Gabriella Light
Athletic Union Club Development Officer (2019/20) & Cheerleading Chair (2019/20)
Gabriella has undertook a huge range of roles alongside her studies over the last 4 years. Gabriella started off volunteering as a Sports Sec with her Hall, Robert Bakewell in 2016 before undertaking a ranged of committee roles including Tramplonine Media Rep, Cheerleading Secretary, and Cheerleading Chair. Alongisde her roles as a media rep and secretary, Gabriella undertook a Performance Analyst role with the Hockey Programme.
Tell us a little bit about yourself (hobbies, interests and background):
When I came to Loughborough, I was already an enthusiastic athlete and gymnastics coach. During my time here I joined 2 more AU clubs; both sports I had never done before (trampolining and cheerleading) and these became my main hobbies alongside exploring and finding a passion in sport organisation, development and volunteering.
How did you first get involved in volunteering within sport at Loughborough?
I first got involved in volunteering after running to be my Hall Sport Sec about a month in to being at Loughborough. At the training we found out about the CVA portal and attended various masterclasses before running for related sport committee and analysis roles.
During your years at Loughborough what have you got involved in through volunteering within sport?
I became one of the LTA National Tennis Academy Performance Analyst’s (19/20) as well as having the opportunity to speak to industry experts and feature in the Hudl blog about Loughborough’s provision of elite level analysis. I was also supported through my Level 2 artistic gymnastics coaching qualification and many volunteer roles.
What has your experience volunteering been like whilst at Loughborough?
I honestly believe the sport volunteer experience at Loughborough is on another level. The opportunities are amazing and the number of things I managed to get involved in is a testament to the setup (and that’s only a small amount of things on offer). It definitely had a massive impact on my experience at Loughborough.
How has being involved with Loughborough Sport helped you develop and progress (personally and professionally)?
Professionally the opportunities I’ve had will support me a lot through my early career. Graduating this year, the experiences I have had gave me a lot to speak about and reflect on in interviews and made me realise the impact it the CVA has had on my personal development. It was definitely a major contributor to successfully securing a graduate job as a sports coach in a school and I intend to continue my analysis in my free time. Personally, my volunteer roles have had a huge impact on my confidence and leadership. Some of the roles really pushed me out of my comfort zone but I am really proud of everything I did whilst at Loughborough and I am gutted to be moving on from it.
What’s the best advice you could give to a Loughborough student looking to get involved in volunteering & gain the most out of their university experiences?
It sounds cliché but just get involved! As I have said previously the opportunities I got had a massive impact not only on my time in Loughborough but also my future. Also don’t underestimate the power of talking to people, everyone in the sports office genuinely wants you to do well and are super friendly so go in and talk to people if you’re unsure about how to get involved or you’re interested in doing something that isn’t on the portal.
Finally, what do you enjoy most about volunteering?
There are a lot of things I enjoy about volunteering. Some of the greatest friendships I have made are through my various volunteering roles as it is a great way to meet like-minded people. I also love that I am able to personally develop whilst contributing to the student experience of many others and the wider Loughborough sport picture.
Feeling inspired?
Feeling inspired by Gabriella's experience? Check out the CVA Portal regularly for Committe roles or Performance Support opportunities like her's.