It is Autumn, a time when students brush off their books and sharpen their mental focus for the start of a new academic year. As new participants prepare to begin the Postgraduate Certificate in Sport Management, two alumni and one current student, whose careers have taken them to the top level of sports administration, have given a ringing endorsement to the FIH Hockey Academy/World Academy of Sport course.
The course, run in conjunction with Royal Holloway, University of London, is part of the programme of activities delivered by the FIH Hockey Academy through the World Academy of Sport, which aims to raise standards at the very top level of management within sport.
Participants on the course range from International Federation Chief Executive Officers to professional athletes considering a move into management. However, no matter what the participants background, the overarching aim of the qualification is to produce world-class, inspirational sports leaders, capable of effective networking, strategic thinking and shaping the economic, social and competitive sports environment.
David Ruiz, of the Peruvian Hockey Federation, who recently graduated from the course, said: “One of the most important aspects of the programme was strategic planning of an organisation. This allows development of a long-term perspective instead of operating only based on short-term needs. Many sports organisations only cover short-term needs and so strategic planning becomes a concept without content.”
The course is delivered via a series of residential workshops, which are scheduled to fit around a busy working life.
One man who has a very busy life is Jamie Hooper, a recent graduate of the course and Equality and Diversity Programme Manager for the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) in the UK. Hooper is also a hockey coach and an aspiring FIH umpire. Before moving to the aquatic organisation, Hooper was Business Support Officer for Hockey Wales.
“This qualification will certainly help me progress my career both in hockey and swimming,” said Hooper. “I intend to put it to use straight away by working on a project with the European Hockey Federation. There are also many skills that I will be able to action straight away with the ASA.”
The course covers a range of topics, all geared towards helping sports leaders run and manage their sports organisations more effectively. Finance and accounting; operations management; marketing and brand building; management of high performance programmes and legacy of major events are just some of the modules that make up the course.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Sport Management is one of a number of management education programmes available to national association leaders and managers across the globe to empower them to develop their people, pathways and governance structures.
Malcolm Harris, the Chief Executive Officer for Hockey New Zealand is another recent graduate of the course. He said: “The Postgraduate Certificate in Sport Management conducted by the World Academy of Sport provided a comprehensive background across all the major areas of sports management. Utilising experienced sports practitioners, the course content gave a balance between theoretical learning and practical insights.
“Case studies supported the learning with real-life examples, which allowed participants to question and evaluate prior practice. The programme forces the participant to challenge their thinking, recognising the competitive pressures in modern day sport, and how to apply the learning to their particular circumstances and opportunities. It comes well recommended.”
As the FIH Hockey Academy Management Programme develops, more learning opportunities for hockey officials will become available. Currently there is a very limited number of places available for this particular programme and application is by invitation only via Continental Federations and their National Associations members.
