Olivia Patten
Performance Analysis Placement Student, Coach Coordinator and AU Exec Member
Olivia has had a vast range of experience in volunteering through the CVA, from starting as an assistant athletics coach to securing a performance analysis placement with Loughborough Hockey, she has made the most of the opportunities the CVA has to offer.
Tell us a little bit about yourself (hobbies, interests and background):
I am currently a third year Sport and Exercise Science placement student working with Loughborough Hockey as a Performance Analyst.
I love being in and around sports and meeting lots of new people along the way.
How did you first get involved in volunteering within sport at Loughborough?
I first got involved in volunteering in my first year at Loughborough by going to the CVA Briefing sessions on coaching and then attending the Brilliant Basics Sessions. This is how I met some of the coaches and started shadowing in athletics before becoming an Assistant Coach.
During your years at Loughborough what have you got involved in through volunteering within sport?
During my time I have volunteered in many areas of sport. I have been an Assistant Athletics Coach which then lead me to helping at several athletics event including the LIA twice, registering athletes, carrying kit and recording results. The last time I volunteered at an event over the summer I was given the responsibility of event manager looking after all the volunteers who were collecting results and making sure it all ran smoothly which was a great experience.
I volunteered and helped with the Paralympic kitting out before the Tokyo games which was very exciting.
I was a Coaching Coordinator last year supporting both Netball and Athletics Clubs and this year I am now on the AU Exec for Coaching and Officiating Coordinator. This has helped me interact with lots of different clubs and help others get involved in volunteering.
I spent last year as a Volunteer Performance Analyst for Loughborough Lightning Netball Superleague team. This involved filming and coding both home and away games as well as opposition analysis and providing live stats to the bench. This was a great experience and I was even given the opportunity of attending the Superleague final where I live coded the game. This role founded my love for performance analysis and gave me the experience I needed for my Placement this year with Loughborough hockey as their performance analyst.
What has your experience volunteering been like whilst at Loughborough?
My experience as a volunteer has been incredible, the number of opportunities are countless and there are lots of opportunities to learn and network if you take them. These include workshops, guest speakers or CPD sessions.
How has being involved with Loughborough Sport helped you develop and progress (personally and professionally)?
Volunteering in Loughborough Sport gave me the experience I needed to achieve the placement that I wanted and it gave me a head start in the support that I could give to the team. Personally it has also grown my confidence, by giving presentations through my AU Exec Coaching Coordinator role where I have to speak in front of all the club chairs, to also delivering feedback to the team and staff at hockey who are all much more experienced than I am.
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?
My advice would be to start with something you enjoy or a sport that you love and go from there.
Finally, what do you enjoy most about volunteering?
The thing I enjoy most about volunteering is the different people I have met along the way that I never would have met otherwise. I also enjoy developing my skills and learning from as many people as possible and volunteering has provided me with that.
Feeling inspired?
Feeling inspired by Olivia's experience? Check out the CVA Portal regularly for opportunities like her's.