Whats On: August In Sydney

July 23, 2018 - 5 years ago

CITY 2 SURF (UR CREW RACE-WALKING): SUN 12 AUG, BONDI BEACH

Join Urban Rec staff and members as we race-walk through the worlds biggest fun run. We will have Urban Rec Elmo running with us, as well as a special picnic at the finish line. Join our crew by RSVP’ing online and you will get a special UR merch pack to wear on the day including a t-shirt, sunnies, and hat. RSVP HERE. 

UR SOCO: fRI 24 AUG, MARRICKVILLE

The Urban Rec Social Committee (UR SoCo) is responsible for creating, hosting, and planning different types of events to attend and create for our members. We are now actively looking for committee members to join us for the 2018/2019 planning! RSVP HERE. 

RETURN 2 RECESS TRIAL & GAME DAY:  SAT 1 SEP, CAMPERDOWN PARK

We're looking for 10-20 people to join us for a sunny day of games in the park. We are launching Return to Recess, and we have 30 games to trial. Turn up with a friend, or friends, and we will set you through your paces playing a selection of fun, random games from your days of school.  After each game, you will be asked to rate the game based on FUN, FITNESS, and INTEREST LEVEL. Games will be everything from Backyard Cricket to Pacman, to Tips, and skipping, piggy in the middle, and plenty more. RSVP HERE. 

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How to Play Competitively in a Social Sports League

July 19, 2018 - 5 years ago

White line fever is real. You’re a good human normally, but as asoon as you cross that line onto the field something takes over. 

We run competitive sports, you’re playing to win. We get it, and what’s the point in playing if you don’t want to win, right? But NEWSFLASH, there’s a way to win gracefully. 

We spoke to our event hosts to get their tips on how to play competitvely in a social sports league, without being a dick. 

“Don’t exploit weaknesses in other teams. If you are playing against a player who is relatively beginner, and you are more experienced, move away from this player and mark someone else who is more challenging.” Donald, UR Canberra

“Competitive doesn’t = aggressive. You can play hard, and skillful without being intimidating or aggressive. Smile. It lets the opposition know you are having fun, and you don’t mean anything agressive in your game.” Mads, UR Sydney

“If your team want to play hard, don’t then get upset when your opposition meets you at that level. Sometimes a good, heated, and competitive game is what people want, but if your opposition sense your energy, they will meet you there, don’t get upset because you set the tone.” Sam, Touch Footy

“If you can see a team are competely beginner, smashing them on the scoreboard does absolutely nothing. It makes them feel like shit, and you look like a pack a douche bags. Find a way to challenge your team, and have fun with it. Work on your defense, or make some challenging passes, or shots for fun.” Danny, Soccer

”Don’t show off. Remind yourself this is a local social sports game, you look silly side stepping and running trick shots, if you want to level up your play, save it for the big league” Daniel, Flag Gridiron

”Praise the opposition, keep your talk positive and only about your team and have a laugh! Even if you play hard but fair, the way you conduct yourself goes a long way. You should be excited to play every team even if one has more ability than the other, the social aspect brings fun to every week!" Zak, Multisport

“Engage the other team. Always start and finish each session with a handshake no matter what. Have some banter. Make sure there is a joke or two going between you and the oppositon, it helps to ease any tension during play. Be self-deprecating. Laugh at yourself went you miss a shot or fumble the ball. Congratulate the other team if they make a good shot, block or steal. You want to be friends with these people in the pub after the game, and you want them to come back next season to play.” Andy, Basketball

“Learn the rules of the sport that you're going to be playing, don't be afraid to ask more experienced players (on your team or the opposition) for a little guidance and ask the host for clarification if you don't understand something. If you're an experienced player, don't try to exploit rules and play within the spirit of the game.” Jamie, Netball

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Whats On: July in Sydney

July 2, 2018 - 5 years ago

It’s due to be a HUGE month at Urban Rec Sydney, so we decided to make it simple. This is your chance to play sport with us this Winter. Some of our leagues have already launched, but the bulk is happening this July. 

Play Soccer

Choose from our Street Soccer leagues in North Sydney and Camperdown on Thursday nights. Or join the outdoor Soccer league in Maroubra. Our Centennial Park league is now on hold till September. 

