Tom Phipps is a Sports Therapy BSc student at London Met and explains here how his passion for sport developed.
What is your background, and why did you choose Sports Therapy at London Met?
I’m currently nearing the end of my sports therapy degree after a very enjoyable four years.
Growing up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, I have always had a passion for sport. Swimming, rugby, tennis, football were always keen hobbies but it was eventually squash that would catch my eye. From the age of nine, I have been steadfastly successful in my chosen sport and won several accolades. At the age of 24, I had reached a point in my life when I decided to look at a degree course involving sport. I’d always loved the concept of helping people and getting them back to elite-level fitness, so I looked into a sports therapy degree. I decided on London Met as the course looked challenging, fun and most importantly interesting. It was a huge decision, but one that I would never change or regret.
How have you found the course?
Fast-forward almost four years and it is amazing to look back on what I have experienced. Lectures range from human physiology to rehabilitation, massage to manual therapy, and my personal favourite, advanced sports therapy, amongst many more. The standard and passion of the lecturers has been a huge inspiration to me, for which I am immensely grateful. This has been honoured with hard work, which paid off, as it led to being chosen for a year’s internship at Arsenal FC for a season, after my second year at university. Amazingly I got it, and it was one of the best experiences of my life to date. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best players in the world and getting to play football with Arsene Wenger in my second week was a particular highlight! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.
What is your next step after graduation?
As my degree draws to a close, I am thinking of where I want to be in years to come, and what I want to do with my qualification. I’ve spoken to many people on the course about their dreams, and unsurprisingly, “Top Football Physio” is answer number one. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to the idea of working for a premier league football team, especially after my time spent with The Gunners, but any top sporting club is my biggest job aspiration, not just football. I love sport, so that is where I want to be.
I also have a passion for coaching/teaching and would eventually like to end up lecturing once I’ve achieved more qualifications and gained more experience in the field. I do like the idea of giving back what you’ve been taught so with that in mind, who knows, I may be back at London Met someday?!
