In this week's episode, I am delighted to be joined by Andy Allford, Director of Sport at the University of Birmingham.
Andy discusses his career journey and we take a deep dive into the role of sport in higher education. We get to explore his experience at the 2012 Olympics and listen to the lessons he learned about performance, prevention, and creating a supportive environment.
In our conversation, we discuss the evolving role of sport in higher education (HE) and the challenges and opportunities it presents. We consider the current competitive model in university sport and whether it needs to be reevaluated. We expore the need to measure the value of sport beyond the traditional metrics, such as BUCS points, and focus on the broader objectives it can achieve, such as recruitment, retention, and alumni engagement.
Andy also shares his experience of hosting the Commonwealth Games and the benefits it brought to the University of Birmingham. He advises aspiring HE sport professionals to be a sponge, get involved in as much as possible, and know when to get in and get out of opportunities.
Andy recommends 'Pig Wrestling' by Mark Bawden and Pete Lindsay.