Other team sports

There are a number of other team sports that can be played in the UK.
Among the most important are the following, all of which are "stick and ball" games played with a medium sized ball: the baseball family (including rounders and softball) played with a thin bat; lacrosse played with a stick with a net on its end; and polo, a game played on horseback with a long mallet.
More detailed information on each of these games, and others such as wargaming and paintball, can be obtained from the specialist organisations listed below.
Competitions usually play an important part in the local sport.

British Softball Federation & Baseball Softball UK www.baseballsoftballuk.com/
British Baseball Federation www.bbf.org/

English Lacrosse Association www.englishlacrosse.co.uk/
Hurlingham Polo Association www.hpa-polo.co.uk/
National Rounders Association www.nra-rounders.co.uk
English Unihoc Association www.englishunihoc.cjb.net/

Lacrosse Talk
Cartier International Polo Magazine
Paintball Games International

Find a local group or club for the game that interests you (see organisations above).
See if there are introductory sessions at your local club or sports centre.
Consult books or magazines on different types of team games.
Check in your local library/paper or sports centre for more information.

All these games are normally played by single sex teams, with lacrosse being more of a game for women in the UK. They can be played by a wide range of age groups; polo in particular is a game in which skill as well as physical ability is important.
Most of these games can only be played and even practiced with a group of other people. Most players join a group or club of some kind and the social aspect of club life can be important.
It is generally better if the people you play with are of roughly the same standard as yourself. They will not always be of the same age.

Lacrosse requires the normal kind of sports shorts and tops while there is special formal clothing for baseball games. Polo players wear a variant of riding gear.
The serious player of all these sport needs special footwear, and the stick or bat plus some protective wear.
All players may require special strip for competitions which may be provided by the club.

All three groups of other team sports require special pitches or grounds.
There may be facilities for baseball type games and lacrosse attached to schools or sports centres, as well as local clubs.
Polo is very much a minority sport and facilities are mainly available at clubs.