Graduating to Performance Analyst Positions

Two students who worked as performance analyst interns with Lincoln City FC Academy last year have landed positions with other professional football clubs after graduation. Chris Bentley (BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science) and Calum Johnson (BSc (Hons) Sport Development & Coaching) were two of a team who videoed matches and prepared reports for Academy coach Damian Froggatt. In order to be useful, the videos had to be analysed and reports completed within a couple of days and this gave Chris and Calum excellent experience of the demands of this type of work.

But their hard work and dedication has been rewarded. Calum is combining work at Brighton & Hove Albion with a Masters in Sports Performance Analysis, and Chris is working with both Arsenal and Cambridge City. (We guess that’s OK as long as they’re not likely to be playing each other!).

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Chris and Calum at their graduation ceremony

Congratulations to them both! They join previous graduates Nick Benett, Adam Housley and Chris Mugglestone who work for Brentford, Rotherham United and the FA, respectively.

We will be picking their brains with regard to advice on how to break into the competitive world of performance analysis. Watch this space!

Performance analyst positions are currently available through IMPress with Lincoln City Academy, Lincs FA Girls’ Centre of Excellence and the county’s junior squash academy. Contact us for more details of these positions, or if you would like to explore the possibilities of working with other teams (such as University sports societies).

Student Researchers RAISE IMPress’ Profile At National Conference

Three of the School’s students – Emma Lewis, Lucy Roy and Bethany Richardson – represented IMPress at the recent RAISE 2014 conference in Manchester. The conference theme was Student Engagement: Opportunities For All and the three certainly too full advantage of theirs. Bethany and Lucy presented a poster entitled IMPress: Reflections on a student-led employability network that was really positively received by an international audience of academics and students.

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Bethany and Lucy with their poster

Emma joined Bethany and Lucy, as well as academics Dan Bishop and Christian Swann, to give a presentation about the IMPress research project Producing employable graduates in sport: maximising the benefits from volunteering and its preliminary findings. The project, which also involves student Stephanie Osborn and academic Sandy Willmott, is described in more detail on the PEGS page. (Both presentations are also available on the same page.)

Congratulations to Lucy, Bethany and Emma! The final project results will be used to create a Volunteering Toolkit for students, as well as a research publication.

IMPressing: Steph Brennan – Multi-Sports & Hockey Coach

Steph Brennan (Sport & Exercise Science, Year 2) is a part-time coach for Synergy Sports Coaching, traveling to different primary schools within Lincolnshire to deliver both PE curriculum lessons and multi-sport after-school clubs for children from Reception to Year 6. She also finds time to coach hockey for the University of Lincoln, Kingston-upon-Hull U16 and U14 boys and girls, and for Hurricane Sports in junior development camps and CPD sessions. In her first year at University she was a member of the National Young Coaches Academy for England Hockey and Youth Sport Trust.

“These opportunities have allowed me to gain experience in working with a variety of different groups in both a school and competitive setting. The variety in the coaching roles I am currently undertaking requires me to use transferable skills gained from my degree in overcoming the different problems and situations that I may come across.

I had gained my coaching qualifications prior to coming to university, but the amount of sporting qualifications on offer from the university – and the content taught on both the SES and SDC courses – will equip you with the knowledge required to complete similar roles to the ones I have. I would thoroughly recommend getting involved with a community group or gaining leadership experience whilst at university as it involves and develops so many skills that are used in a variety of jobs.”

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Steph coaching the University of Lincoln Men’s 2nd XI Hockey team

 

 

IMPressing: Melissa Poole – Trampoline Coach

Melissa Poole (Sport Development & Coaching, Year 1) is busy with coaching and volunteering outside of her course activities:

“I coach trampolining as a paid job every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. On the Mondays I coach three special needs groups of various disabilities and ages. On the other two days I coach various ages from 5-50 who vary in ability from just recreational to regional! I also spend Wednesdays teaching at my secondary school 9-3:15. I teach loads of different sports and teach some lessons on my own, and the teachers watch and give me feedback after the lesson.

I’ve done coaching courses too and I volunteer at different events across the country! I’m being a Team manager at the Anglian cross country in Northampton next weekend and have volunteered at the Lincolnshire School Games for three years and the UK School Games for two years as well. I’ve also been a Young Ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust!”

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Melissa receiving a Self Belief award from Baroness Sue Campbell (Chair of UK Sport) and Jason Gardner

IMPressing: Emma Lewis – Strength & Conditioning Shadowing

Emma Lewis (Sport & Exercise Science, Year 2) tailored her volunteering towards her interest in becoming a personal trainer and shadowed Tom Gee, an Olympic Powerlifting Coach, in the area of strength and conditioning to complement her Level 2 Gym Instructor course. Emma simply sent Tom an email to ask about shadowing his sessions:

‘At first, I was anxious in taking part in something that I had no understanding or awareness of. But as time went by, I grew in confidence and began to ask questions and make notes. I even started trying weight training myself to apply what I had learned into my own sport of volleyball. Tom has helped me to understand the basics of strength and conditioning; shadowing has certainly been worthwhile for my Level 2 Gym instructor course, but also for my third year of my degree.

I would certainly recommend for anyone that is particularly interested in developing further in any area of Sport and Exercise or Development to really just go for it – put yourself out there to volunteer or shadow as there will always be someone who is willing to help.’

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