North Hertfordshire College’s Supported Studies E3 Sports students have had a busy couple of months, taking exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of a range of sports venues in the South East! Their back-to-back experiences have given our students a stronger understanding of the many elements involved in professional sports, supporting their in-class learning.
To start the experience off, our learners visited Stevenage Football Club’s Lamex Stadium to find out more about how the venue works. The trip featured a tour of the grounds, including a look at the hospitality suites, board room, and trophy room. Our learners found out more about the psychology of changing rooms and how they’re designed to support players before matches. They also learnt some top tips on how to get the upper hand on away teams – useful information!
During their visit, our learners took part in a workshop designed around employability and the different skills and attributes needed for successful employment.
A few weeks later, the learners visited Twickenham Stadium, the home of England’s Rugby Union team. The group enjoyed a private look at the World Rugby Museum where they learnt more about the history of the iconic English sport. Maths skills were also brought into the experience through a skills workshop themed around launching a new stadium. Learners were asked to plan the location, customer experience, and revenue generation options that would keep their plans within a budget.
And that’s not all! The E3 Sports group then visited Watford FC’s training ground. As well as tours of the indoor training dome, Academy facilities, and the first team training pitch, the learners also got stuck in with some hands-on activities; students played football on the pitch and got to experience the media room in a press conference-style session with Slaven Bilić, the Manager of Watford FC.
Rounding off the experience (so far), learners enjoyed tours of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and the Saracens StoneX stadium, where they even got to play on the pitch!
Karl Scott, Course Team Leader for E3 Sports, said of the experience: “Looking at professional training grounds and stadiums makes the sports that the students learn about a reality, rather than just something they see on TV. All the tours we’ve been on have contained first-hand stories and explanations of why certain things work and some of the psychology that’s involved in top-level sports. Our learners now have a stronger understanding of the healthy lifestyles and the training programmes that professional sports people adhere to. It’s also been an opportunity to hear about the varied job roles involved with sports.
“We embed English and Maths, British Values, and Employability Skills into all these visits too. Some of our students have never been to London, so these trips have also been a chance to open a new world full of different experiences, all whilst adding enrichment to the curriculum.”
To find out more about North Hertfordshire College’s Supported Studies programmes, please visit our Supported Studies showcase page.