SPRINGWOOD SPORTS

Many naturists will tell you that sport is an integral part of naturist life as not everyone is happy with just lying in the sun all day and Springwood is no exception. The main sports that we play are petanque, volleyball and miniten (a form of tennis played in most naturist clubs, see later for more details) together with table tennis and darts during the evening or on those days where the weather isn’t particularly friendly.

Many people will already be familiar with volleyball, it is played the same at Springwood as everywhere else (although with slightly fewer clothes). Volleyball is a team sport consisting of six players on each side, the basic objective of which is to play the ball over a net about 2.5m tall using no more than three touches on each side. Volleyball has become increasing popular at Springwood in recent years and is played on most weekends during the summer. Beginners are always welcome to come and have a go and it is not only a way of getting some exercise but also it is a lot of fun and a great way to socialise.

Originating in France, petanque is a game similar in principle to English lawn bowls but which can be played on a variety of surfaces using smaller metallic ‘boules’. The aim of the game is quite simple, to score as many points as possible by landing your boules as close as possible to the target ball (the jack). Petanque is a game that is quite easy to pick up for beginners and is ideal to play on those really hot days where you don’t want to play anything too physically demanding, but it is enjoyed by many members at any time of year.

Miniten is probably the most popular naturist sport played in the country, it will be unfamiliar to most people as it is only played by naturists. Miniten is very similar to tennis in that it is played on a slightly smaller than usual tennis court using tennis balls, the main difference being that it is played with a thug instead of a racket. A miniten thug is a wooden bat designed especially for the game. Miniten can be played by singles or doubles (although singles can be quite tiring so doubles tends to be more popular) and Springwood has players of many different standards so it is never too hard to find someone to play with.

Members are free to play any of these sports throughout the year and in addition to this a number of competitions are organised which everyone is encouraged to participate in. Also we have yearly competitions in all these sports against a variety of other clubs which not only give you the chance to play against different people but also the chance to visit other clubs and meet new people.

So whether you want to play a nice relaxing game of petanque or a team sport such as volleyball Springwood offers a variety sports and most people should be able to find something they can enjoy.

Offical rules to all sports played at Springwood can be found by clicking here.