Sports Coaching graduate cites academic encouragement, work-place placements and ‘taking every opportunity’ as pillars to achieving success

Born and raised in Leeds, with a history of rowing, Tom's role for London Youth Rowing (LYR) involves the overseeing of coaching across West Yorkshire schools, allowing him to combine both his passion of the sport with his enjoyment of youth community work.

London Youth Rowing is an organisation that aims to make rowing a more inclusive sport, delivering sessions to schools that may have not had the opportunity before. Tom carried out four placements during his time at Leeds Beckett, including at several primary and high schools, aided by the support and expertise of Carnegie School of Sport throughout.

Despite receiving acceptance offers from other universities, Tom remarks that Leeds Beckett offered the course he was looking for: “I’d heard good things about the course and the opportunities it presented, and having the option to do a placement in second year was a massive thing for me,” The option of a Foundation year was massively helpful, as it gave me an insight into what LBU offered.”

Another placement Tom conducted was at P Partner, a multi-skilled sports holiday club, which offered him the opportunity to coach cricket in Ghana for a month. “The only reason I was able to that was because the university had a careers visitor come in to speak about it,” he explains. “That was a life changing experience for me and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity without being at Leeds Beckett.”

Tom continues: “I definitely think having those placements on your CV when you finish university is nearly as important as having the degree.” The Sport Coaching degree allows for specialised pathways, including Youth Sport, which equipped Tom with the skills to embark on a career in industry straight from university.

Tom begun his role at London Rowing Club last month, undertaking a managerial role responsible for organising 10 coaches within his remit. “Managing is a whole new string in my bow on my coaching journey. The communication and leadership skills from Leeds Beckett have allowed me to progress in that side of working as well, which I didn't really have an experience in before.”

His job also involves trying to recruit more schools and expand the work of the charity. The flexibility of the role allows Tom to continue developing his skills while still evolving the programme.

“The best advice I could give is to take every opportunity that presents itself and to actively go out and look for more. If you want to be successful, I think you've got to actually make your own opportunities as well.

“Listen to what your lecturers are telling you, and if you have any issues at all just speak to them about it. My lecturers had kept saying that phrase ‘trust the process’, which really did help me get through the last half of uni.”

“The backing from Leeds Beckett and the references I was given by lecturers really helped me get to the point that now I've got a full-time job in coaching and doing the sport that I love as well.”

Learn more about the Sport Coaching degree at the Carnegie School of Sport.