Celebrating Sport

CelebratingSport

Welcome

Celebrating Sport

Sports Centre Opening

Edge Hill Sport through the Years

New Sporting Facilities

Studying Sport

Sports Research

Sports Scholarships

Sporting Alumni

Sporting Honorary

Welcome to Celebrating Sport, a sereis of events which reflect on how sport at EdgeHill has burgeoned into a multidimensional department and commemorate the openingof our £30m sports complex.

The new facilities, which include top of the range 3G soccer pitches, multi courts,hockey and football pitches, a 25m swimming pool, 8-court double sports hall,aerobics studio, 80-station fitness suite, sauna and steam room as well as a new caféfor socialising, were opened by heptathlete, Katarina Johnson-Thompson andphilanthropist Barrie Wells, in September 2015. The new competition standard athleticstrack was opened by broadcaster and Olympian Steve Cram and these facilities willprovide opportunities for staff, students and the community to participate inrecreational or competitive sport.

Since the introduction of Sports Studies and PE Degrees in the 1990s, and the openingof Sporting Edge by Mike Atherton (former Lancashire and England cricketer in 1997),sports provision and the academic study of sport and physical activity has flourishedon campus.

The opening of the new facilities compliments our seven sports-related undergraduatedegrees and Masters-level Study. The Department of Sport and Physical Activityproduces research which is considered world-leading or internationally excellent, whilethe Centre for Sports Law Research produces reports and gives expert advice to theEuropean Parliament, the European Commission and the House of Lords.

Edge Hill University recognises the attribute of sport to culture and society and aims tooffer contributions at every level. We hope you enjoy the programme.

Welcome

Celebrating Sport

Cover image: Simone Magill, Everton FC and Northern Ireland FootballerThird Year BSc (Hons) Coach Education

edgehill.ac.uk/sport

An Evening with Clare Balding

Friday 13th November 2015Faculty of Health and Social Care

Join broadcaster, writer and presenterClare Balding in November as she deliversthe 2015 Edge Hill Chancellor’s Lecture.

Clare Balding is one of Britain's leadingbroadcasters, having won numerousawards for her presenting, including theBAFTA Special Award and RTS Presenterof the Year Award for her expert coverage ofthe London 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames. Since becoming the face of theBBC’s racing output in 1998, Clare hasworked on five Olympic Games, fourParalympics and three Winter Olympics.She has also presented The Clare BaldingShow on BT Sport and BBC Two, featuringthe most famous names in sport.

Arrival and Drinks - 5.30pmLecture followed by Q&A – 6.30pmRefreshments and Networking – 7.45pm

Book your place at: ehu.ac.uk/bookevents

"They never told us it could be like this on the course!" Investigating the(micro) political and emotionallandscape of sports coaching

Tuesday 1st December 2015Creative Edge

While rationalistic conceptualisations of sports coaching have undoubtedlycontributed to improvements in practice,they arguably do not adequately reflect themessy and dynamic nature of coaches’ work.

Professor Paul Potrac’s lecture will chart theorigins and subsequent development of hisresearch journey, which has principally soughtto better understand the (micro) political andemotional underbelly of coaches’ workingrelationships with various stakeholders.

His research currently focuses on howcoaches, coach educators, performanceanalysts, and athletes understand theirrespective working environments andattempt to cope with the multitude ofvariations that exist within them.



Celebrating Sport

Richard Parks:Living life to the extreme -Sport, achievement, endurance

Friday 11th December 2015Faculty of Health and Social Care

Join Richard Parks, the former Walesinternational rugby union player, turnedextreme athlete in an evening ofconversation about sport, adventures andhow these are a metaphor for life.

Richard made history in July 2011 becomingthe first ever person to climb the highestmountain on each of the world's sevencontinents and stand on all three poles(The North Pole, The South Pole and thesummit of Everest) within seven months.

Richard’s first, critically acclaimed bookBeyond the Horizon was published inSeptember 2014 and was named “RugbyBook of the Year” at the 2015 Cross BritishSports Book Awards. The adventurer’s TVseries; Xtreme Endurance: Race to the Poledebuted on Channel 5 in 2015 has since beendistributed across the globe by Sky Vision.



A revolving door between physicaleducation and exercise science:Reflections on 15 years of children’sschool-based physical activity andhealth research

Tuesday 15th December 2015Creative Edge

It is well established that health risk factorsdevelop and start to manifest themselvesduring childhood. Unfortunately, themajority of children and young people arephysically inactive and engage in excessivesedentary behaviours. Efforts to promotephysical activity in children and youngpeople are viewed as positive endeavours.

