Abstract
This paper features an autoethnographic approach in presenting and reflecting upon the story of one higher education student’s rapid vocational and academic transformation. Initially an inconspicuous undergraduate student, Andrew experienced an accelerated development that catapulted him to working in elite sport performance analysis (PA) environments, within a year. PA is a sub-discipline of sports coaching that involves using the latest technological advances to influence sporting performance, through the objective analysis of performance data. This autoethnographic piece is partly Andrew’s personal reflection upon that journey towards his newfound profession, which initially grew out of his experience of a generic sports degree at a university. Through stepping out of his comfort zone, and analysing sports previously unknown to him, extraordinary progress was made, and various vocational and academic opportunities arose. The initial catalyst for this developmental journey was facilitated by coaching lecturer David, who reflects upon how Andrew’s story links to his own educational philosophies. Andrew and David explore what these stories might mean to them personally, including potential links to the metaphor of learning as becoming, and notions around the concepts of learner agency, and educational facilitation. The paper ends by exploring the theoretical frameworks that guided this paper’s structure and focus.
Highlights
A catherine wheel of ideas is ignited, and spirals through my mind as a result. Do they do this in badminton? Could I combine my love for sport and photography together? (I completed GCSE and A-Level photography, and worked as an events photographer for two years)
No sooner had I embarked on the long journey back to Hertfordshire than I get the call to say I have been selected from 12 applicants to be England Netball and Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Performance Analyst PhD student
I liked his content on a day in the life of a performance analyst, and the details of his burgeoning CV, including work with national teams and performance sports clubs, which clearly caught the imagination of some students; as his own journey as a performance analyst has only started after the corresponding guest lecture the year before
Summary
A guest lecture on PA from a final year student who works as a Watford FC performance analyst. No sooner had I embarked on the long journey back to Hertfordshire than I get the call to say I have been selected from 12 applicants to be England Netball and Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Performance Analyst (fully funded) PhD student.
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