Barnsley College sport students take on team talk

The online talks allowed students to explore potential careers within the sector, whilst developing the skills they need for Higher Education or employment.

Dom Brook, Director at Brook Corporate Developments, was the first guest speaker of the week. Students were taken through the various transferable skills Dom developed during his early triathlon career, and how this helped him secure a career within the business industry after his sporting career ended.

Andy Henson, Head of Academy Physiotherapy at Doncaster Rovers Football Club shared with the students the different career paths available within physiotherapy, talked about the NHS and shared an insight into what he does on a day-to-day basis.

The main activity of the week was a gripping talk by Steve Judge, Paratriathlon World Champion and public speaker. Steve shared the personal and moving story of his near fatal car accident which resulted in both of his legs being crushed. His story took students on an inspiring and entertaining journey following his commitment and achievements.

Steve said: “I enjoyed sharing my story of going from wheelchair to world champion and how I set goals along the way. I hope I have inspired the students to not lean on their excuses but to turn their excuses into challenges. I look forward to working closely with Barnsley College in the future to help the students on their journey as they work towards successfully achieving their goal, opportunity, love and desire (GOLD).”

Students also heard from two representatives from Sheffield Sharks basketball team.

 Yuri Matischen, Managing Director at MLS Contracts Ltd. and Chairman of the Sheffield Sharks basketball team, delivered an informative workshop around organising sporting events. The talk covered the logistics surrounding events, fans’ expectations, the growth of esports tournaments and how COVID-19 has impacted the sport industry.

Marko Backovic, Sheffield Sharks’ Assistant Coach and Head of Community, drew on his own experiences and presented to students the tools, techniques and methodologies he has used as a basketball player, and to become an assistant coach within the game after his career ending injury. Marko commented: “It was great to speak to the Sport students at Barnsley College, and hopefully help them gain an understanding about the importance of having an education to fall back on, if something like an injury hits. Also, I hope any coaching students gained an understanding of the key values and principles on how they can use their experience and expertise to help their athletes moving forward.”

Over the course of the week, students heard from other speakers from a range of professional backgrounds. This included Ben Cross, Project Co-Ordinator at Creative Minds; Claire Cahill, Owner of Accendo Coaching and Training; Nat Jackson, Founder of Totally Runable and Nathan Parker a Youth Worker, Spoken Poet and Author, who shared his journey into creative writing and poetry.

The sessions were organised by Jess Widdowson, Enterprise Team Leader at Barnsley College. Jess added: “It was great to have guests talking to our students, inspiring their early career journeys and providing a real opportunity to enrich their skills and knowledge.

“We are working with employers to lead the economic recovery and meet their needs both now and for future roles, by providing students and adults with the skills to succeed. I would like to personally thank all of our guest speakers and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.”