Ffion Evans is a soon-to-be Sport Business and Management (MSc) graduate who recently had the opportunity to work at Netball World Cup in Liverpool.
We met up with Ffion to find out how the opportunity has helped her land a dream job and what advice she has for other students wanting to pursue a career in sports.
So you’ve just finished working at the Netball World Cup – can you tell us what that was like?
It was an amazing experience to be a part of. I am fascinated in promoting emerging sports and for myself personally, that is the career path I am trying to pursue.
For the Netball World Cup I worked with Red Sky At Night Events who managed the in-house set up and organisation for the duration of the tournament.
It was truly eye opening to see how much behind-the-scenes effort goes into running an event like that, but also, how powerful sport is in bringing people together.
I had the opportunity to meet some amazing fans and I would definitely say that has been the most rewarding part of the whole experience.
You are now starting a new role with Table Tennis England – can you tell us a bit more about it?
So I have just started here, it is my first week! I’m just finding my feet but I’m sure in couple of weeks I will be settling in just fine.
Have you always been interested in pursuing a career in sport?
Yes, definitely.
I think from a young age I was naturally drawn towards sports. I would compete and play in all kinds of sports such as football, hockey and rugby and have always found it a great way to make new friends in different locations.
As I got older I became aware of the importance of sport in creating a sense of community and in developing a sense of self. This is what led me to continue my studies at University as I am able to examine the ethical impact of sport on society – I am particularly interested in the role of women in sport and started my own blog, Fierce Females, to look at this further.
In five years’ time what would you have hoped to achieve?
I would like to continue working alongside emerging sports. I like the challenge of promoting a sport and of encouraging it to progress rather than maintaining media dominance for traditional sports with minimal effort.
One of my biggest passions is the impact sport can have on mental health so in 5 years’ time if I can impact a small number of people and help them start a positive mental health journey through sport, I would consider that a huge success.
What are your top tips for someone who wants to pursue a career in sport like you?
- Take every opportunity that you can find – valuable and relevant experience is extremely difficult to come by.
- Consider voluntary positions – I worked at a social enterprise gym start-up, Community Fitness. Their mission is to create an affordable gym for the whole community. This really helped in securing my roles at the Netball World Cup and Table Tennis England.
- You need to be passionate – the work can be really tiring and the hours can be long.
Do you have any parting wisdom for other students?
I would just like to say to anyone studying at university, whether you want to go into the sports industry or not, to look after both your physical and mental health. I struggled a lot from the pressure I placed on myself during my undergrad, but when I started to look after myself (I started running) everything else fell into place and now I am a completely different person compared to 4 years ago.
Ffion is a keen endurance runner and will be taking part in a 2700 mile challenge this September as part of the British Red Cross campaign Miles for Refugees. To keep updated on her progress and to donate please visit her fundraising page.
Ffion will graduate in December 2019.