Play Flag Gridiron 

We consolidated our Flag Gridiron leagues for the Winter and are now running just one league on Monday nights in St Peters. But do not worry. Our Eastern Suburbs league will be back in the Spring on Tuesday nights!

Play Dodgeball

Launching in the first week of July, our Dodgeball leagues are both raring to go. The Wed nights in Marrickville are a sold out event, and the Tuesday league in Woolloomooloo is going strong and with a new clubhouse this season, we are excited to show the teams a fun time this Winter!

Play Netball

Our Netball leagues are super popular, and even though most of them are outdoors, netballers bloody love it. You can choose from 3 types of Netball. Your regular 7-aside Netball on Monday nights in Redfern. Then Fast5 Netball on Tuesdays in Redfern and Wednesdays in Moore Park. We also have another version of Netball played in North Sydney on Wednesdays, this is called Street Netball, and it’s so different, but so fun. 

Play Multisport

Our ever-popular Multisport leagues are all looking to start up again. We have our Wednesday night competition in Redfern, and one in North Sydney which normally attracts the after work crowd. Then our OG league, which is in Pyrmont on Thursday nights. Each of our locations offer varying types of sport including Basketball, Netball, Hockey, Tag Footy, Dodgeball, Soccer, and even Benchball. You never know what you’re going to get, and it makes for lots of fun. 

Play Volleyball

Our Rebound Volleyball league is consistently the most fun sport we offer. Played on a squash court this variation of regular indoor volleyball is good for beginners, and people wanting to try something new or test their skills. We always get 6-8 teams every season, and the tunes, and post game drinks makes this league different and unique. Where will we launch the next one?

Play Basketball

Our Basketball leagues are famously different and more fun. We offer the skill level thats for beginners and people not wanting to take it too seriously. So it’s all the good parts of streetball and pickup, built into a league with consistent games, and teams. You can play in this league on Thursday nights in Redfern. Starting very soon. 

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Blacklight Dodgeball

June 22, 2018 - 5 years ago

Urban Rec took over Zetland with a HUGE Blacklight Dodgeball Tournament. 

The event called for all the fun-loving uncoordinated humans of the world. 12 teams dodged their way through laser-lights, smoke and competed for the winning place.  There was glow in the dark face paint, Dollar Bing Darling DJ’s and an epic amount of glow in the dark sticks. 

Check out the below video for a small teaser of what went down.

f you want to play Dodgeball with Urban Rec we have 3 leagues running across Sydney and Canberra. Click here to see league locations and start dates.

• Dodgeball in Marrickville – Wed & Thu nights
• Dodgeball in Woolloomooloo – Tue nights
• Dodgeball in Braddon (CBR) – Thu nights

Want Urban Rec to help you host an event like this, we offer plenty of options for corporate days, team building, or simply because you’re worth it. Check out our events page for more info.

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Monthly Merits: MAY

May 30, 2018 - 5 years ago

Did you know that internally, we always announce monthly winners. As voted by UR HQ and our staff, we give props to the leagues, teams, players, and staff members we feel are hitting the Urban Rec nail on the head. We just realised, you guys might like to know… der. So here is it. May 

LEAGUE OF THE MONTH

WINNERS: Basketball in Camperdown, Monday nights

WHY: Starting back in 2016 when we decided to offer Basketball for the first time in Newington College we only had 4 teams. Proudly, all four of those teams, STILL play in this league. We have moved to Camperdown, and every single Monday the teams turn up with the right attitude and approach to social basketball. There are no heroes, no legends, just fun-loving people. 

team of the month

WINNERS: money $hots

WHY: Oh my god. The history in this team is beyond belief. Originally starting as an individual team way back in 2013, Money$hots were one of our original teams to join. We played outdoors in Marrickville, and it was a new and exciting sport for us. The team Money$hots chose their name as a member has played in another team overseas with the same name. This was now an international team brand. Over the years the team mates have changed. People have moved on, moved countries, and gone on to have babies. But the friendships are strong, and their approach to the game has never changed. They are honest, they are fun, and they are always the first to invite you to the pub. This team are creme-de-la-creme, and we are proud to call them home-grown. 

