• English
  • Français
  • Español
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN SPORTS MANAGEMENT
Interview with

Elliot Ash | graduate 2020

What is your current professional activity? And your involvement in sport?
I am a software designer. I became involved in sports administration and management because of my daughter’s involvement as a national athlete. It became glaringly obvious as she progressed the developmental ladder in her discipline that all was not well in the administration and management of the sport. So, a desire how to improve was born.
 
Why did you choose to study the FIFA/CIES Programme in Sport Management at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus?
I think this is the most exciting part of the journey for me, because it was during a class session while doing an Administrator's Programme at Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee headquarters that Sherlan Cabralis, who was lecturing on marketing made to me what was a significant statement - "if you do not know your product, how can you market what you do not know". I thought this very significant in the context of my experience and specifically to the administration of sport in Trinidad and Tobago. The statement resonated with me because I reflected how administrators made decisions in sport and how business responded to sport investing and the statement was very applicable. It did not take long for me to follow up on the invitation extended by Sherlan to participate in the course. The rest is now history.
 
What were your expectations before the start of the course? And… were they met?
My expectations, not quite sure what I expected versus the excitement to learn how to view sports in a new frame that of business and marketing. This to me was significant in reframing the discussion. I was already into business management and I had done a couple of marketing programmes so the information was not necessarily new. However, it was reframing that knowledge in a new context that gave new expressions to the business and marketing concepts.
Generally, I am pleased with the outcome of the program and the lecturers gave good expression to the content they were responsible for, some more than others. I am very thankful for the contact made with Sherlan.
 
What would you say are the key strengths of the UWI/FIFA/CIES Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management?
The quality of any programme is assessed by the quality of knowledge of the lecturers and their ability to deliver the content successfully. However, all programmes must have a director who manages the program and the lecturers who operate within that system plus the support staff involved in providing support to participants. I think that this combination of balance has been achieved in this program so that the strength is founded in the office of the director who drives the program. Yes, there are challenges and, in our case, there were several challenges but that does not take away from the value established.
 
What benefits (on a personal and/or professional level) did you gain from attending the course?
The benefits I gained is primarily the re-framing of sports in a business and marketing window. Marketing was helpful in analysing  some of the ways in which monetization in sports can take place. Law was revealing the naked truth about sports law and how the multinationals exert an enormous influence on sports and how sports is governed. It also highlighted the need for our athletes to re-frame their view of their value and brand in sports and find ways to protect their brand.
HR showed the challenges that exist in administrating sport because of the amount of volunteers that are involved vs paid professionals. Not that you cannot train volunteers, but the demand placed upon a volunteer is not the same as a paid employee. So, HR showed that there is a need to hire professionals. But where is the money to pay is the question that finance sought to answer, but sadly, there is no steady income apart from government input that financial planning is a big challenge in sports administration.
Then there was event management and facility management these are two aspects that need much development and professionals to execute. I think that the course offered quite a lot to think about in the context of sport administration. However, when we looked at our environment, we became painfully aware that transitioning this knowledge into the existing environment is a challenge that all of us faces.
 
How have the courses offered by the programme aided in developing your knowledge, competencies, and skills?
Yes, I think so as mentioned above.
 
How has the programme contributed to your professional growth and employability?
Well this is tricky because we were doing the course and then COVID-19 came and everything changed, so, if there was a small opportunity maybe even that is reduced also. But on the other side, we can look at it positively because sports have not died, so there is need for sports administrators. However, in the interim, the existing administrators are consolidating so there might not be immediate opportunities.
 
What is your best memory/highlight of the course?
The debates in the law class.
 
Would you recommend the UWI/FIFA/CIES Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management? Why?
Well the course admittedly is not for everyone. You have to be prepared with business and sports background and a fair amount of experience in sports as an administrator or player to value the things that the program teaches.