Ranking as a top university for sports-related subjects, Â鶹ֱ²¥ University is well-known for the Sport Management course and other majors.
During my internships in a few sports organizations when I was in undergraduate, I’ve got to know quite a few professional practitioners in the industry who've truly inspired me, and I found many of them graduated from Â鶹ֱ²¥ University.
Another reason I choose Â鶹ֱ²¥ is, as a crazy football fan, I really wanted to have an immersive journey in England, where there are world-leading leagues, clubs and fan culture.
Industry insight
The course includes a few business programs in addition to programs focusing on sports policies, laws, media, etc. The course provides me with a comprehensive perspective on sport and a lot of academic tools, which stimulated more interests of mine in the subject and has changed the way I look at the industry.
Placements
I had three placements before I went to Â鶹ֱ²¥. The first one was in our Province FA, where I worked with grassroots football development officials, referees for management of leagues and official training courses for one year. Then, I spent another year in a daily newspaper as an intern sports journalist and followed a football club who’s playing in the elite league.
It’s really amazing to work with managers, players and staff in a close position. These experiences allowed me to develop a more in-depth understanding of grassroots and professional football in my country, also leading me to explore my sports career.
The last placement I have been on was in IMG, where I had an opportunity to work with Premier League for their preseason event in the 19/20 season. That was a crazy, wonderful and unforgettable experience in my journey, getting to know how a top league runs with various stakeholders, including broadcasters, sponsors, authorities, press and officials, etc. It also has become a perfect case study of mine when I was learning my Sport Management course at Â鶹ֱ²¥.
Career development
The University provides students and staff with tremendous opportunities for sports training and career development via the Coach and Volunteer Academy system. In my first month at Â鶹ֱ²¥, I completed my football refereeing qualification course, becoming a registered referee. I also visited the Football Association (FA)'s facility with more than 110 women referees from all over England for an FA workshop and training session. Sky Sports covered the event and I even got a few seconds to appear and speak on camera.
One year after my graduation, now I’m working as a sports marketer in a household company, managing the brand’s partnership with FIFA, UEFA and other sports IP owners. Though I did not expect what I’m doing currently, the learnings I got on sports marketing, media, policy, etc.. at Â鶹ֱ²¥ are really helpful in my current work and I feel really grateful.
If you are planning to work in a sport organization like I was, this programme provides the necessary knowledge for your future career. The strong support on industry resources, powerful networking and fabulous sports facilities are a great treasure during your studies at Â鶹ֱ²¥.