Professor Stuart Fairclough’s inaugurallecture will reflect upon school-basedphysical activity research from the dualperspectives of a physical educator and anexercise scientist. The lecture will touch onthe inter-related research strands ofphysical activity and will explore theimportance of such collaboration to enableimpactful applied research.




The past and the future of British athleticscame together at the opening of ourfantastic new £30m Sports Centre, when22-year-old heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and 50-something (sorry, Steve)middle distance legend Steve Cram arrivedon campus.

Accustomed to performing on the big stage,Katarina unveiled the commemorativeplaque, alongside philanthropist,entrepreneur and Edge Hill honorarydoctorate Barrie Wells, in front of anappreciative crowd.

The state-of-the-art Sports Centre includesan eight-court sports hall, a 25-metreswimming pool, and an 80-station fitnesssuite, while the international competitionstandard outdoor facilities include one ofthe largest running tracks in Europe.Katarina is a familiar face on campus,providing advice, guidance and inspirationto the next generation of runners, jumpersand throwers:

“I’ve been to Edge Hill a number of times,including with a group of schoolchildrenand also to see my sponsor Barrie Wells beawarded an Honorary Degree by theUniversity, and it’s fantastic to be backtoday for the opening of this amazingfacility. It’s an honour to be here, and I’dlike to thank Edge Hill for having me!”Barrie identified Katarina’s ‘incredible’talent early, and knew it needed to becarefully nurtured. He says people thoughthe was mad sponsoring an athlete at 16,

but he recognised the determination and single-minded focus she possessed,something he as a businessman hadneeded to succeed. He followed hisinstincts, and the rest is history. Or will be.Steve Cram put a group of schoolchildrenthrough their paces in a rigorous tracksession, before addressing a crowd whowere clearly in thrall to his legendaryexploits of the 1980s: World, European andCommonwealth 1500m gold medallist,Olympic 1500m silver medallist (a footstepbehind Sebastian Coe in 1984), and 1500mand mile world record holder at variouspoints during his career.

Noting that, as Chancellor of the Universityof Sunderland, he was ‘very jealous’ of ournew facilities, he gave us an insight into thesecret of his success - a heady mixture ofchance and working ‘really hard’. Hissuccess wasn’t about having a super talent,but finding something he liked and stickingwith it, through the ups and downs that willinevitably impact upon your life.

Performance, he said, is aboutperseverance, being open to learning, notbeing knocked back when you realiseyou’re not going to win every time. “Failureis just a staging post on the road tosuccess,” he said. Cram has seen thedifference real investment in sport andpeople can make, with lottery fundingenabling many people to harness raw talentto quality coaching and facilities. He saidthe results are undeniable – from being36th in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Gamestable, by London 2012 the UK had climbedto 3rd, ahead of serial sporting achieversRussia and Germany.

Cram believes ‘talent is everywhere’(“there’s a Usain Bolt in the UK somewhere– he’s just playing footie, or basketball, orwatching telly”), but the missing vitalingredient is the will to work hard. Andthere’s never been a better time to testyourself:

Sports CentreOpening

23rd September 2015

Celebrating Sport


“When I was a kid going out in the streetsrunning, people laughed at you. Now it’smuch better, everyone wants to have a go,”and he points to the popularity ofmarathons as evidence.

So, we asked Steve, what’s the real secretto winning?

At the elite level, with little betweenathletes, Steve says psychology plays ahuge part. It could be the most trivial thing,something which just makes you feel ever-so-slightly more positive. For example,Kelly Holmes told him that getting her hairbraided prior to her 2004 Olympic 800mand 1500m triumphs may – may! – havegiven her the edge over her rivals.

But “the main message I want to give youis…someone playing rugby for England,Mo Farah, Katarina Johnson-Thompson,they all work really, really hard.”

