Class of 2003
Sports Studies and Physical Education
IF YOU STUDIED YOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES, DID YOU GO ON TO POSTGRADUATE STUDY?
No
JOB:
Regional Director – East Coast, Sofive Soccer Centers
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PHOTO AS YOUR YSJ SNAPSHOT?
The headshot just shows me today (I’m holding onto my hair, not everyone my age is so lucky!).
The photos I uploaded show some memorable moments with the St John’s rugby club, including winning Club of the Year and myself winning Sports Personality of the Year (receiving it from the legendary John Maw) while I was Club Captain in my final year.
WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY?
The whole experience was a wonderful one. But my times with the rugby club were probably the most memorable. The club won two 1st XV Yorkshire Cups and one 2nd XV Yorkshire Cups (in three consecutive appearances in the final), plus winning Club of the Year twice (including my year as Club Captain) and even I chipped in with Sports Personality of the Year after representing St. John’s in six sports. Tours to Cologne, Prague & Tallinn also stand out!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES?
At the time it was my goal to become a PE teacher, so when looking around at some of the options and attending some of the open days, St. John’s seems to have the perfect combination of the ideal course. The smaller tight-knit community that seemed more appealing, plus being situated in one of the best cities in the country. I also wasn’t smart enough for Loughborough!
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE COMPLETING YOUR STUDIES?
Before my final year at St. John’s, I spent the summer coaching in the United States. I returned after graduating and 20 years later… I’m still here! I spent 15 years working as a professional soccer coach, including with multiple MLS teams, and I’m now the East Coast Director for the largest indoor soccer company in the United States. Living in New York City, I also moonlight in sports media and pop up in Hollywood movies too.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIFIC COURSE?
It was the first year that the course of Sports Studies & Physical Education was being offered at St. John’s. It seemed like the perfect mix of subjects for what I was looking to do later in life and it better fitted me more than I would know at the time.
WHAT WERE THE BEST FEAUTRES OF YOUR COURSE?
Rather than being a straight up PE course, like most of the options were, it combined other types of studies that would benefit other areas of the sports industry, such as coaching, which is where my career ultimately started.
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CURRENT STUDENT, OR ONE ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
Speaking for myself personally, when balancing studies with the social aspects of student life, I may have leaned slightly more to the social side. In hindsight, it wasn’t a detriment to my career, though paying a little more attention in lectures, and putting in a little more effort in my work may have some benefits! That said embracing the social side of university and forming lifelong friendships is the thing that will really shape you as a human moving forward and I recommend taking every opportunity you see to embrace that.