Oliver Scurrah, BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation student, completed a placement at the University of Miami with two other students. He looks back on what the experience was like for him.
I chose to study this course at Teesside because I wanted to work in a sport environment, and I’m interested in anatomy and how the body moves. I thought it was a great blend of my interests and would open the door to exciting career opportunities, with the flexibility to work anywhere in the world.
The placement opportunity came about thanks to the links established by Dr Paul Chesterton and his team, who had supported students from Miami who visited Teesside for a similar opportunity previously. Along with two other students, I was one of the first from Teesside to head over to the University of Miami for the placement.
I experienced professional sporting environments – an area I hope to work in one day – including Inter Miami FC and the Miami Hurricanes football team. It was great to get a taste of how these environments operate, and we were lucky enough to sit in on the MSc lectures and seminars during our visit. I hope the connections I developed with some of the students might lead to more exciting opportunities in the future.
I will never forget our trip to the Florida everglades, speeding around the vast canals on an airboat and getting up close to alligators swimming by. Working with the University of Miami football team was also incredible – they had world-renowned facilities, which highlighted the difference in sporting culture compared to the UK.
Another of my favourite experiences was celebrating 4 July with students on the MSc course, heading out to bay front park in downtown Miami for drinks and watching a spectacular firework show.
My main take-aways from this amazing trip would be to try to get involved in any opportunity that arises. This trip opened doors for me – I met new people, and learning about the similarities and differences between professional sport in the US and the UK has helped me grasp a new understanding of my subject. Building new contacts in American sport has expanded the range of possibilities in my future career.
By Oliver
