When around Nijmegen, a enthusiastic korfball player might be inclined to give the local club of ‘Novio Magum’ a visit. Me and some other persons like this decided on a misty Wednesday evening to come by. Spoilers: Although we enjoyed our stay, there are some recommendations from our side to the hosts.
We arrived by car and therefore had to use the parking facilities, they were great. Plenty of space, the parking spaces were not to narrow, and they were placed very near to clubhouse. Next were the dressing rooms in which we could change into our comfortable clothing. Conveniently placed at the sides, but unfortunately to be shared with other guests. Still this has to be expected of the price, but what was less easy to turn a blind eye to was the state of these rooms. The floor seemed neglected, full of sand, which made just walking through the premises uncomfortable. The toilet facilities were clean enough, but also the condition of floor there was substandard, which cast a shadow on the entire dressing experience.
A visit at ‘Novio Magum’ comes always with an activity, in our case it was ‘pole shooting’. The ‘Novio Magum’ hosts were enthusiastic and willing to give our company a wholesome clinic in shooting from a distance through the korfball basket. It took us a while to get used to the weird orange balls that they used but eventually some of us managed to hit the korf successfully. Quick shout-out to Jelmer G, Sanne, Bart, Nathalie and Rianne who were successful 3, 2, 2, 1 and 1 times respectively. The tea in the break was also greatly appreciated, as the weather was turning cold and misty. All in all the activity was a great success.
Following the outside activity was a visit to the showers. This however, turned out to be a weak point of the programme. The outlook alone of the showers made some faces frown, as the place was very small and had a grim look about it. There was only room for four persons at the time whom were almost hugging each other as the water fell down on their head. And that water was also a little bit on the hot side (apparently the women had it even worse than the men). To make matters worse, the beforementioned sandy floor was also a problem in the showers as well. All in all, what had to feel like a warm bath turned out to be a disappointment.
Last on the programme was a visit to the club canteen. Apparently reflective of the showers’ shortcomings the club did everything to make us forget our discomfort. The place was cosy, the staff welcoming and the furniture up to standard. The atmosphere felt great, the people radiated happiness and showed sincere interest in our companionship. On top of that we were treated a drink on the house, out of a big product range. All in all, our visit to ‘Novio Magum’ turned out to be an experience worth experiencing, even given the negatives. In our enthusiasm we even invited the hosts to come and give a visit to our local club in Wageningen the week after! The outcome of that will be published next….
Final Rating: 😊