November 20, 2015, by Andrea Ranford
Learn how to lead by example and empower others: the Leadership in Sport module!
As a second year student in dietetics and nutrition, it’s not surprising that I have a real interest in how to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. When I was browsing all the modules offered by the Advantage Award, I was really excited to find one related to sports – the Leadership in Sport module. Not only would it count towards completing the Award, but it also offered a recognised Sports Leaders UK qualification which will really help me if I decide to apply for work in the sports sector after I graduate. I can remember how excited I was to get started with the training, although also a little nervous, I’d been to the gym regularly, I just hadn’t yet joined any sports club or training sessions.
As part of the module, we attended training for four days across two weekends with our Sports Leaders UK tutor. During the sessions I not only practiced and improved the skills I already had, but also learned a lot of new ones. The course was divided in two parts – practical and theoretical.
What was involved in the training?
During the theoretical part, we talked about what’s important when leading a sports session, how to prepare, plan and all the factors that need to be taken into account. I was surprised by how complex and important that process is, but I also found that the knowledge I gained has been so useful when planning my own everyday life! Kam also gave us lots of ideas about how to ensure our activities were inclusive and how to adapt them to suit different people – something you don’t always take into consideration.
During the practical sessions we got to play and lead fun and innovative games, as well as more familiar sports like volleyball and basketball. It didn’t matter if you’d never tried them before! We had to use our imagination to invent our own games and activities and to adapt existing ones. Here it wasn’t just about running the sports session, but also leading the whole team to make it work.
Leadership in Sport module, in action!
Putting the training in to practice!
To complete the module, you have to accrue twelve hours of volunteering, to put your learning into practice. You can choose from volunteering within the UoN Engage programme, acting as a Buddy on the Any-Buddy scheme or working within schools on UoN Sport’s School Outreach programme, Leadership Academy.
I completed my volunteering hours as an ambassador for the #ThisGirlCan Campaign during Nottingham Varsity series with the UoN Engage team– I loved being involved in such an exciting national promotion backed by Sport England. Being at such huge events increased my self-confidence and leadership skills and really motivated me to stay involved. I’m now working as an ambassador on the UoN Engage programme and planning new events for the #ThisGirlCan campaign in November. You can follow UoN Sport on Twitter and Facebook to find out more about their upcoming events.
I am extremely happy to have completed the module – I found it extremely beneficial and I see the impact in my work every day. From a professional point of view, the module has given me the skills, qualification and confidence to work in a sports environment. If you love sports and want to improve your communication and leadership skills, then I would definitely recommend this module.
Andriana Petrova – 2nd Year Nutrition and Dietetics
Time to get involved!
Please visit the Leadership in the Sport workspace page for more information and how to apply for the spring term intake!
Deadline for applications: Friday 22 January 2016.
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