From new challenges to lasting lessons, discover how one student turned a placement year into a valuable and rewarding experience.
This past academic year, we had the pleasure of having Kate, a placement student from the University of Loughborough, in our Sport and Recreation team at Ravelin Sports Centre. As part of her university degree, she joined us to gain hands-on experience in the world of sport and development. From day one, she embraced the opportunity with energy, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. In the article below, she shares her journey - the challenges, the achievements, and everything in between.
My name is Kate Surawy and I am a university student at Loughborough University. I have always lived in Portsmouth, however, I wanted to gain some independence living away from home, so I embarked on a scary but exciting new chapter in a 4-year-long degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology, with a placement year occupying my third year.
At the beginning of my second year at Loughborough, I began preparing to look for a placement for next year that was connected to my degree in the sporting world. I decided to base this in Portsmouth, guided by both practical and personal reasons; wanting to be closer to home for a while, reduce living costs and recharge before heading into my final year. Since a degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology is somewhat untraditional, choices were limited, so I took a proactive approach, reaching out to the University of Portsmouth with a proposal outlining my current situation, interests and aspirations. Luckily, I had a reply from the Department of Sport and Recreation with interest in meeting to discuss a possible opportunity. An initial meeting with the Sports Development Manager, Sarah Taylor, sparked a possible role within the team. I was thrilled to have achieved this within a prestigious establishment in my home town.
After a summer of preparation and refining what responsibilities would be included, a Sports Development Assistant role was finalised for me to start in September 2024, with a list of requirements ready for me to take on for the next academic year. Sport and Recreation could not have been more welcoming as a student ready to learn in the corporate world entered their team.
Under this role, I was immersed in various projects and daily responsibilities at Ravelin Sports Centre. Initially, my time was spent observing and learning how the department and its systems operated, with opportunities growing throughout the year in and outside the office. For example, attending the London and South-East Regional BUCS in-person meeting based at King’s College alongside the Sport and Recreation team and listening to speakers from a range of universities, as well as the chance of involvement in internal events such as Girls’ Night and watching fixtures at Ravelin and Langstone. Additionally, personal development areas to enhance skills, such as practice public speaking by delivering Annual General Meetings to some of the 34 sports clubs Sport and Recreation runs and at the annual Sports Awards celebration at the end of the year.
“Kate has been such a big help to the Sport and Rec team this academic year, supporting with many operational and administrative tasks for our Team UoP sports clubs. Kate is always happy to help, and has built strong working relationships with both the Sport and Rec team and the student sport clubs committees. I have really enjoyed working with Kate, helping her develop, and generally getting to know her throughout her placement year. I wish her all the best in her final year of university and hope she can use her placement experience to enhance her studies and seek future employment.”
Sarah Taylor
Sports Development Manager
Upon reflection, it wasn’t without its challenges, as expected, as the role was a new and evolving project. At times, the balance between too many and too few responsibilities could be blurred, leading to occasional ambiguity in expectations and workload. The openness of the Sport and Recreation team made this easier to manage as constant support and reassurance were constantly offered. Beneficially, as part of our original agreement for this role, a contribution was made towards an online qualification for me to complete of my choice, further supporting and giving me creative freedom to act on personal goals. Seizing this opportunity after some research, I began on my Level 4 Award in Nutrition and was able to be productive in my spare time.
Reflecting on the past year, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a varied placement experience. The trust and encouragement from the University of Portsmouth Sport and Recreation team have allowed me to grow in ways I did not anticipate, both personally and professionally. I’ve gained insight into how distinguished sport operates behind the scenes and developed practical workplace skills that will stay with me during my career. Balancing multiple projects, responding to different communication styles and managing expectations from various colleagues has helped me mature both personally and professionally. As my experience with the University of Portsmouth comes to an end as I continue to complete my degree at Loughborough, I will value what I have learnt through communication and teamwork with colleagues, time management and prioritising responsibility, which I will carry with me into my final year.
Most of all, I have realised the value of saying yes to new opportunities, even those that don’t yet exist. I am very fortunate to have been granted the support to create my own placement and step into the unknown, carving out a year that has been uniquely mine. This year has been full of encouragement and meaningful experiences from Sport and Recreation that I will value throughout my future.
Kate has made a lasting impression during her time with us, and we feel truly fortunate to have been part of her journey. Her initiative, adaptability, and positive attitude have made her a valued member of the team, and we’re so proud of all she has achieved. As she heads into her final year at Loughborough and beyond, we have no doubt she will continue to thrive and make a difference in whatever path she chooses. From everyone at Sport and Recreation: Thank you, Kate, and we wish you all the very best for the exciting future ahead!
If you would like to discuss placement opportunities at Sport and Recreation, please email sport@port.ac.uk. If you are looking for paid work, we have a number of roles being advertised regularly.