Call goes out to get sporty

Team Sydney is preparing to host a major sport recruitment drive to get people out of the nightclubs and back into health and fitness.
Sports Day Out, to be held at Sydney Boys High School on 7 October, will give anyone interested in an array of sports a chance to speak to the people involved and even try them out.
The coordinator of the day, Wally Salinger, said the free event would cover a range of sports – from badminton and basketball to tennis and volleyball.
“The idea is to get people out having fun in sports they may have tried before, or sports they haven’t tried before,” he said.
“All people have to do is roll up, go to the registration table and look at the different sports on offer, decide what to do and then go off and have a go.”
Sports Day Out has been funded by the City of Sydney and will also serve as a registration point for next year’s 1st Asia Pacific Outgames in Melbourne.
Salinger said regular exercise was a great way to keep fit, meet new people and participate in the broader gay and lesbian community.
“The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that an increase in physical activity of 30 minutes above the individual’s training threshold each day would result in a $1 billion decrease in the Medicare system,” he said.
“Sadly, adults who commit time, effort and money into amateur clubs to provide psychologically and physically safe venues and competitions for gays and lesbians receive no funding from governments at all. Yet the very activities they are involved in improve the lives and health of their participants. The cost savings of gay and lesbian sport is not rewarded.”
Sports Day Out will be held at Sydney Boys High School, Cleveland St, Moore Park, from 11am on Sunday 7 October. Registration is free, thanks to the City of Sydney sponsorship. Details: www.teamsydney.org.au.
The 2008 Melbourne Outgames will be held 30 January-3 February. Details: www.melbourneoutgames.org.