Upon joining various University sports teams, Ben realised that the connectivity within these teams was not as effective as it could be.
He saw two clear problems. Firstly, he realised that teams use too many apps/tools, and there isn’t one place for teams to share, connect and keep up to date with their sport. He also realised that it is very difficult for Athletes to connect with Sports Professionals (e.g. physiotherapists, personal trainers, psychologists etc.) unless they ask for the connection through their coach. After identifying these two clear problems, Ben decided that an app was the best place for the solution
Ben set up SportShare, which not only helps Athletes, but people who want to get started with sport. He believes that “it really is for anyone”. On SportShare you can see what friends, people near you, and those interested in your sport are getting up to. Using filtered searches, you can look for the professional that fits your needs and book appointments. SportShare also allows you to be better connected to your teams and coaches.
Ben developed the app during his Year in Enterprise, a scheme offered by Loughborough for students who want to explore business ideas as part of their degree. The enterprise option is offered between the second and third year, when students will typically do their placement or study abroad.
Ben said “the Year in Enterprise has taught me so much about business, that I don’t believe I could have learnt elsewhere. It has allowed me to focus solely on my idea and given me knowledge that is really important for a start-up business. Going through this journey with many others on the scheme is very refreshing because there is so much help, and always someone to talk to if you’re struggling”.
The SportShare App is due to launch on both the App Store and Google Play shortly. For more information, please visit the Sportshare website.