player of the month

WINNER: richard, bo’s knowes (flag gridiron)

WHY: Richard came to Urban Rec just a short time ago, but the impact he has had on not only his team, but the entire league is undeniable. Richard is proof that one person can indeed change and effect the energy of an entire league. Every time our season is coming to a close, he has been carefully home-brewing a special drop, just for the teams to enjoy. He emulates Urban Rec, and without him, the Flag Gridiron community would suffer. 

event host of the month

WINNER: michelle, (dodgeball and Multisport)

WHY: Michelle graduated from a player to an Urban Rec event host this year, but her enthusiasm for growing and supporting Urban Rec has been evident since the day she joined. She goes above and beyond to contribute to the events, leagues, and social nights we hosts. She is the most thourough, and thoughtful event host, and does not miss a beat. She will happily go out of her way. 

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New Member Perks at Skyzone, Strike Bowling, & Holey Moley Golf

May 24, 2018 - 5 years ago

You know what’s fun, being a KIDULT! Urban Rec are all about getting our members to grown down a little bit, and have some relaxed fun. That’s why this NEW Partnership is the most exciting thing to happen in YEARS. 

Funlab are the brainchild behind some of Australia’s most exciting experiential venues. Just like us, they know how to be a big kid, but with all the benefits of being an actualt adult (read booze). 

We have hosted events at these venues before, and we know you are going to love this new member perk for ALL URBAN REC MEMBERS. (Thats right, all 9,000+ of you!). 

ENJOY $10 ACTIVITIES AND $5 HOUSE DRINKS AT ANY OF THESE SYDNEY VENUES, mon through thu. 

You heard that right, you can have some random fun, and a drink for $15. I mean….. YOU’RE WELCOME. 

• SKYZONE – Alexandria and Miranda
• STRIKE BOWLING BAR –  Entertainment Quarter (Moore Park), King Street Wharf, Macquarie, Chatswood, Castle Towers and Charlestown
• HOLEY MOLEY GOLF – Newtown and Darlinghurst coming soon

Find out more, and how to access these discounts by clicking here. (You will need to show your Urban Rec Member card). 

That’s not all folks. 

They are giving us a bunch of double passes to give away to YOU GUYS. So if you display epic sportsmanship, you could WIN access to these venues for FREE. OR if you love to hedge your bets, you could join our weekly competition on our Facebook page, where you vote for the winning teams, and win WEEKLY PRIZE PACKS. 

Lastly, watch this space as we announce more social events and parties to round out a killer year of epic events. 

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Autumn Season FitBit GiveAway!

March 16, 2018 - 6 years ago

YO YO YO!

Autumn is here, and the Urban Rec spirit is falling all around us just like the leaves are falling from the trees!

With Autumnal cheer come Autumnal Prizes! 

*Enters Fitbit Blaze* *Crowd Goes Wild*

This Autumn Season we are giving away a One brand new FItbit Blaze.

Every Indiviudal registered player will be entered into a draw. The draw will be made on the 10th May 2018.

Kickstart your ‘fit life’ with this fitness tracker or simply use it to tell the time or track how long the sunday arvo nap was! Either way its a super cool prize! 

Good Luck!

Go on, you good things!

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Urban Rec's New Location in Alexandria

March 13, 2018 - 6 years ago

Urban Rec is excited to announce our new leagues coming to All Sorts Indoor Sports in May. All Sorts Indoor Sports is a state of the art indoor venue located within Sydney Business Park, in Alexandria. 

Historically, Urban Rec ran leagues at this venue in it’s maiden year of 2012. But after a 5 year break we are excited to come back to the venue and run social mixed sports for the venue. 

We will run an indoor Mixed Soccer league with a min of 5 players on the court including 2 females. This will be a small sided court and played with a futsal ball. The league is targeted at teams and players that want to play Soccer, but not take themseleves too seriously. This is a safe, and beginner friendly league. Our Event Hosts are friendly, approachable and with a coaching mentality for the games. 

