1960s

Modern university sports in Finland can be considered to have originated in 1967, when the University of Helsinki appointed Raimo Sarkama as its first lecturer in physical education to develop student sports activities. Early resources were modest. Sarkama’s desk was a cardboard box, but the importance of the activity grew rapidly and laid the foundation for Finnish campus sports.

At first, activities were concentrated in the Porthania gymnasium and the facilities of Domus Academica, and ball games, gymnastics and basic fitness classes were the most popular forms of exercise among students.

1970s

In the 1970s, University Sports made headlines with the development of jytäjumppa, a 45-minute rhythmic exercise programme set not to tambourines but to the hottest hits of the time. Prominent coverage in Helsingin Sanomat turned jytäjumppa into a massive success and laid the foundation for Finnish aerobic culture.

At the same time, floorball was born. When rink bandy was cancelled due to poor ice conditions, Sarkama and his colleagues developed a new indoor game inspired by the Swedish innebandy. The Porthania floorball league is considered the first in Finland, and the sport quickly spread to other university cities across the country.

1980s

During the 1980s, University Sports expanded into an increasingly diverse range of activities. The enormous popularity of aerobics brought new dance-based classes to campuses, and by the end of the decade, step aerobics and body maintenance classes were also added to the programme.

The sense of community in sports became more pronounced. Group exercise classes, themed activity days, light-hearted competitions and shared student sports events became an established part of everyday university life. The decade laid the foundation for the diversity that would later become a hallmark of UniSport.

1990s

By the early 1990s, University Sports had become a nationally recognised actor. Akateeminen Wartti, a light-hearted relay race, grew into one of the most visible traditions of student sports, traditionally featuring playful antics and costume themes.

At the same time, international fitness trends reached campuses. Ethnic dances in particular gained popularity, bringing new dimensions to group exercise. Floorball also reached the height of its popularity in the mid-1990s, with well over one hundred teams participating in the University of Helsinki’s floorball leagues alone.

2000s

In the 2000s, alongside high-intensity exercise, students became increasingly interested in forms of physical activity that emphasised body care and mental wellbeing. Yoga and Pilates became established parts of the offering. The strongest growth, however, occurred in gym training, which became the single largest service within University Sports.

New centres and facilities were opened and renovated. For example, in 2002 an additional floor dedicated to gym training was added to the city-centre facilities (now Kluuvi), the Kumpula sports centre opened in 2003, and the Meilahti centre in 2008, bringing services closer to everyday campus life.

2010s

In 2010, University Sports became UniSport, as the founding of Aalto University enabled the sports services of several universities to be combined under a shared brand. Towards the end of the decade, Hanken also joined UniSport, further strengthening its position as the hub of university sports in the Helsinki metropolitan area. New centres were opened and existing ones renovated, including upgrades to the Hesperiankatu facilities and the expansion of Kluuvi.

During the 2010s, heart rate monitors, mobile applications and smart technology transformed the way people exercised. HIIT and functional training entered the mainstream, and recovery became just as important a part of training as the workout itself.

2020s

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced all sports centres to partially or completely close their doors for nearly two years, and physical inactivity had a significant impact on student wellbeing. Following the pandemic, UniSport’s role as a community-oriented and low-threshold provider of physical activity became stronger than ever.

UniSport’s ownership base expanded with the addition of the University of the Arts Helsinki, completing the shared sports services model for universities in the Helsinki metropolitan area. After a break of more than 20 years, UniSport also returned to Viikki, opening a new chapter in its long history.

Today

Today, UniSport is more than a sports centre. It is part of the everyday lives, personal growth and stories of university students and staff.

Every workout, active break, achievement and encouraging word from a fellow exerciser continues a journey that spans more than half a century. Now it is your turn to shape how this moment will be remembered on the walls of the future.

What from today will become part of history?

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