There is a pleasant bustle in the sports hall of Erasmus Sport on Thursday evening. On one side teams of Erasmus Volley play against external clubs and on the other side the beginners group is taught the basic techniques of the sport. Quinten Blankenborg, board member at Erasmus Volley, has noticed a huge increase in interest in the club. “Compared to previous years, we have had so many more registrations that we could not welcome everyone on our open days,” he says.
The admission of new members depends heavily on the available space and time allocated to the club in the sports building on campus. The club currently maintains a waiting list in order to be able to admit people if someone decides to stop, or if space becomes available due to the departure of students on exchange, for example.
Low key
“I understand that it is not fun to have to disappoint enthusiasts as an association,” says Rian Tosserams, who has been a member for several years. She herself knows a few students who were not admitted this year. They are quite bitter about it, but also understand that the space is limited. So how did others manage to become members? “It is mostly just a matter of luck,” says Fabio in ‘t Veen, who was offered a spot at the volleyball club at his first attempt.
It’s not entirely clear why students are interested in the club, but Quinten suspects that the coronavirus has something to do with it. “I think a lot of people realise that your social life is put on hold during the lockdown, unless you belong to a club. If you can’t go to your lectures, then clubs are the only way to meet people.”