The second league we are running is a Floor Hockey league. A very popular sport of our forefathers in Vancouver. This is for those that love ice hockey, or roller hockey. Played within a small sided rink, the league will be 4-aside with a goalie. The ball used is a soft floorball style ball, meaning goalies do not need protective gear and can be subbed at any time. 

It would’nt be an Urban Rec league without the post-game beverages, so we have already organised for Urban Rec members to get hook ups at the on-site brewery, Rocks Brewing Co. There is no better way to end your game on hump day than with a fresh brewed beer and a feed. 

As usual Urban Rec is organising individual teams to join both competitions. Individual registration is open online and players can enter onto a team. Once the team is full with an even amount of players, we enter them into the competition to play as a regular team for the rest of the season. 

There are plenty more events coming up at All Sorts, with our Water Wars and Dodgeball Disco events to have centre stage at the venue. We cannot wait to see you there!

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Flag Gridiron - Summer 18 Seasonal Wrap Up - Urban Rec

March 1, 2018 - 6 years ago

There is a first time for everything, and this season, we felt there was SO MUCH going on in the flag gridiron community that we had to send a seasonal wrap-up for all our leagues!  So here it goes... We would love to hear back from you to see if you enjoyed this little written throw-back in time, and if you think we should do seasonal wrap-up’s in the future as well!

SYDNEY VENUE CHANGES FOR AUTUMN & WINTER:
As we move into the Autumn and Winter, our Inner West and Eastern Suburbs leagues are preparing for the migration to a new home.

• Monday and Thursday night leagues (Inner West) will move to Camdenville Park (we have previously played here, and despite West Connex threatening to take the park, it is ours for the foreseeable future!).  It has good amenities, and is super close to St. Peters train station!  We will also be adding a new Clubhouse for this location - The Botany View Hotel. 
• Tuesday night league (Eastern Suburbs) will move to ES Marks - Centennial Park (this is our previous venue, with expected upgrades to the lighting, which we look forward to!).  The facilities are premium, and certainly make you feel like you are playing with a under-the-lights stadium experience! 

SUPERBOWL TOURNAMENT:
If you missed....shame on you!  The day was EPIC, and was a great opportunity to get some new teams into the flag gridiron community.  In fact, the 'Beginners' Division SOLD OUT 1st, with the 'Intermediate' Division lolly-gagging a little....The half-time show was next-level entertaining, with some of the best TD celly's we have ever seen!  Congrats to our Superbowl Sunday tourney winners PEANUT GALLERY and HAILY MARY'S!  The 'NFL Combine' was a super fun way to check out some of the speed and agility being represented in our leagues.  

NORTH SHORE LEAGUE:
We have had TONS of requests to get a league started for our peeps up North!  With field availability being so scarce, we have the idea to run a Sunday afternoon flag gridiron league in Cammeray.  NOW - WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU NORTHERNERS!  Would you be interested in playing on a Sunday afternoon league, closer to home?!  Shoot us a line back, and let us know if you think we should take a gamble!

CANBERRA LAUNCHES A LEAGUE WITH 8 TEAMS:
We are stoked to bring flag gridiron to Canberra!  We had hesitations, but there was a clear demand, and we launched with 8 strong teams registering to play American Gridiron!  Whoop whoop!  There is a 2-week field closure upon us soon, but the league is getting better every single week, which makes us feel excited about the future of the sport in Canberra! 

RULE REMINDERS:
We have had a few rule variations flying around, but we have tightened our flag belts to make sure all the leagues are playing with the same rules.  Here are some quick summaries for you.  

• Minimum 1-2 females to play -> depending on the league, the minimum # of females may be 1 or 2.  Make sure you check if your league is a minimum of 1 or 2 females on the field. 
• Using females to play -> to stop male-dominated teams from not including their female teammates appropriately in the games, all females must be involved in each drive at least once.
• Steamboats and rushing the QB -> your Event Host will be calling our 'steam-boats' to signify the time (after 3 steamboats) allowed until the defense can rush the QB.  

FAREWELL TO BART:
If you have played flag gridiron at all in the last 5 years, you will most likely have been hosted by our fave man - Bart.  A huge upset in the Urban Rec flag gridiron community, as Bart is spreading his wings and making the move to Melbourne for work.  He has been an integral part of the success of this sport in Sydney.  He has a genuine way of cooling down the heated players, and simplifying the rules for our new teams and players.  He is going to be sorely missed.  If you see him over the next week, give him a huge dose of your love and appreciation! 

