DiSE athletes gain valuable life skills at University of Nottingham workshop

Athletes from Swim England’s DiSE (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) programme recently took part in a career and finance workshop hosted at the University of Nottingham.

Designed to help them explore post-A Level careers and develop essential life skills, the day-long event featured a series of interactive sessions focused on career planning and financial literacy for athletes on the first year of the scheme.

The workshops encouraged them to consider a range of future options – from university and apprenticeships to direct employment – while also learning how to effectively manage a personal budget.

Hucknall Water Polo Club’s Sophie Leveridge was amongst the 12 athletes on the trip and reflected on the experience, saying: “I found the career task really useful, especially hearing everyone’s different perspectives on options like apprenticeships and university. It helped me see things in a new light.

“The finance session was eye-opening too – I realised I was being too tight with my budget and that I could afford some more nice things in life. You don’t have to share Netflix between four people!”

‘Bringing everything to life’

In the afternoon, the athletes engaged in a Q&A session with University of Nottingham students – who are also part of their Water Polo Performance Squad. The panel included students from various academic years, American scholars and even DiSE alumni in Grace Kaye, Pippa Danielson and Alexia West.

“You’re not going to get better insight than from people who are actually living the experience you’re heading into,” Sophie added. “It felt like a real ‘day in the life’ session.”

The day concluded with a tour of the university’s sports facilities and a taster water polo session led by the university performance squad.

Looking back on the trip, DiSE Assessor Manager, Paula West, said: “The workshop was a real success, and it was fantastic to see how engaged and enthusiastic the athletes were throughout the day.

“We ran a similar session last year but this time we wanted to bring it to life by involving university students and ending with a pool session.

“Hearing directly from people who are living the university experience – balancing academics, sport, and social life – brought everything to life in a way that no presentation or leaflet ever could.

“It gave them a sense of what university sport could look like for them, and they thought that the pool session was a brilliant way to end an exciting day.

“Throughout the DiSE programme we’re committed to supporting our athletes not just in the pool, but in preparing for life beyond it. This workshop was a great example of that in action.”

You can find out more about the water polo DiSE programme here.