sportH.E – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this week's episode, I am delighted to be joined by Andy Allford, Director of Sport at the University of Birmingham.

Andy discusses his career journey and we take a deep dive into the role of sport in higher education. We get to explore his experience at the 2012 Olympics and listen to the lessons he learned about performance, prevention, and creating a supportive environment.

In our conversation, we discuss the evolving role of sport in higher education (HE) and the challenges and opportunities it presents. We consider the current competitive model in university sport and whether it needs to be reevaluated. We expore the need to measure the value of sport beyond the traditional metrics, such as BUCS points, and focus on the broader objectives it can achieve, such as recruitment, retention, and alumni engagement.

Andy also shares his experience of hosting the Commonwealth Games and the benefits it brought to the University of Birmingham. He advises aspiring HE sport professionals to be a sponge, get involved in as much as possible, and know when to get in and get out of opportunities.

Andy recommends 'Pig Wrestling' by Mark Bawden and Pete Lindsay.

Today's episode features our first leader from outside H.E. Hayley Lever is the CEO of Greater Manchester Moving, the organisation responsible for changing lives through movement, physical activity and sport across Manchester.

I've been fortunate to spend some time with Hayley over the last few years and have found the work that she is leading to be pioneering and inspirational.

Our conversation explores the concept of systems thinking and systems leadership in the context of promoting physical activity and tackling inequalities. We discuss the origins of the GM Moving movement and its approach to addressing inactivity and inequalities and highlight the importance of understanding the multiple influences on physical activity and the need for a whole-system approach. We discuss the challenges of adopting a systems approach, including the tension between traditional measurement and evaluation systems and the need for more flexible and emergent approaches.

Hayley discusses the tipping point in the adoption of a whole systems approach to addressing inactivity and inequalities in Greater Manchester. She emphasizes the importance of clarity of purpose, the critical role of relationships, and the need for a both/and mindset. Hayley also highlights the value of creating space and time for learning and reflection, and the power of embracing difficult moments as opportunities for change. She recommends the book 'Dare to Lead' by Brené Brown and encourages aspiring sport professionals to trust themselves, keep an open mind, and find their sweet spot in the intersection of what they love, what they're good at, what they can be paid for, and what the world needs.

Throughout our conversation, Hayley references a number of resources and you can find links to them below:

Hayleys Blog - Blog Contents: Leadership, Learning and Life. – Hayley Lever (wordpress.com)

Hayleys Ted Talk - https://hayleyleverblog.wordpress.com/2019/07/20/the-power-of-active-soles-to-change-the-world/

Dr William Bird Video - Dr. William Bird MBE, Intelligent Health - YouTube

GM Moving - https://www.gmmoving.co.uk/

In this episode I am joined by Sarah Humphreys, Director of Sport and Active Wellbeing at the University of Reading.

Sarah has had an amazing career with stops at a number of UK University's and perhaps most notably a stint as Director of Sport at the University of Nottingham in China. In this fascinating conversation we take a deep dive into Sarah's multitude of experiences and explore what it was like to lead a team in China, whilst also in a pandemic!

We also get to hear how Sarah has taken some of those lessons into her new role at Reading and the work she is doing to embed sport and active wellbeing as a core part of the University experience.

Sarah offers up the following recommendations for inspiration:

Stephen Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stein & Book - The EQ Edge

David Livermore - Leading with Cultural Intelligence

In this episode, I welcome Paul Carney, Director of Sport and Active Health at Canterbury Christ Church University.

We have a fascinating conversation that dives deep into the lived experience of someone leading change, managing partnerships and making the case for sport across a University.

With a wealth of knowledge Paul tell's us how he ensures the core values of education are ingrained in what he and his team do on a daily basis. We'll also hear that when managing change, its important to be clear on the direction, clear on the need for change and then having the courage of your convictions to see it through.

We also discuss the importance of creating effective partnerships both internally and externally that are built on trust and an unwavering belief that above all else, 'people are the most important thing'.

Paul recommends we check out:

- Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

- 99% invisible podcast

In this episode, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Cathy Gallacher, Executive Director of Sport at the University of Stirling.

In our chat we take a deep dive into the culture and environment at Stirling , where sport is part of the very DNA of the University. We will hear Cathy tells us how this manifests itself across all departments, whilst reminding us that the strategic positioning of sport remains an ongoing focus of her role.

