What is your current professional activity? And your involvement in sport?
Currently employed with the Children's Authority of Trinidad and Tobago which is the lead state agency for the care and protection of children. With regard to my involvement in sport, I currently coach children in a football development programme as well as using sport as a key component in many of the social and community development interventions which I have been involved in for the last ten years.
Why did you choose to study the FIFA/CIES Programme in Sport Management at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus?
The online design of the programme facilitated persons like me who are employed, given that it allowed a reasonable amount of flexibility for classes. Further, the UWI/FIFA/CIES Programme was able to enhance my master’s degree in sport for development, allowing me the opportunity to gain vital knowledge as well as develop essential competencies in sport management which can strengthen my practice as an aspiring sport for development practitioner.
What were your expectations before the start of the course? And… were they met?
My first expectations before the start of this programme was to be open to the opportunity to learn given that this area of sport management was new to me and as such the knowledge and practice was anticipated to be a new experience. Further, I also anticipated the opportunity to broaden my own personal networks with other sport management persons who can add value and support to my own sport related endeavours. A third expectation was to enhance my own professional qualifications as a sport practitioner upon completion of the programme. All three expectations were exceedingly met.
What would you say are the key strengths of the UWI/FIFA/CIES Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management?
The first key strength of the UWI/FIFA/CIES programme is the blended learning approach that the programme adopted regarding the delivery of its content. This blended learning approach allowed for an enhanced learning experience given that it encompassed traditional classroom interactions as well as online engagements. Another strength was having lecturers who themselves are or have been practitioners at a high professional level within their respective fields which availed to us the students both an empirical and industry based understanding of the course content together with the various theoretical and conceptual foundations. A third strength of the programme is the partnerships between UWI, FIFA and CIES which gave the programme international recognition, thereby benefitting us as the students. A fourth strength of the programme was the flexible and understanding approach taken by all the lecturers, recognizing that all the students had employment commitments as well as the changing circumstances with the advent of the covid-19. This added tremendous ease to us as the students having to complete assignments within a more reasonable and practical approach.
What benefits (on a personal and/or professional level) did you gain from attending the course?
On a personal level, the benefit gained from attending the course is having gained critical insight into the field of sport management, thereby broadening my perspective as a sport practitioner. On a professional level, the benefits gained were enhancing my professional qualification in sport, making my academic qualifications as a sport practitioner more diverse.
How have the courses offered by the programme aided in developing your knowledge, competencies, and skills?
The different insights gained from each course greatly assisted in helping me to develop a more profound understanding of the various areas of sport management. I was also able to strengthen some areas that I had some professional exposure to, for example in communications as well as organizational management.
How has the programme contributed to your professional growth and employability?
Given that my current employment is not specifically in sport, it is difficult for me to say in an empirical way how the programme has contributed to my professional growth and employability. Most of my work in the field of sport, including my current undertakings are volunteer based and the knowledge gained has allowed me to extend my work in new areas related to sport management, the experiences which I have found to be enjoyable and exciting.
What is your best memory/highlight of the course?
My best memory from this programme will definitely be the group work experience. Generally, I kept the same classmates in the various work groups for the different courses and we were able to develop a fantastic relationship and team dynamic. We worked well together, able to appreciate and understand each other's limitations as well as personal circumstances and the different members stepped up when needed to, offering the necessary support to getting the assignments done as well as personal support and encouragement when we all had our own difficult and challenging moments. The relationship and team dynamic we were able to develop were well reflected in the quality of the group assignments that we were able to submit, regularly receiving high grades and positive feedback from the various lecturers for our submissions. Further, we were able to develop a good friendship even beyond the assignment, courses and the programme where post-programme, we still have regular communication with each other, still seeking advice based on our various fields of specialization. I really enjoyed working with the persons in my group for this programme.
Would you recommend the UWI/FIFA/CIES Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management? Why?
I would definitely recommend this UWI/FIFA/CIES Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management to persons who are interested in the field of sport management because it gives a very broad insight into the different areas in sport management as well as the programme is designed to provide practical and industry based exposure to sport management, which will definitely assist persons, even those who may already be involved in the field to develop critical understanding as a sport management practitioner.