And the new Sports Centre is where thenext KJ-T or Steve Cram could well begetting their head down, nurturing newgold dreams.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a patron ofthe Barrie Wells Trust’s Box4Kidsbarriewellstrust.org

Barrie Wells has made the dreams ofmany come true, helping some of the UK’stop athletes achieve their potential – aroster which includes Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Jessica Ennis-Hill and BethTweddle – as well as motivating thesportspeople of tomorrow after beinginspired by a visit to the Olympic Games inBeijing. An Edge Hill honorary doctor,Barrie also provides opportunities forseriously ill and disabled children to enjoyworld class sporting and entertainmentevents through The Barrie Wells Trust’s Box4Kids initiative.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is fromWoolton in Liverpool and a member ofLiverpool Harriers. Katarina (22) is a track and field athlete, specialising in theheptathlon, but also competes in the indoorpentathlon and long jump. She representedGreat Britain in the 2012 Olympic Games,2013 and 2015 World Championships andwon her first senior gold in the pentathlonat the European Indoor Championships in2015. Katarina is on course to compete for Great Britain in the 2016 OlympicGames in Rio.

Steve Cram CBE is a British retired track and field athlete, one of the world'sdominant middle distance runners duringthe 1980s. Cram set world records in the1500m, 2000m and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1500m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He wonthe 1500m gold medal at the 1983 WorldChampionships and the 1500m silvermedal at the 1984 Olympic Games. SteveCram now works as a television presenterand athletics commentator, motivationalspeaker and President and coach at JarrowHebburn Athletics Club.

Celebrating Sport


Edge Hill Sport through the years

Sport at Edge Hill University has come a long way sincecompulsory Thursday nights in the gym, when studentsendured an hour of Swedish gymnastics in thick blue sergetunics buttoned up to the neck, with long sleeves, bloomersto match, when any hint of an ankle showing was a seriousmisdemeanour.

Over a hundred years later, and the teachers at the originalEdge Hill teacher training college for women would nodoubt be appalled at the kit worn by men and womengetting involved in serious physical exercise. They woulddefinitely be impressed with the new facilities now available,though, and sporting opportunities that far exceed thebasic options of tennis, hockey, badminton, croquet andswimming, with new students as likely to try their hand atultimate Frisbee, dodgeball and trampolining, as well as moretraditional activities such as football, cricket and rugby.

Celebrating Sport


But how did we get to this point?Progress had been slow until the 1930s and the move toOrmskirk, with the development of a new gym, swimmingpool, tennis courts and hockey pitches. Edge Hill evenprovided a competitor at the 1932 Olympic Games in LosAngeles – sprinter Ethel Johnson. The Olympic link wasresurrected in 2012 when Olympic hopefuls fromMicronesia, American Samoa and the Marshall Islands werebased on campus prior to the start of the London Games.Senior lecturer Dean Williams was also Chief Field Refereein the capital, revelling in the atmosphere of the stadium on“Super Saturday”, when GB secured three gold medals.

But it was during the second half of the 20th century thatsport at Edge Hill was really transformed. The introductionof male students in 1959 expanded the portfolio of sportsplayed on campus – “we are already beginning to hear oftheir successes on the football field,” commented PrincipalDr Bain – and teams became ever more organised, withofficial kits and occasional sponsorships.

Celebrating Sport


During the 1970s, however, sport was still taking place onthe lawn in front of the main building. The introduction ofSports Studies and PE in the 1990s was the catalyst forfurther expansion, and in 1997 former Lancashire andEngland cricket captain Mike Atherton opened the £4mSporting Edge, complete with multi-gym, squash court,floodlit all-weather pitches and a new running track. A farcry from the facilities a century earlier, Sporting Edge wasdesigned to be used by staff, students and the widercommunity, and was the base for the England Sports Council’sNW regional training unit.

From here on in, development went up a gear, as the chargetowards full university status gathered momentum. In 2001,the £4.3m Wilson Centre opened on the site of the oldLancashire Halls, where the first men to be admitted toEdge Hill were accommodated. The Centre features labs forsports psychology, physiology and biomechanics, and adance studio.

Celebrating Sport

Since then the Department of Sport and Physical Activity has flourished, from a baseof 150 undergraduates in 2004/5, 2015 saw 430 students studying for sports-relatedqualifications. It appointed its first Professor in 2012, and almost half of the researchproduced by the department is now considered world-leading or internationally excellent.

Some of the department’s many alumni include: Natalie Walker, an international women’sfootball referee, who officiated at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada; former Englandwomen’s football international and TV commentator Sue Smith, one of our first sportsgraduates; Joe Rawcliffe, a multiple winner of national and international karatecompetitions; and Sarah Hutchinson, recipient of a Sporting Excellence scholarshipfrom the University in order to pursue her international ice hockey ambitions.

