Coaching and teaching sport has always been an incentive of mine from a young age, as I have been given countless opportunities to participate in sports at various levels, and complete numerous coaching qualifications. Sport within a scholastic setting is very much person centred, with positive interactions vital for student’s success and development of knowledge, skills, and desire to achieve and excel. Coaching will allow me to create an environment where students’ build character, developing personal attributes and engage more in the theoretical underpinnings of sport. The knowledge I have gained within my BSc Coaching and Sport Science degree (Nottingham Trent University) has allowed me to take a step back and critically think about how to students learn, with a large portion of a successful environment coming from the coach themselves. I believe I have the attributes to make a difference, engaging students to learn and benefit from sport. Furthermore, the challenges I have overcome in my degrees have prepared me for the workload and pressures of coaching within a scholastic or professional setting.
My current postgraduate degree within Loughborough University in MSc Strength and Conditioning, has vastly improved my coaching ability and knowledge specifically within training athletes the fundamentals in S&C. Modules within injury prevention, neuromuscular training, and applied S&C science has allowed me to put my theoretical understanding into my coaching. I’m currently a part of an intern program within Loughborough Sport women’s BUCS rugby and basketball team, in which I plan periodized training programs which focus on developing sport specific training practices, run S&C on training and match days, and run small rehabilitation sessions on Mondays. I also provide S&C and warmups for the Loughborough Sport Women’s COE rugby group, where these specific athletes are training to become Loughborough Lightening athletes with some playing at a professional level. The experience I have will suit the Sports Professional role as I’m consistently helping develop athletes to their full potential.
Other coaching experience and qualifications I have such as level 1 coaching in football, level 2 in dodgeball and Gold SSLSA (40+ coaching hours within school PE department) have allowed me to connect and develop key interpersonal relationship qualities and develop administrative and pastoral skills highly relevant for this role. Also, knowledge and experience playing in hockey, rugby, and netball as well as a vast interest in Olympic sports will prepare me for the challenges I will face and overcome in my future career.
Aside from my teaching experience, I have also worked as front of house using my communication and teamwork skills, working with others to provide a happy and helpful service to customers. I am confident in what I do, committed to my development as an effective coach. My future will be to continue coaching in a highly respectful sport environment, developing my expertise, with the option of completing a PGCE (sport) course.
My philosophy of coaching is believing the best way to coach someone is to see them as a person. Not a sprinter, rugby player, nor an athlete – a person. Well-being and personal biopsychospiritual homeostasis is paramount within developing a young person’s qualities. I believe sport can offer an opportunity for young people to develop skills and prepare them for life outside of sport and school. A coach can have an everlasting impact on a student’s life, and I adhere to creating an environment where students fully engage and enjoy the qualities sport provides.
I hope this personal statement takes into consideration the passion I have to grow and develop into the best practitioner I can be.
My role was to program sport specific gym sessions for the BUCS Women's Rugby team over the course of the season. This included taking athletes with a variety of training ages through a periodised, sport specific training regime, whereby they developed strength, power, and muscular endurance.
I also assisted in training and match days, by providing S&C specified warm-ups, developing the athletes readiness to perform.
I also oversaw small rehabilitation sessions where, injured or recovering athletes developed specific training techniques/movements that would aid in their rehab recovery.
I ran S&C specified warm-up protocols during training days for a BUCS Loughborough Sport basketball team, whereby sport specific training catered to the demands of the sport. The use of plyometrics, change of direction, agility, speed, jumping/landing mechanics were all developed within the team.
Injury prevention training was also a highlight within this specific experience, whereby I guided athletes, educating correct form and effective biomechanical movements/positions that would benefit them within game/training scenarios.