THURSDAY LEAGUE IN ST. PETERS TO CHANGE TO RECREATIONAL/INTERMEDIATE:
We tried to separate the leagues in the Inner West into a 'recreational/intermediate' league and an 'intermediate' league.  No success.  The people have spoken. Both Monday and Thursday night leagues will be offered as 'recreational/intermediate' leagues.  This means your team will play each team once, and then there will be a top and a bottom half of the table for the re-seeding part of the season.

EVENT HOST OPPORTUNITIES:
The show must go on.  We are actively looking for an Event Host to take over our Tuesday night league in Centennial Park in Sydney.  This is a GREAT opportunity to get involved in the sport, meet new people and get paid to have a fun-tastic time!  If you think you might be interested, shoot us an email letting us know why you would be a stellar person for the job! 

That's all for now folks!  Please let us know if you enjoyed our cheeky little season wrap-up!  If you have any suggestions, questions or comments, never hesitate to shoot us an email – [email protected]

NEXT SEASON DETAILS (AUTUMN) – want to play Flag Gridiron?

• Mondays at St Peters – Mon 9 April – Register
• Tuesdays at Centennial Park – Tue 3 April – Register
• Thursdays at St Peters – Thu 19 April – Register
• Thursdays in Braddon (next season Winter)
• Sundays in Cammeray – May – Register your interest

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UR HQ: Summer Wrap Up

February 26, 2018 - 6 years ago

Things are in full swing behind the scenes at Urban Rec HQ, so here are some updates from us to you. 

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PUB NIGHTS

We are hosting PUB NIGHTS as a new initiative this season. It means we hand pick one night per league and organise for FREE jugs to meet teams at the bar! The purpose… to get you guys socialising outside of the field, court, diamond, pitch. It’s all about the ‘third half’, right?

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FLAG GRIDIRON LAUNCHED IN CANBERRA

We launched our SECOND ever league in Canberra this month. Flag Gridiron started very strong with eight brand new teams. Our main man in Canberra Donald said he was really impressed with the teams down there, we were worried they were going to take a while to buy into the “Urban Rec Way” but they all played with a seriously good attitude, and we are pumped about the future leagues we’re launching this year in Canberra. 

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Valentines Day traffic light parties

...went off with a bang. Shit got awkward at some of the leagues, but love isn’t easy. We certainly know which of our Event Hosts are on the market now, and which of our players are taken. Haha. It was a lot of fun, with my favourite part being Dan dressed up as cupid. 

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Our new 2018 promo video launched

...and while it might not mean much to you guys, it’s seriously nolstagic and wonderful for me to watch. Seeing Urban Rec grow from ONE touch football league, and a dream in Dec 2011, to 31 leagues and locations across Sydney and Canberra. It’s seriously the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Thanks for believing in us everyone. :)

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an epic dodgeball event for 4pines

4Pines celebrated Christmas in Feb this year, with a huge 200 person conference, plenty of beer, and a Dodgeball Tournament, we will never forget. The themes included ‘Gross’, ‘Where’s Wally’, ‘Bogan Pride’, ‘Summer Mullets’, ‘Denim Devils’… the list goes on, and they did not dissapoint. You would think people who work together would be less competitive, noooooo sir-ee. It was on for young and old, the cages we’re rattling, and no one was humble in their achievements. It was the definition of fun, and we should all try and get at job at 4Pines. 

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SUPERBOWL SUNDAY TOURNAMENT

We hosted a SUPERBOWL SUNDAY TOURNAMENT, the Sun eve before the real deal in the US and it was awesome to see four new teams come out and try their hand at a new sport. We also bought a new Urban Rec Tournament trophy which is HUGE, 2 teams now have their names planted permanently on the big beauty as a part of UR history. Click here to see more about the event. 

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Well, thats a wrap for Summer. We are going to do these updates more often. We are humans here behind the scenes, so we want you to know more about us, and what we get up to each season. 

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