The opening of the new sports complex takes the student sporting experience to another level, as well as providing exceptional new resources for the widercommunity to have a go at badminton, basketball, dodgeball, 5-a-side, futsal,handball, netball, rounders, self-defence, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis,touch rugby, trampolining, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and walking football amongstother activities. There’s even a relaxation deck with loungers and mini-golf.

I think the phrase is ‘game on’.


Sports Facilities

The £30 million invested in sport on-campus has created a fantasticplaying environment, complementedwith high quality, well-equippedindoor facilities.

- Grass pitches for rugby and football- 3G Astroturf pitch for rugby and football- Astroturf hockey pitch- 8-lane competition standard synthetic athletics track- Outdoor hard court tennis courts- Outdoor hard court netball courts- Sports halls- 2 sprung floor gymnasiums- 100 station fitness suite- 25m 6 lane swimming pool- Sauna and steam rooms- Fitness and conditioning trail with outdoor fitness stations- Sports injury clinic

Celebrating Sport


The Department of Sport and PhysicalActivity offers a wide range ofundergraduate degrees and Mastersawards, designed to provide a gatewayto an extensive choice of potentialcareers in sport and physical activityand other sectors. From teaching inschools to coaching elite athletes, andsports development to sports therapy,our facilities, practical work and work-based learning opportunities allow youto develop the skills to succeed.

Studyingsport at Edge Hill University

Undergraduate Courses

BA (Hons) Physical Education and School Sport

BSc (Hons) Sports and ExercisePsychology

BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science

BA (Hons) Sports Coaching and Development

BA (Hons) Sports Development and Management

BA (Hons) Sports Managementand Coaching

BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy

Postgraduate Courses

MSc Football Rehabilitation

MSc Sport, Physical Activity and Mental Health

MRes Coach Education

MRes Physical Education and School Sport

MRes Sport and Exercise

MRes Sports Development

MRes Sports Studies

MRes Sports Therapy

Research at Edge Hill University

Our academics cover a variety ofresearch areas, both applied andtheoretical in nature, which seek toadvance knowledge and solvepractical everyday problems in theareas of: the Social Science of Sport,Physical Activity and Health andSports Performance. We also have adedicated research centre, The Centrefor Sports Law Research which hasbeen highly influential in shaping UKand EU sports law and policy throughthe provision of expert advice andresearch services.

Celebrating Sport


Over the past decade, Edge Hill Universityhas been at the forefront of research intochild protection and safeguarding in sport,conducting pioneering studies that help toraise awareness, shape policy and protectyoung people.

Child protection experts at Edge Hill editedSafeguarding, Child Protection and Abusein Sport: International Perspectives inResearch, Policy and Practice, the firstbook to comprehensively review globalcontemporary developments in thissensitive and often controversial area.

Researchers also work with national sportsbodies on studies that have the potential tochange sports policy.

A study into the potential harm thatintensive training can have on the healthand wellbeing of young athletes suggesteda minimum age of 18 for elite athletes. Theresearch, which highlighted problems suchas eating disorders, issues with bodyimage, and growth and development delay,as well as the increased risk of physicalinjury, was presented to the British RugbyUnion Safeguarding Managers’ AnnualConference and at the Fifth InternationalConference on Sport and Society in Brazil.A long-standing partnership with the RugbyFootball League (RFL) has had a majorimpact on the sport’s safeguarding andchild protection policy. Researchersrecently conducted a study for the RFL, the third since the policy was implementedin 2003, to assess how active or engaged

key stakeholders are in the safeguardingand child protection agenda. The resultsprovide an evidence-based analysis thatcan help the RFL, and the wider rugbyleague community, further develop itsapproach to safeguarding and child welfare.

Edge Hill is also involved in an internationalproject to empower young people tounderstand abuse and keep themselves safe.

The #STOP1in5 campaign, part of the EU-funded project Sport Respects YourRights, aims to develop capacity amongyoung Europeans to combat sexualisedviolence and gender-based harassmentthrough youth-led campaigns and localcross-sector networks in six Europeancountries, within the context of sport.

Youth volunteers have developed campaigns(including the #STOP1in5 social mediacampaign, initiated at Edge Hill) anddelivered presentations to other studentsas well as national level organisations. EUfunding has now finished but the projectcontinues through collaborations with theRFL, Survivors Manchester and Street Games,and is embedded within the Department ofSport and Physical Activity’s curriculum.

Protectingyoung athletes

A partnership with Everton in theCommunity is using sports research toaddress health inequalities and improve the physical and mental wellbeing ofpeople from disadvantaged communitiesacross Merseyside.

