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SUCCESS STORY: Amy makes the cut with sportsturf degree

Published
Monday 8 Mar 2021

A University Centre Myerscough student is making the cut in a new career thanks to her degree in sportsturf.

117448611 Whitgift Amy

With the UK hoping to return to grassroots and recreational sport in the coming weeks, dedicated and committed ground staff at all levels have been hard at work ensuring the stage will be set for the latest restart.

Last week was also the first ever #GroundsWeek, an initiative designed to help recognise the value and importance of investing in ground staff, and inspire the potential next generation into the sector.

One of those hoping to show how viable a career pathway it can be for more young people is Myerscough degree student, Amy Sullivan.

The 25-year-old, originally from Preston, finds herself working in a world completely opposite to the one she imagined at 16, when she originally considered a career in engineering.

Whitgift School in Croydon, south London, one of the country's most reputable independent schools for producing sporting talent, is where Amy now earns her living. Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, Bayern Munich's new teenage sensation Jamal Musiala, as well as England rugby union full-back Elliot Daly and England cricket Test opening batsman Rory Burns, have all graced the hallowed pitches there in recent decades.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Amy said: ‘’It can be a brave choice to do something this niche.

‘’But when your office is a place as incredible as this day-in-day-out you're grateful for the opportunities it can present.

"I used to work in horticulture, but after moving down to London, I found work hard to come by.

"It was husband Christy actually, who works for Surrey County Cricket Club's ground staff, who encouraged me to look into this as an alternative option."

Several years on, Amy says the decision has had an element of "right place, right time" about it, but it is certainly not been one she regrets.

She adds: "It can be an unusual occupation and people might not always understand what you do to begin with.

"But the industry is incredibly supportive of people who are starting out. It's one of those jobs where you never stop learning.

"I couldn't sit in an office and do a job, that's not how I'm designed.

"You do this job because you love it and you get on with it. There's so much more to it than just repairing divots at half-time and I hope governing bodies can start shining more of a light on how vital a part of grassroots sport it is."

We wish Amy every success in her studies and future career.

The above article first featured on the BBC Sport website.

Click here to browse the range of our study programmes available in sportsturf