Abigail’s Story | UniSport Nationals

My name is Abigail and I am currently a 3rd year student in the Bachelor of Education (Secondary)/Bachelor of Arts. I have participated in many extra-curricular activities in my time at Flinders University so far, but a highlight has been travelling to the Gold Coast to compete in the UniSport Nationals Div 2 competition for futsal (a variation of indoor soccer).

In July of this year, myself and a number of other students headed to Queensland to participate in a variety of sports and represent Flinders University at a national level. I was fortunate enough to be elected as the female captain for this group and attend a professional networking event prior to the competition to learn about leadership qualities and making connections.

The week-long competition saw my teammates and I play two to three games of futsal per day and attend team bonding events in the evenings. We went in as underdogs but managed to win several games and finished 9th! Other sports that Flinders students participated in included; basketball, volleyball, badminton, and netball (women’s and mixed).

The process of getting this futsal team together was quite complex as there was an initial lack of awareness of the game for girls. However, my connection to and involvement at Flinders Flames Women’s Soccer Club soon saw a strong team evolve. We had training sessions with our coach prior to leaving Adelaide as well as meetings with the University Sports Officers – we felt well prepared!

While we encountered many injuries throughout the competition, we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience; both in a sporting and social sense. I met new people and made lifelong friends throughout the trip as we all had a common interest and experience.

After the competition I was also lucky enough to attend the Flinders University Sport Awards at Alere Function Centre where I was presented the UniSport Service Award (Div 2). This recognised my participation in the national competition and ‘demonstrating an active commitment in driving team values and culture and capturing the spirit of University sport’.

While my studies are still my focus at Flinders, I have found that participating in these kinds of extra-curricular activities have made my experience much more enjoyable and I will have these memories and friendships for life!

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