Sport is a passion for many people, but it can also become a rewarding career. City of Westminster College offers a wide range of sports courses – enabling students to channel their talent and ambition by playing, coaching and understanding the science and the business of sport.
The College is also part of Get Set Network – an inspirational scheme designed to bring colleges and other learning providers together and integrate Olympic and Paralympic values into teaching, strategy and culture. The College has incorporated the core Olympic values into all aspects of the curriculum and also organises special events such as a recent Olympic-themed sports day.
The College’s excellent sports facilities and teaching will be further improved by the move to the new Paddington Green Campus in January 2011, as the building is equipped with a fantastic double-height sports hall and a gym/fitness studio.
Here’s one former student of City of Westminster College who is well on his way to a successful career in sport.
Jamie Ringsell, now 18, left his home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire to take up a place on the College’s BTEC National Certificate in Sport. It proved to be a life-changing experience.
Jamie says: “My GCSE grades were good and my school wanted me to stay on and do A-levels, but I made a decision to step out of my comfort zone because I knew I wanted a career in sport. So I applied and was accepted for the College and moved to London to live with my Nan.”
The main draw of City of Westminster College’s BTEC for Jamie was the opportunity to channel his passion for football into coaching and working with young people. “It was brilliant experience and I am still benefiting from the things it taught me.”
During his time with City of Westminster College, Jamie gained a wide range of experiences, including appearing on BBC TV’s Super Agent and being picked to visit Cyprus to coach young people at Arsenal FC-linked sports academies and Army bases.
Having graduated with distinctions from the College, Jamie is now a first-year Sports Performance student at Leeds University and he is relishing taking his sporting knowledge to degree level. “Having focused on coaching I am now expanding my knowledge and range of skills to give me more options in my future career.”
His advice to other students dreaming of a career in sport is to go for it. He says: “If you know you want a career in sport there’s no point hanging around. Choosing the right course is far better than studying an area that you don’t enjoy. For me, the next best thing to playing sport is working in sport - and maybe having the opportunity to train the next generation of stars.”