Researchers from the Department of Sportand Physical Activity developed ActiveBlues, a programme to encourage inactivemen aged 35-50 in economically deprivedareas to become physically active. As wellas helping to combat men’s health issueslike Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseaseand poor mental health, the programmegives Edge Hill the opportunity to undertakeoriginal research on the health and wellbeingof inactive men living in some of the mostdeprived areas in the country.

The collaboration has also delivered aprogramme for young people aged 8-14who are experiencing, or are at risk ofdeveloping, mental health problems.Commissioned by NHS Southport andFormby, and NHS South Sefton ClinicalCommissioning Groups, Tackling the Bluesuses sports-based activities, educationalworkshops and peer mentoring to raiseawareness of healthy lifestyles and helpyoung people understand and managetheir own mental and emotional wellbeing.

The partnership with Everton in theCommunity, the official charity of EvertonFootball Club, is one of the many ways thatEdge Hill University is making a positivecontribution to Sport England’s nationalagenda of encouraging more people tobecome physically active through sport.

* The Faculty has recently launched theUK’s first interdisciplinary MSc in Sport,Physical Education and Mental Health,designed in collaboration with Everton inthe Community

Setting goals forhealth

Celebrating Sport


The Centre for Sports Law Research hasplayed a leading role in the developmentand implementation of European sportspolicy and legislation.

Researchers at the Centre have carried outsome of the most influential sports studiescommissioned by the European Commissionand the European Parliament, including the2013 study into UEFA’s controversial home-grown player rule, which highlightedthe rule’s potentially negative effect on thefree movement of players throughout the EU.

Academics from the Centre also provideprofessional advice and expert testimonyto key policymakers and advise nationalgovernments and sports bodies on EU lawas it applies to sport. This includes sittingon the European Commission’s Group ofIndependent Sports Experts, acting asSpecial Advisors to the UK House of Lordsinquiry into grassroots sport and theEuropean Union, and co-authoring theEuropean Parliament study, The LisbonTreaty and EU Sports Policy.

This research and expertise has helpeddefine EU policy priorities for sport, shapedthe content of sports related legislation and informed the dialogue between theEuropean Commission and sportsstakeholders and Member States.

Laura Houghton, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Sport and Physical Activity

“My PhD focuses on the role that familybackground plays on physical activity, and the impact this has on health. I wasvery lucky because the area I wanted tostudy fitted perfectly with Everton in theCommunity’s objectives and Edge Hill’sresearch priorities.

I’m now researching the impact of thePeople’s Family Project, a joint initiativebetween Everton in the Community andEdge Hill University. Through a number offun days we were able to gather data fromfamilies living within a mile of GoodisonPark, which is quite a deprived area ofLiverpool, to help us fully understand thechallenges that local families may experiencewhen adopting a healthy lifestyle. The ideais then for Everton in the Community to usethis data to inform future initiatives andbuild strong relationships with local families.

Having studied Sports Science atundergraduate level and doing a Masters inSports Psychology, the emphasis is oftenon elite sport. It’s very rewarding to be ableto bring together everything I’ve learnedand apply it to a community project thatoffers tangible benefits for local people.”

Shaping the future of Europeansport

SportsScholarships

Students can apply for theseScholarships either pre-entry to theUniversity or as a current student.The Sports Scholarships recognisestudents who are talented at sport,participate at a competitive level anddemonstrate the ability and ambitionto improve in their sport during theirtime at Edge Hill University. This is acompetitive scheme and allapplications are considered by aScholarship Selection Committeewhich comprises a panel withacademic expertise in sport whodetermine the most impressiveapplicants to receive the Scholarshipin either Bronze, Silver or Goldcategories. The Chancellor’sScholarship is awarded to currentstudents who help raise the profile of Edge Hill in a positive way throughtheir exceptional contribution to the University.

Celebrating Sport


Luke PomfretA third year trainee teacher has beenawarded a prestigious Chancellor’sScholarship in recognition of his efforts to involve young people in Lancashirewith cricket.

Luke Pomfret spent most of his childhoodon a cricket pitch. What started as fun foran energetic three-year-old has grown into alifelong passion and a commitment tomaking it accessible for as many people as possible.

Luke has been involved with East LancashireCricket Club since he was young, playingfor the junior teams and volunteering behindthe scenes. But it wasn’t until his youngersister took up the game five years ago thathe realised he could use his love of thesport to help others.

