West Ham United’s Kristie Mewis and Kirsty Smith supported a session for two students on the University of East London’s BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching and Performance course in the lead up to International Women’s Day.
The UK’s only BSc degree delivered in collaboration with a professional football club gives students an exclusive opportunity to work alongside West Ham United, with a visit from two Women’s players just one of the many benefits of the long-standing partnership between the University and our Foundation.
Two players to star in our recent Barclays Women’s Super League win over Arsenal took part in a Q&A session with students Jemma Ager and Mollie Tree to give advice from their own sporting achievements.
The players’ tips provided a unique opportunity for the students to engage in meaningful discussions into the intricacies and progress of women’s sport.
“When I was talking to Kristie, it was just so exciting to see how positive she was about how women's sport is progressing,” said Jemma. “Both of them were really excited about where the industry is headed and the more positive experiences in terms of access younger girls are having when it comes to playing football.
“Even today, sport and football are still quite male dominated environments, so it is was really inspiring to be able to engage with female role models who have been through education and excelled in their field.”
On speaking to the two students, Mewis stated: “I really enjoyed meeting Jemma and Mollie at the University of East London.
“Being able to speak with these young women, who share our passion for sport was a privilege.
“When I was younger, and I watched players like Mia Hamm at the 1999 World Cup - she was my idol. I knew right away that I wanted to follow in her footsteps.
“I’ve been very lucky to go to the World Cup, I've played at the Olympics, I've played professionally for over 12 years. But there’s so much that goes into performance sport – there’s a team behind the team on the pitch, and on days like today, it’s amazing to see the next generation of females looking to pursue a career in sport.”
Smith, meanwhile, added: “As a woman in football, I think there has always been a lot of adversity that you need to overcome. I look back on my own journey, growing up playing in a boys’ team in Scotland – I know how hard it can be to forge a path in the game.
“But joining the session today and seeing the opportunities that the students such as Jemma and Mollie have to learn, grow and develop through the support of West Ham United is something we, as a team, are really proud to support.”
The degree combines a mixture of practical, theory, and work-based learning, and has been uniquely designed to embed industry experts throughout the duration of the course, with West Ham United delivering on half of the modules.
Students also learn the principles underpinning high-quality coaching and explore how to create an environment for high-performance athletes to thrive.
Higher Education Manager at West Ham United Foundation, Dom Edwards, explained: “The students really enjoyed the experience of meeting and discussing the career journeys of Kirsty and Kristie.
“It’s so powerful to be able to provide our students with the opportunity to hear from elite female athletes on how they’ve overcome challenges in their careers.
“I know from speaking with the students present that this was a really inspiring session and a highlight of their degree so far.”
The University’s highly qualified lecturers and industry experts offer a unique chance to combine students' academic studies with practical work placements with West Ham United.
The link with West Ham United also allows the degree to provide a range of exclusive opportunities, collaborations, and insight from the football and sports industry.
For more information, including how you can register for open days and apply to study at the University of East London, please contact Dom Edwards - [email protected]
