Our positive new partnership with sports coaching and education company NAR Kollective is enhancing the training and learning of sports students as they prepare for entry into industry.
The Nantwich company, which is owned, run and staffed by experienced sports professionals, is supporting our sports programmes through high level coaching and also by offering an achievable and relevant pathway into industry.
Students on our Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development are enjoying weekly football coaching sessions from NAR athletes including Managing Director Adam Beasley, a former Reading FC player. Other coaches include Steve Jones, former Northern Ireland international and championship player, and Adam Landstrom, who has 15 years experience in teaching and coaching and has also worked in and alongside a number of professional organisations.
Undergraduates on our BSc (Hons) in Football Coaching can also benefit from the partnership by developing their working knowledge alongside the coaches. They will also be encouraged to provide sport science support and performance analysis to the college teams.
In addition, NAR coaches are helping to develop our men’s and women’s football teams, including taking the players to fixtures and reviewing the game through data video analysis. There are also plans to introduce different sports which could include basketball – NAR coach Ben Chew is a professional basketball player – netball and even skateboarding. This is aimed at giving our students a well rounded view of the sporting industry and an understanding of how to manage a professional business, with long term athletic development in mind.
Apart from its high level coaching, NAR (Nurture, Achieve, Respect) has successfully expanded into the education sector, where the company offers active learning to primary and secondary schools and to colleges throughout Cheshire. It also has a thriving community programme which delivers free football training to 100 children weekly on Reaseheath’s 3G and MUGA pitches.
Over 5000 children have benefitted from this programme in the last 18 months, with their places being funded through NAR partners. These educational programmes offer potential for work placements and networking opportunities for students considering careers in sports coaching and teaching.
NAR coaches are on campus each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and work in partnership with our sports department, which decides the course structure and delivers the academic sessions.
Programme Leader Simon Cushman said: “We are really excited about our new partnership with NAR and the high level of coaching delivered by the team. Not only are the coaches developing the students from a personal performance perspective, they are also working with curriculum staff with the aim of adding a further element to the programme of study.
“The skills and ethos that NAR brings is a great fit for us, as they align with our own values of striving to be the best we can possibly be and also giving back to our communities. This ensures that our students develop the softer skills needed to thrive in sport or any other business setting.
“The coaching sessions are delivered to a very high standard and have integrated well into the sports programmes, and the partnership also brings with it the potential for a range of real life work experiences within the sector.”
Adam Beasley added: “At NAR we are passionate about using the power of sports to inspire learning in young people. We believe that our strengths in sports coaching and our experience within the education sector will deliver dual benefits, particularly in supporting young adults on their journey into industry.
“As an organisation, we are very pleased to be working in partnership with Reaseheath College, which has a high profile within the sports sector and offers the best sports facilities in the area. We hope to develop the programmes and to introduce more students to a wider range of sports.”
For further information about our sport courses see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/sport
