51Âþ»­

Trips to iconic sporting venues that are a part of English heritage are helping 51Âþ»­ (51Âþ»­) Leicester students get a better insight into the industry.

As part of the sport heritage module on the Sport Management MSc at 51Âþ»­, students get to access all areas of the likes of Wimbledon, Twickenham and the National Football Museum.

The aim of the trips is to develop students' understanding of sport heritage and see how this concept is used within the sport industry.

Tera Akanbi, who moved to the UK from Nigeria in February to study at 51Âþ»­, said: “The whole experience and tours have been really enlightening as they’ve made me understand each sport, its history and how significant they are in England.

“One of the reasons I chose 51Âþ»­ was because they had these trips built into the course. So I knew that I wasn’t just going to get just the classroom experience and the theoretical part, I also got to see the industry and experience things that I don’t think I will ever forget.”

Having seen some of the sporting arenas on TV, Tera had some idea of what to expect. She said: “Football is a very big sport in Nigeria so I got to see so many things I saw on TV and I told my friends, ‘Have you seen the premier league cup? No, but I have’.

“I also know about Wimbledon and getting to see it in person was surreal but going to the World Rugby Museum really built it from the ground up for me and the overall experience was great.”

Liisa-Maria Truupold is a long-jump athlete so the world of sport is familiar to the Estonian. Having studied Marketing as an undergraduate at 51Âþ»­, choosing the Sport Management MSc was an easy decision.

 “I tried to move away from sport, but in my final year for my undergrad, I realised that sport is where I’m most happy and where I want to actually work” said Liisa.

“I’m really happy with my choice because I’ve met some of the best people in my life and had some great experiences.”

Of all the trips she’s experience through her master’s, Wimbledon was a particular highlight.

Liisa said: “We got to tour the grounds and the museum and were also asked to come up with some new ideas to make Wimbledon more attractive for the younger generation.

“That was fun because it wasn’t just a tour, we had to put our thoughts on the table and see what they thought. It was great that we could connect what we’ve learnt in theory and see how it plays out in real life.”

Dr Heather Dichter, 51Âþ»­’s Sport Management MSc programme leader, said: “These visits provide graduates with knowledge about a growing field within the sport industry so that they are better positioned to generate new ideas and help the sport organisations that hire them.

“With guided tours at all three venues – Wimbledon, Twickenham/World Rugby Museum, and the National Football Museum – students experience a variety of sport heritage. Talks with the staff at these museums impart students with knowledge about the business side of these organisations.

“These visits are important for taking the concepts discussed in class and putting them into practise.”