men and four women in one team, and everyone guards someone of the same sex. Dribbling isn't allowed and neither is pushing, so it's all about clever passing and getting free. It feels faster and more tactical than most people think.
Most clubs let you train a few times, even as an adult with no experience.
In Groningen: ckv ROG, Nic., C.K.V. Rondom d'Olle Grieze and still 2
-
Ultimate frisbee
A match without a referee
Ultimate frisbee is a fast running sport with a disc. Players resolve fouls themselves, even at tournaments. That principle is called spirit of the game, and afterwards teams even give each other a score for it. Running and diving are allowed, touching your opponent is not.
You only need trainers. Teams are often mixed and student clubs take part too.
In Groningen: Gronical Dizziness
-
Pickleball
Tennis, table tennis and badminton in one
A small court, a hard little bat as a racket and a light plastic ball with holes. You serve underarm and the rallies get going straight away, even if you've never held a racket. That's why people aged twenty and seventy simply play together.
You can often take part without your own equipment at an open evening. Ask the club.
In Groningen: Momentum-Padel
-
Floorball
Indoor hockey, with a plastic stick
Floorball is played five against five with a goalkeeper, with a light stick and a ball with holes. It's very fast and you can get the hang of it fairly quickly, because the ball is light and the rules rule out hooking and hitting.
You can usually borrow a stick. Indoor trainers are enough.
In Groningen: U.C. Face Off
-
Archery
One arrow, and your mind goes blank
In archery you can think of nothing but your posture and your breathing. It is calm, precise and addictive as soon as the first arrow hits the mark. Your age or fitness hardly matters.
Clubs offer a taster or beginners' course, with a bow provided by the club.
In Groningen: Groninger Handboog Vereniging Vector, Schietsportvereniging Filadelfia, SSV Rabenhaupt
-
Jeu de boules
The sport you start with a drink in your hand
Boules seems easygoing, until you see how fanatically people measure, calculate and shoot. You can join at almost any age, and you can play outdoors for most of the year.
At most clubs you can drop in on a playing day and borrow balls.
In Groningen: Petanqueclub "Pres le But"
-
Rowing
At six in the morning on the water
Rowing teaches you to move together in one rhythm, and when it works the boat feels as if it is floating. It is demanding and technical, and it cannot be done without each other. That is why rowers are so loyal.
Clubs have courses for beginners, often in spring and after the summer. You need to be able to swim.
In Groningen: KGR De Hunze, Vereniging Watersport De Twee Provincien
-
Canoe & SUP
Your city from the water
In a canoe or on a stand-up paddleboard you suddenly see the place where you live differently. You go as hard or as gently as you like. At a club you can also play canoe polo or try whitewater paddling.
Hire is often available by the hour, and a club will teach you to paddle safely.
In Groningen: Groninger Kano Vereniging, Surf -en outdoorcenter Teuntje de Slak
-
Rugby
Hard on the pitch, friendly afterwards
Everyone in a rugby team has a place, whether you are tall and thin or short and broad. After the match, both teams stand together at the bar, and that is just as much part of the game as the scrum.
Clubs also take on beginners who have never held an oval ball, and first teach you how to tackle and fall safely.
In Groningen: VV Helpman, Monkey Moves Groningen
-
Baseball & softball
Patience, and then one hit
Baseball and softball are a mix of waiting, watching and one second of pure action. In the Netherlands it is smaller than football, but we are surprisingly good at it. Every position has its own role in the game.
Clubs lend you a glove. For many adults, softball is the easiest way in.
In Groningen: Caribe
-
American football
A playbook as thick as a textbook
Every attack is a move planned in advance, and everyone has a precise task. The defence looks tough, but it is also a game of thinking. There is also flag football, without tackles and without equipment.
Clubs often have equipment to borrow in your first few weeks.
In Groningen: G.S.A.V.V. Forward
-
Cricket
A sport with a tea break
Cricket seems complicated and, at first, it is. But a shorter match is easy enough to follow, and clubs are often international: you meet people from all over the world.
You don't need to bring anything except clothes you can run in.
In Groningen: Phoenix Cricket Club Groningen
-
Skateboarding
Falling and getting up, literally
No one can do it the first time. That's what makes skating so fun: every little trick you land feels like a win. The skatepark scene is more open than it seems, including for adults who are just starting out.
You can often borrow a board through a course. Wear a helmet, especially at the beginning.
In Groningen: skatepark Colosseum, Mountainboardpark