“I’d realised by then that I wasn’t going tobe a professional cricketer,” smiles Luke,who is in the third year of a Primary Educationdegree, “but I knew I could help youngerplayers reach their potential. The girls weren’table to play competitively after a certain agebecause they weren’t allowed in the boys’teams, so I took a coaching course andhelped develop the club’s first girls’ team.”

As well as being a volunteer coach for thegirls’ team, Luke has been team managerand head coach for several mixed teams.

Luke has also worked with children withautism, adapting his coaching techniquesto address the children’s individual needs andallowing them to participate competitively.

Since he began his degree, Luke hasjuggled his studies with his coachingcommitments. He has continued to widenaccess to cricket during his degree,running after school clubs for boys andgirls as part of his school placements. Hehas also helped to reintroduce cricket toEdge Hill’s sporty students, co-running the University’s fledgling cricket club and becoming vice-captain of the men’s1st team.

Luke is also a keen fundraiser for EastLancashire Cricket Club, raising vitalmoney which helps the club reduce costsfor participation and ensure children inchallenging economic circumstances canstill access sport.

“Receiving the Chancellor’s Scholarshipmakes all the hard work worthwhile. I don’tvolunteer for the recognition, but it’s niceif people notice you’re doing a good job. It’s also a high accolade and will make myCV stand out; it shows leadership and a willingness to get involved which willhopefully go down well with the schools I apply to in the future.”

Chancellor’sScholarship

Celebrating Sport

Millie ForestA love of sport and a determination tosucceed against the odds earnedParalympic hopeful Millie Forrest a sportsscholarship. The second year CoachEducation student is currently rankedsecond in the country, and ninth in theworld, in the F37 discus category. Despitehaving cerebral palsy, which affects the leftside of her body, Millie has always playedsport to the best of her ability. Now her skillwith the discus has marked her out as apotential future Paralympic champion.

“I’ve never let my disability get in my way,”says Millie, who threw a personal best of21.3m at last year’s England AthleticsChampionships. “I was the only girl in thefootball team at primary school and I was inthe girls’ football and netball teams at highschool.

“My disability affects my grip and my abilityto walk long distances but I’ve always beenencouraged to play to my strengths bybeing in goal or in positions that don’trequire too much running about.”

Millie discovered her talent for throwingduring a school sports event at Sport Cityin Manchester. A disabled sport specialistfrom Wigan Harriers was impressed by herco-ordination and strength and invited herto train with the club.

“Through school I tried to compete in teamevents as much as my disability wouldallow but, for obvious reasons, I was unable to keep up with the improvingstandard of the other players,” says Millie.

“When I was spotted for my throwingability, it gave me an opportunity tocompete on my own terms on a more levelplaying field.”

Millie started competing in 2012 and withintwo years was representing Team GB at theWorld Junior Games, where she won goldin the shot put and silver in the discus. Sheis now part of the British Athletics ParallelSuccess Academy Squad, which nurturesthe next generation of sporting champions,and has been awarded a Sportsaid awardto support her through the critical earlyyears of her career.

As well as training six days a week andjuggling her academic work, Millie alsofinds time to volunteer at her localcommunity gym, where she encouragesable-bodied and disabled young people to get into sport.

“Sport has had such a positive impact onmy life,” she says. “Playing sport not onlybuilt up my confidence and helped me fit inby being part of a team, it also improvedmy general mobility and balance. I want toshare that experience with other youngpeople to show them the power of sport.”

SportsScholarship


Katie MundayAn Edge Hill student who has taughtswimming since age 16 and made it hermission to make the sport accessible andsafe for children across the world has beenawarded a Chancellor’s Scholarship by theUniversity.

“I grew up by the sea so I’ve always beenaware of the importance of water safety,”says Katie Munday, a 2nd year Nutritionand Health student. “I developed a realpassion for swimming and wanted to helppromote it as an essential life skill.”

Katie’s first job as a volunteer swimmingteacher was with a group of children withdisabilities ranging from cerebral palsy toautism.

After her A Levels, Katie decided to travelto China to teach swimming. She got a jobat a swimming centre in Beijing where shebegan to develop her ideas for usingswimming as a tool to teach English toChinese children. By the end of her placement, she was team co-ordinator forseveral schools, kindergartens and swimmingcentres in Beijing, had written a curriculumfor using swimming to teach English and haddelivered part of the teacher training manual.

