Mash It Up: Where Sport Meets Social
Mashup Sports has started where the Beijing Flag Football League (BFFL) left off. We spoke with founder Yoyao Hsueh and asked him to tell us about the sports leagues, trips and volunteer opportunities that they’ve planned for this year.
On Mashup’s aim
”Our goal is to bring fun to adults in Beijing through sports leagues and social events. We want people to get out of the house, hang out with old friends and meet new friends, while having fun at the same time. Our slogan is: Don’t Try This at Home.”
On the success of the BFFL
“Watching the community formed through Beijing Flag Football was the main driving force. Over 250 people have come out, including pick-ups. But the success all comes down to the people involved, too. If the players weren’t all ‘good people,’ no one would have had fun.”
On college
“Mashup wants to recreate that college feel. College was the best time of my life – it was about fun and meeting new people from all over the world. That’s very similar to Beijing. When people arrive, they’re left wondering how to meet new friends and have fun. Mashup wants to relieve your worries by providing an easy entry point into a variety of sports and activities without the hassle, competitiveness and commitment of joining a specialist club. Our sports leagues are basically like intramurals where people play to stay active and get fit with a splash of competitiveness thrown in. If enough members want to do something, we’ll do it because many of our members are willing to help organize activities.”
On this year’s plans
“We’ll be offering five sports leagues with two seasons each: basketball, bowling, dodgeball, flag football and tennis. We’re also planning to organize more than 100 social events throughout the year, so we’re hoping for a lot of non-stop fun.”
On trips and volunteering
“For Mashup trips, the most important thing will be the value the travelers get for their money. Sometimes it’s hard to find others to go with you on a trip, but if you go with Mashup, you’ll be on your way with people your own age and with similar interests.
“Same with volunteer opportunities. I’m looking at what’s around China and seeing how Mashup’s community can help some of the charities out there. Closer to home, there are plans for free sports programs in Beijing for kids during the summer. I’m hoping that our members will come out and volunteer their time to coach and mentor kids.”
For more information, check out www.mashupasia.com.
