Sport coaching gaining wide appeal

Sport coaching gaining wide appeal at the University of Canterbury

March 24, 2015

Sport coaching is gaining wide appeal at the University of Canterbury because the degree is providing graduates with excellent jobs, an expert sports researcher says.

Professor Richard Light, Head of the School of Sport and Physical Education, says several hundred students have enrolled in the sports coaching degree this year, including All Black Kieran Read.

“Beyond the benefits for health and well-being regular participation, sport can teach valuable life lessons. A coaching degree in sport gets graduates good jobs beyond sport,” he says.

“There is recognition in the United Kingdom and Japan that companies and employers wanted graduates who had sports coaching degrees or who had played sport at university.

“Sport is big in Canterbury. There is a lot of pride and passion in the Crusaders and in rugby and big events like the Cricket World Cup which helped bring international cricket back to Christchurch after some years because of the earthquakes.

“Academic institutions realise how sport really benefits universities. People can learn the lessons of life through sport which can be transferred into business settings.

“We have had All Blacks Robbie Deans, Reuben Thorne and Kieran Read and cricketer Sir Richard Hadlee here at various events on campus in recent weeks. That’s great for our reputation and connections with the sporting communities as students look up to these high achieving role models.

“It is immensely important for the university to have these people on campus to help grow the profile of sport and what it can lead to even if people are not playing it.”

Professor Light has coached rugby in Australia and Japan and has conducted extensive research on sport in Japan with a focus on rugby. He has 30 years’ training in karate, holds a 5th dan black belt and was Australian kickboxing champion. He will give a public lecture on campus tomorrownight. View a preview interview here: . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkHCw4yTVYA&feature=youtu.be.

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