No two journeys are identical in the world of sport. This has been demonstrated by the inaugural cohort of the Sydney Swans and the International Sport College Australia (ISCA) newly formed Diploma of Sports Management (High Performance) at the Sellers & Colless Centre, Sydney Swans HQ, who have excelled in all aspects over the year-long course.
Over the past two weeks, we have shared the stories of students who have progressed through the diploma and have now acquired positions within the club. Kate Rooke, the first-ever student to enrol in the diploma and Keane McKenna, who has progressed from intern to employee.
Emily Mann was the third student to join the Swans in a working capacity, earning a position in the membership team ahead of trimester three. Emily’s journey is very different to that of Kate and Keane, as Emily only graduated high school last year and she moved from her hometown of Dubbo to Sydney to study with the Swans and ISCA.
“I knew I wanted to explore further than Dubbo and what opportunities were outside of my small town. I didn't know if I was going to go on a gap year or go to university straight away. Though I'm glad that I took [the leap] it was scary, but I'm glad I did it,” Mann said.
Emily, like every student in the ISCA cohort, has a love for sports and wanted to work in that environment. With the opportunity to join ISCA arriving in the form of a university expo, Emily was hooked on the idea of undertaking the diploma due to the exposure, teaching, and hope that it could lead her into the world of sport.
“I just love the sporting environment; I love the professionalism of it. I grew up doing sport myself, and I love the idea of being involved in something that other people just watch or are fans of. I think it's really cool and exciting,” Mann said.
“Not every day is the same; it's different every day.”
The Diploma of Sport Management (High Performance) has offered students the opportunity to learn a wide range of topics from high performance to psychology, economics, media, marketing and strength and conditioning. With these subjects on offer, Emily was keen to explore all of these different pathways and get a feel for the sporting environment and her potential next steps.
“It was a nice baseline, like it was going to give me multiple different ideas about the industry and what I liked,” Mann said.
“I liked that it was practical work and learning in the classroom combined."
Over the course of the year, Emily has had the opportunity to have hands-on experience at both the Swans and Waratahs, having completed an internship with the Super League club in trimester one. Those experiences showed her how vast the sporting world is and how something as simple as match day can be very different from club to club.
“It kind of opens your eyes a bit more. I did my internship with the Waratahs, and then I did a Swans game, and I was like, oh my God, they are very different,” Mann said.
“You get to actually see a sporting club, how it runs, how it actually goes, you get to kind of see what's happening.”
Now transitioning into the membership team, Emily is continuing to learn about the club and sport. The opportunity came off the back of her diligence in class and her eagerness to take up any opportunity presented to her.
“It's a great way to learn about the club, like, the ins and outs and, like, I feel like if you know the membership, you kind of know the club,” Mann said.
“Taking advantage of the course is really important because you can get so much out of it, and for someone who's just finished high school and doesn't really know what's going on, they kind of like sport; they want to try something, do this, because then you can learn a lot in many different ways.”
Interested in exploring a career in sport?
CLICK HERE for more information about the course and enrolment for next year’s cohort or email diploma@sydneyswans.com.au
