James O'Neil

"I chose the Sport Level 3 course as it was something I was very interested in as I wanted to enhance my knowledge on training and the sports industry. I knew from my previous experience I wasn’t good at coping with the pressure of theoretical exams as well as focusing on more than one course at once. This course offered a more practical learning approach that took my interest.

I was previously at Hereford Sixth Form College retaking my GCSE’s. The Facilities were great, but the classroom based learning all day wasn’t something I enjoyed as I would always lose concentration and focus and would not retain anything being taught in the classroom. Hereford and Ludlow College of Technology offered a practical approach to learning as well as a tutor to help with the studies throughout my time as a student. Nick Preece, my tutor at the time, developed a great student-tutor relationship. He helped and guided me throughout the course, offered a great advice on future careers and adapted his teaching style to suit everyone within the course.

This college offered me a chance to focus on one course and develop my understanding within sports and fitness as I knew I was always wanting an active job as my career. This course developed my coaching skills as well as my theoretical knowledge, put into positions by the tutors to coach the other students different sports so studying was required to understand the sport that was going to be coached. The facilities that were offered to the students were great from point 4 gym and sports hall to doing football field-based sessions at the leisure centre. I can really say I enjoyed this course, the tutors offered great support in pushing myself to move onto the next steps of my career.

After the College I went on to do a Fda and BA degree in Sports and Fitness Studies to then be employed by David Lloyds Clubs, a prestigious franchise gym in Europe. Later I went to do a MSc degree in Strength and Conditioning to further my career with West Bromwich Albion FC in the sports science department as a Strength and Conditioning Coach.

My favourite part of the course was the tutoring and approach to lectures making use of practical to get the students moving and engaging in sessions, I was supported for assignment work and Nick Preece also made me feel very comfortable in going to university as I failed to pass the last assessments for the royal marines but progressed with education.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to progress within education as the learning is structured the same way as a degree level and it also developed my coaching skills which even to this day, I use what I have learned from this course with my occupation now."

For further information on how to apply through UCAS, please contact course tutor Nick Preece via email preecen@hlcollege.ac.uk