Ranking as a top university for sports-related subjects, Loughborough University is well-known for the Sport Management course and other majors.
During my internships in a few sports organizations when I was in undergraduate, I’ve got to know quite a few professional practitioners in the industry who've truly inspired me, and I found many of them graduated from Loughborough University.
Another reason I choose Loughborough is, as a crazy football fan, I really wanted to have an immersive journey in England, where there are world-leading leagues, clubs and fan culture.
Industry insight
The course includes a few business programs in addition to programs focusing on sports policies, laws, media, etc. The course provides me with a comprehensive perspective on sport and a lot of academic tools, which stimulated more interests of mine in the subject and has changed the way I look at the industry.
Placements
I had three placements before I went to Loughborough. The first one was in our Province FA, where I worked with grassroots football development officials, referees for management of leagues and official training courses for one year. Then, I spent another year in a daily newspaper as an intern sports journalist and followed a football club who’s playing in the elite league.
It’s really amazing to work with managers, players and staff in a close position. These experiences allowed me to develop a more in-depth understanding of grassroots and professional football in my country, also leading me to explore my sports career.
The last placement I have been on was in IMG, where I had an opportunity to work with Premier League for their preseason event in the 19/20 season. That was a crazy, wonderful and unforgettable experience in my journey, getting to know how a top league runs with various stakeholders, including broadcasters, sponsors, authorities, press and officials, etc. It also has become a perfect case study of mine when I was learning my Sport Management course at Loughborough.
Career development
The University provides students and staff with tremendous opportunities for sports training and career development via the Coach and Volunteer Academy system. In my first month at Loughborough, I completed my football refereeing qualification course, becoming a registered referee. I also visited the Football Association (FA)'s St. George’s Park facility with more than 110 women referees from all over England for an FA workshop and training session. Sky Sports covered the event and I even got a few seconds to appear and speak on camera.
One year after my graduation, now I’m working as a sports marketer in a household company, managing the brand’s partnership with FIFA, UEFA and other sports IP owners. Though I did not expect what I’m doing currently, the learnings I got on sports marketing, media, policy, etc.. at Loughborough are really helpful in my current work and I feel really grateful.
If you are planning to work in a sport organization like I was, this programme provides the necessary knowledge for your future career. The strong support on industry resources, powerful networking and fabulous sports facilities are a great treasure during your studies at Loughborough.