“I really believe that travel is the besteducation,” says Katie. “I’ve visited 28countries in three years, and taught swimmingin the UK, China and Egypt. I’ve learned somuch that I can bring to my teaching andmy own education back home.”

Since starting at Edge Hill Katie hasmanaged to juggle academic studies withworking and volunteering, teaching childrento swim at Edge Hill’s swimming pool, andteaching baby swimming lessons at ParkPool, Ormskirk. She also does swimphotography and teaches lifeguard skills to children.

Katie has also thrown herself into Universitylife, supporting students as course rep andacting as Vice-President for the University’sfirst Nutrition Society.

It is this willingness to give up her time forothers that earned her a nomination for thecoveted Chancellor’s Scholarship.

“It was a privilege to be nominated,” said Katie. “It can get a bit overwhelming to juggle everything so it makes a realdifference to know that my efforts havebeen noticed.

Katie has recently returned from Indiawhere she qualified as a yoga instructor,and plans to use her scholarship money tofund more educational trips abroad.

“I’m hoping to eventually do a Masters and then work abroad for a charity thatsupports underprivileged children,” saysKatie. “It’s a great feeling to think that myactions can have a positive impact onpeople’s lives.”

Chancellor’sScholarship

SportingAlumni

Celebrating Sport


2015 has been a fantastic year for footballreferee Natalie Walker.

Not only was the Edge Hill Universitygraduate an Assistant Referee at theWomen’s FA Cup Final at Wembley, she’salso spent five weeks in Canada as part ofthe British officials’ team for the Women’sWorld Cup, where she was the only Englishmatch official.

“Walking out at Wembley, your nationalstadium, is a dream come true,” says Natalie.“I was so fortunate to be involved – and weactually made history in the process.

“I’d been Assistant Referee in 2004, Refereein 2012 and the fourth official in 2013 andthere was a rule that you can only referee theFA Cup once. But this year the FA changedthe rules so the country’s top femaleofficials could all do it again this year so wehad the opportunity to officiate at Wembleywithin the Women’s game.

“It was fantastic, something I never thoughtI would experience.”

Natalie’s no stranger to the pitch, thoughshe only played football at primary and highschool. Her dad was a referee at a locallevel and she joined him as an official agedjust 14. She then went on to referee atmatches throughout her teens, and duringher time at Edge Hill – when she wasn’tplaying netball. She’s been in charge atboth mens’ and women’s football matchesand has been an international AssistantReferee since 2007.

The 2015 Womens’ World Cup was hersecond senior international competition –but the success of the England team meantthat she didn’t get the chance to progressto the latter stages of the tournamentbecause officials cannot take part inmatches involving their home teams.

Natalie adds: “The difference in the qualityof the women’s game now is amazing.Because England did so well I couldn’t geton the pitch, but it was really good to seethem do so well.”

Natalie graduated from Edge Hill Universitywith a degree in Sports Studies in 2002.She then went travelling in Australia beforereturning to complete her PGCE course,which is when she started mentoringstudents at Preston College. She’s nowprogramme team leader for the sportingexcellence courses.

“I’m now writing references for my studentswho want to go to Edge Hill,” she says. “Iloved my time on campus. It was great, andI hope they enjoy their three years there asmuch as me.”

Our SportingAlumni

Rugby league professional DeclanSephton-Hulme, who plays for Workingtonand works for Widnes Vikings in theCommunity graduated with BSc (Hons) inSport and Exercise Science from Edge Hill.

During his studies Declan, from St Helens,was the recipient of the University’s firstever Adam Bell Scholarship, chosen for his‘honesty, resilience, hard work andcommitment’ to his studies.

Declan has shown tremendous courage inthe face of adversity. In April 2006 hesuffered a brain haemorrhage and aneleven-day coma as a result of a geneticbrain condition called Arterio VenousMalformation (AVM), which threatened hisdream of becoming a professional rugbyleague player. When asked whether hewould play rugby league again, his fatherwas told that if he came out of the comaDeclan would be likely to experienceparalysis, cerebral palsies and be unable towalk or talk. Amazingly these residualsymptoms did not appear and Declan,although left with memory and speechproblems, returned home after two monthsin hospital. He returned to rugby in 2007,and with great success.

After gaining a place on the WarringtonWolves Scholarship Programme he went on to play rugby for Widnes Vikings and was invited to attend the England Academy.

Declan now plays for Championship sideWorkington and delivers programmes inschools in his role with Vikings in theCommunity.

