Sport Science or PE Personal Statement Example
Sports and physical activities generally are a major part of my life, and experience of various types of sport-based work has helped me to realise that this is the field where I should like to make my career. I enjoy both the practical and the theoretical aspects of the subject and believe that I have something of a natural talent for coaching and for devising new activities which will stimulate other people’s interest in sport and their belief in its importance for human well-being, health and stability. At the same time I am very aware of the commercial value of sport as one of the most popular leisure activities globally, and understand well how this requires careful management, planning and directing. The Olympics are a great opportunity for Britain, but it is important that the impetus of 2012 should be maintained after the games are over, and there are major questions about how much the wider population will benefit from the events, what use the facilities will have after 2012 and how sports providers will deal with the inevitable rise in interest in various sports. Marketing of sport is another interesting issue, as are the regional provision of facilities and the ways publicity can help individual and national sporting success. Funding, in my mind, is perhaps the most complex issue of all. It was clear to me, for example, how the UK cyclists achieved such success in the last Olympic Games through a more carefully considered funding policy which allowed for top level training and preparation. Another aspect that interests me is the relationship between “lite” sports and people’s own experience of sporting activity. Are the financial rewards for top sportsmen compatible with the need to get everybody moving and exercising? Is children’s sport of less “value” than the top sporting events we see on television? Should sport be seen as an essential part of the health service? All of these questions have played their part in my own decision to spend my working life in sports development and coaching
I have taken a BTEC level 3 Extended Diploma in Sports Performance, Coaching and Fitness, which has hugely increased my interest in the subject and made me realise how complex and wide-ranging it is. Coaching particularly interests me because I enjoy meeting new people and working with them, finding ways to explain things to them and helping them realise their own potential. My aim ultimately is to work as a coach and to teach others about sports studies, probably as a PE teacher. A degree course would equip me with valuable information about the psychology of coaching and techniques of teaching. I have undertaken work experience in construction, which gave me good training in administrative processes as well as convincing me that I wanted to work in an industry which is practical and physical. It also trained me in the importance of teamwork and cooperation – key qualities in the sports industry. One of my major strengths is my ability to work alongside others in a team, although I am equally happy working individually and using my own initiative. I have also worked for my parents in our family business, which has given me experience of responding to customers and dealing with money.
I appreciate all sports, but my particular favourites are football and skiing, as well as exercising at the gym. I am always keen to keep as fit as possible, believing strongly in the contribution physical fitness makes to health and to mental well-being. I also enjoy music. I am hard-working and conscientious and a disciplined learner, always paying close attention to instructions and performing allotted tasks as well as I possibly can. My attitude to everything I do is positive, I am reliable and believe that I would be an asset in any team. My colleagues find me adaptable and friendly and I get on well with most people, which is one of the reasons I find coaching so congenial. I have total commitment to my goal to become a professional coach and I believe that I have the qualities to make a complete success of the degree course.
