As soon as I came to the university on the BSc Sport and Exercise Science degree, I was encouraged by lecturers and the employability team to look at the voluntary options and make the most of the opportunities that were available outside of normal classes to stand out from the crowd of graduates. It took me until the beginning of second year to gain the confidence to take part in voluntary projects. My personal tutor told me about the opportunity to be part of the Sport and Health Outreach Team (SHOT) in the School of Sport and Exercise Science where I could assist or lead sports science workshops for students from local schools and sixth forms with no pressure to help in all of the sessions if I didn’t want to. I agreed to be part of the team because I’m always looking to boost my CV in one way or another and thought I could assist to begin with and see how I got on.

I volunteered to take part in the first session that was available to me, which was assisting in a physiology cycle ergometer task. Even though I was nervous, everything was explained beforehand and the assisting of the activity was very relaxed. After assisting in physiology and psychology sessions, I was encouraged to lead a physiology session for a group of secondary school students. I personally am not a fan of talking in front of groups, and was nervous about explaining the tasks and making sure the session went smoothly. However, I had lots of support from the lecturer in charge who gave me a presentation and worksheet to use, the technicians helped to refresh my memory on using the equipment, and the assisting students were very supportive. The session ran smoothly and from then on, my confidence increased and I started to put myself forward to lead sessions more frequently in various disciplines, including leading a station for National Biomechanics Day. I continued my role as a SHOT leader during my third year and led all but one of the sessions I signed up for. My experience from a previous outreach project led to me being asked to lead a paid physiology session for local girls to learn about women in science.

Esther introduced students to gait analysis using a pressure plate as part of National Biomechanics Day

Being part of the SHOT team benefitted me academically through improving my theoretical knowledge from making my own presentations for the sessions and understanding how to use my knowledge safely in an applied setting. The extra applied experience is key for progression after undergraduate studies and was a key area I mentioned during my Master’s degree interviews. Not only were my academic skills improved, but I am now a lot more confident and calm when talking in front of groups and explaining the sessions. This was a big improvement for me as I was very shy before I came to university. I found all the sessions I was a part of to be enjoyable both for the SHOT leaders and the students who participated in the sessions.

I would definitely encourage anyone who is going to be starting on a sports degree or who is already on one of the degree programmes to get involved with the SHOT team. It’s a great opportunity to get involved in enjoyable voluntary work with no pressure to volunteer for every role, whilst allowing you to progress from assisting to leading at a pace that suits you. Being a SHOT leader shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to volunteer in sports science and develop your employability skills (teamwork, leadership, organisation, problem solving, responsibility) which will make your CV stand out to employers, whilst helping with your own personal development.

Despite my initial worries about leading sessions, I am so glad I took this opportunity whilst at university and know it has benefitted me academically and personally.

The SHOT programme is overseen by Trish Jackman and Dan Martin. Any students who would like to be involved should respond to the announcements sent out at the start of the academic year; they – or anyone interested in arranging an outreach visit – can also contact Trish or Dan directly.