Sthefânia Vieira de Lacerda (Brazil) and Rosario Cieza (Argentina) - the two FIFA/CIES Sport Management Programme alumni who won the FIFA/CIES Network Scholarship to attend the fifteenth edition of the FIFA Master - share a few impressions on their experiences at De Montfort University.
In December 2014, Sthefânia (Fundação Getulio Vargas) and Rosario (Universidad Católica Argentina) completed the first part of the FIFA Master at De Montfort University (Leicester, England) where they spent three months familiarising themselves with history and humanities of sport.
Their excellent experiences and unforgettable memories - both in the classroom and during social activities - are so numerous that it would be impossible to mention them all.
Of course, the guest speakers and their remarkable performances were a highlight for the two students and their classmates in England. Among the lecturers: David Goldblatt, Simon Briggs and Neil Snowball. The first offered them a fascinating overview of the Olympic Games and football while the second addressed the theme of tennis and television broadcasts. For his part, Neil Snowball provided a detailed presentation of the 2012 London Olympics. “They all inspired enthusiasm and passion. They captivated our class from the very first minute of their presentations. What a delight!”
Presentations by students of sport realities in their respective countries were another highlight of the stay in Leicester. Students were thus able to understand various aspects of extreme sports in New Zealand or cricket in India as well as “Carry your Wife” races in Finland. Students spoke so convincingly of their cultures, cities and sports specificities in their home countries that the whole class wanted to “fly off immediately to discover these new horizons without delay”.
We cannot forget the many site visits and sports events proposed by De Montfort University which are an “undeniable asset” in terms of practical training for students, who were able to discover Manchester United, Manchester City, Leicester City and see an Aston Villa match and a friendly between the United States and Colombia.
At the end of the day, the very best thing for the 31 FIFA Master students is certainly the unique experience of living together. Nothing can equal such a melting pot of nationalities, backgrounds, cultures and languages. What more could we hope for than diversity that allows us to become familiar with countries such as Russia, China, Mozambique and so many others… countries we knew almost nothing of until then?
“We are grateful for what the FIFA Master has offered us in the space of just a few months… We are surrounded by classmates we appreciate more every day… and the second part of the FIFA Master that we started at the beginning of January in Milan is just as rewarding… Although we have to study hard, this adventure is captivating and well worth living.”