We learn the importance of resilience in the continual pursuit of excellence, which Cathy explains isn't just about winning medals it has to be about every facet of the sport experience.

Our chat is peppered with some key takeaways, none more so than appreciating that things don't happen overnight, take the time to celebrate the small wins and it's ok to not know the answer.

Cathy tells us that a source of inspiration for her is Simon Mundie's podcast - The Life Lessons.

In this week's episode, we are delighted to welcome Ross Simpson, Assistant Director and Head of Sport at the University of Edinburgh.

As an institution, Edinburgh can boast some big numbers, 50,000 students (36,000 at any one time in the City), 15,000 staff and 21 academic schools. Their sport programme is then equally large with 70 sport clubs, 1,000 volunteers and 21,000 gym members.

This then is a fascinating opportunity to peel back some of the layers and get an insight into the workings of a high-performing sport department. We'll hear Ross describe how they engage with such large numbers and the unique governance and management structure they have in place, working in true alignment with the sports union.

Ross also shares his passion for volunteering and how this has taken him to some of the largest sporting events in the world. We'll also find out about his career to date and the inspiration that are his grandparents, both of whom have been awarded the Polar Medal from the Queen.

Ross suggests two resources that continue to inspire him:

The High Performance Podcast

Essentialism, Greg McKeown

Lastly you can check out the documentary film about Myrtle Simpson here: https://myrtlefilm.com/

Episode edited by Peter Lamber, Cardiff Met Sport TV

In this episode, we are joined by Fiona Dick, Head of Sport at De Montfort University in Leicester. Fiona takes us on a passionate and intimate journey through her professional career in sport. With searing honesty, we'll hear about how she has persevered through knockbacks and pursued her passion for working in sport.

We'll hear how Fiona has navigated change, building a sports department from scratch in an incredibly short time period. Accompanied with insights into the importance of focussing on team behaviours and holding people accountable.

This episode is packed full of takeaways and includes some great information about the delivery model for encouraging students from a widening participation background to get and stay active.

Fiona has recommended the following books as key inspiration points for her:

Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

Eat, Sweat, Play - Anna Kessel

Game Changers - Sue Anstiss

Note - you'll hear us discuss TASS, this is the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.

Episode edited by Peter Lambern, Cardiff Met Sport TV

In this very first episode of sportH.E, I have the pleasure of being joined by Dan Tilley, Director of Sport at the University of Nottingham. Dan will tell us about his career from starting out as a sport sabbatical officer to running one of the largest student programmes in the country.

We will hear how he approached the development of the £40m David Ross Sports Village through a mixture of lobbying and influencing across the University community and his lessons in creating a student-centred sports programme that aligns the professional service and the student union.

He'll also cover branding, identity, financial pressures, NGB partnerships, the strength of the University community in the face of tragedy and much more.

Dan tells us he has three books he has gifted to others that have resonated with him, including; Atomic Habits, James Clear, The Long Win, Cath Bishop and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Charlie Mackesy

The very first podcast for H.E Sport is coming....

Join me, Ben O'Connell, Director of Sport at Cardiff Metropolitan University as I look to reveal and share insights from leaders and change-makers across the sector.

To kick things off we have 5 episodes that will be released in the coming weeks. Each one will share the successes and challenges of University sport programmes that support Olympic athletes, drive participation and deliver innovative engagement programmes across diverse community groups.

I look forward to you joining me on my journey to uncover 'what good looks like' in H.E sport'.

In this episode I was delighted to welcome, Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport at the University of Bath to the show.

Stephen discusses his career journey and the role of sport at the university. He highlights the importance of partnerships in supporting performance athletes and the success of Team Bath. He also addresses the challenges facing the higher education sector, including funding constraints and increasing costs. Despite these challenges, he emphasizes the value of sport in the university's reputation and student experience. In this part of the conversation, Stephen Baddeley discusses the challenges of advocating for sport internally and the difficulty of demonstrating the value of sport in a mechanistic way. He reflects on the loss of the netball franchise and the financial challenges faced by universities in supporting professional or semi-professional teams. He shares the greatest moment in his career, winning the European Championships in badminton, and the person who had the biggest influence on him. He also offers three pieces of advice for aspiring HE sport professionals: focus on finances, don't avoid difficult conversations, and be open to changing your mind.

Stephen recommends The One Minute Manager by Blanchard & Johnson as a resource he recommends.