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I’m Director of Sports Performance and Excellence at a secondary school.
During my time at South Craven I wanted to be a chef, but sport was always a big part of my life. I competed many times for South Craven in athletics, cross-country and badminton. As I progressed through Sixth Form, my interest in teaching PE grew. I owe so much to the PE staff, who supported me massively during this time.
Once I completed my A Levels I spent a year working with the PE department, which gave me a brilliant insight into what it’s like working in a PE department full time. I loved it, so my decision was made. I gained a first-class Honours degree in Sports and Recreation Development from Leeds Metropolitan University and the academic achievement award for the course. I completed a PGCE course in Secondary Physical Education and gained the academic achievement award for the second time in a row.
Although I had a great time during my four years at university, I wasn’t a typical student. I had no real interest in going out to nightclubs or bars – I was totally focused on my goal of teaching PE. I joined the student union volunteering organisation CALM (Community Action @ Leeds Met), as they had a sports coaching link with a local secondary school. I volunteered up to 20 hours a week in their PE department and gained so much experience. This became the highlight of my university years. Some of my fellow students on the degree course thought I was stupid as I wasn’t interested in the socialising they took part in most evenings, but I was proud of what I was doing to support my future goals.
I secured my first teaching post in a secondary school in 2010 and am now one of the longest serving staff, having never moved on! I’ve had a few different roles including Assistant Head of PE and Transitional Coordinator. I was appointed to my current leadership post in 2018, where I’m responsible for supporting the large number of students we have that compete in sport outside of school to a high standard. I support them with their training, their ability to balance academic pressures with their sporting lives and anything else they need to help them achieve their sporting dreams. I get to see our talented students achieve success – it’s a great job!
You’re making the right choices at the right time. You have your focus now. Work hard, ignore distractions and go and achieve your dreams.
That I chased my dreams to become a PE teacher and succeeded, despite facing criticism and comments from my university peers. I’m proud that I wasn’t affected by their opinions and didn’t allow them to alter my future aspirations.
I now work hard every day to support the next generation of sports stars, many of whom also deal with unhelpful comments from peers. I can share my experiences to help them overcome these barriers.