As a part of the course, you have to undertake a professional placement. I worked for the LTA Tennis Academy based at Loughborough University as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. I spent most of my time on-court with the athletes and delivering gym-based sessions to help them to achieve their individual goals. I also worked alongside the athletes at a number of training camps hosted at Loughborough University.
I also worked alongside the Loughborough Sport practitioners delivering sessions to the Football Association referees who are also students at the University. This was a great experience that gave me freedom to grow as a coach and develop new skillsets.
The professional placement was incredibly useful and rewarding. I worked with a number of experienced, knowledgeable coaches in sports, which I had little exposure to beforehand. The experience enabled me to greatly expand my network and helped make valuable connections which is so important in the industry.