It’s not just in club academies around the country where the talent of tomorrow is nurtured – it’s also on the playgrounds of the nation’s schools.
That’s where BA (Hons) Sports Business & Coaching graduate Josh is doing his part, at Aldro Preparatory School for Boys in Surrey. As a Sports Coach in the PE department, Josh teaches the youngsters across a range of activities, including football, rugby, hockey and cricket.
Coaching students from years three to eight, Josh uses the skills he developed at UCFB and from his various work experience placements to train his pupils to utilise their skills in their chosen sport. With a driving ambition to coach football, during his time at UCFB Josh spent time at Burnley FC in the roles of Academy Performance Analyst and Academy Scout, where he travelled around the North West identifying young talent and editing videos from academy games for the coaches to use.
Josh said: “The skills that I learnt during my degree throughout all the different units really helped me, such as talent identification, and coaching specific units where I’ve learnt how to handle different age groups.”
He added: “Hard work is most important. Being willing to put in the hours, even when it gets tough and may be going beyond what’s expected of you, but if you’re willing to come in and do your best all the time that is really crucial. I love coming to work every day. Doing a six-day week doesn’t bother me because I love what I do.”