Declan said: “Juggling studying at Edge Hill and my training with the first team hasbeen tough but it’s all worth it, both on andoff the pitch. It’s been a really enjoyablethree years at Edge Hill and it’s great tohave this qualification behind me.”

He is now considering a Masters in Sportsand Conditioning as well as aiming toreturn to Super League rugby.

Rugby League ProfessionalGraduates

Celebrating Sport


A campaigner who has worked tirelessly tochange women’s sport policy, promoteinvestment and encourage more girls totake part in physical exercise has beenawarded an honorary doctorate fromEdge Hill University.

In 2014, Sue Tibballs, former Chief Executiveof the Women’s Sport and FitnessFoundation (WSFF), a charity built for thepurpose of encouraging women into sportand physical activity, celebrating sportingsuccess and working with policy makers todrive change in how the governmentsupports women’s sport and fitness,became an Honorary Doctor of Science.

Under Sue’s leadership, the WSFF led anumber of high profile campaigns whichhave made an outstanding impact acrossthe UK and world. The charity was behindthe campaign to include women’s boxing inthe 2012 London Olympics, leading toLeeds-born Nicola Adams becoming the firstever woman to win an Olympic boxing title.

The WSFF also led calls against the SaudiArabian government’s refusal to sendsportswomen to the Olympics, resulting inthe country’s decision to send two femaleathletes to compete in the 2012 Games forthe first time in the nation’s history.

And next year, for the first time, thewomen’s Boat Race will be held on thesame day as the men’s, thanks to Suehelping to persuade the organisers that theraces should have equal importance.

“I think the key message I’d like graduatesto take away from today is to not just takethe world as you find it, but make the worldhow you want it to be,” said Sue.

“Women’s sport has changed enormouslyin the last seven to eight years, I thinkWSFF prepared a lot of the ground workbut London 2012 played a big part inpushing the debate to a much higherplatform, and there has been a big shift inthe attitude towards women’s elite sport.

“There has been a drive amongst the mediato be the women’s sport champions, you’vegot the BBC covering women’s football,Clare Balding with her own show on BTSport and women cricketers being paid.But there is much more to be done in termsof sports funding. For example, I’m apatron of Crystal Palace’s ladies’ footballclub, but it doesn’t receive any funding, soevery girl has to pay to play football.”

She added that there is also the issue ofsexism in sport. “Just as I started at WSFF,Mike Newell who was manager at Lutonlost a match and put the blame on thefemale assistant referee. He later apologised,but it meant a sudden awareness and hugesurge of interest in the fact that womenwere doing these roles, so I thought itwould be a good idea to present him with ahuge bunch of flowers. At the time mychildren were small, so I went up to theground with my buggy and the bunch offlowers – and ended up escorted away!”

Sue has also been instrumental inimproving girls’ participation in sport whilestill in school, through not only changingschool policy but also challengingtraditional attitudes.

The WSFF published Changing the Gamefor Girls, the biggest ever report on whatstops girls engaging in physical activity. Asa result, policy makers and schools weretold about the barriers that girls face toparticipating in sport, and providing atoolkit for how to best deal with these

HonoraryDoctorate

issues. She also secured funding from theDepartment of Health to improve school’sattitudes towards girls sport across the UK.In addition, she was also responsible forthe ground-breaking Creating a Nation ofActive Women strategy, which included theinnovative Sweat in the City programmewhich resulted in 72 percent of women whocompleted it becoming more active thanthey were before.

She was recognised by the Queen andawarded the Order of the British Empire inthe 2014 New Year’s Honours list.

Sue added: “Getting involved when I did insport was great because the interest inwomen’s sport has grown enormously.

“I think one of the main things that hashappened is the debate moving away from

equality and towards the opportunity itpresents. It’s always difficult to have theconversation about equality, people don’tknow what to say and don’t want to say thewrong thing so just seize up. But there ishuge market potential in growing the

fanbase, getting more women active, it’s a huge opportunity.

“I didn’t work in sport before joining theWSFF, I’d previously worked with The BodyShop where we did a lot of work aboutbody image and self-esteem. That was niceas there was the obvious link with the roleof physical activity and girls’ experience oftheir body.

“But In a time of issues around obesity weneed to do more to get girls moving, ratherthan simply celebrating all body shapesand sizes.

“Whether it’s dance, rugby, whatever, wewant girls to be radical and do somethingto change how they see their physical self,and not to be constantly thinking they haveto look a certain way.”

Celebrating Sport


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Celebrating Sport

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Celebrating Sport

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