University champions career pathways for women in sport

The University of Wolverhampton welcomed aspiring female footballers to its campuses for two inspiring events aimed at showcasing the diverse career opportunities available to women in sport.

Birmingham City Women U21s explore Sport Science and Therapy

On Tuesday 28 October, players from Birmingham City Women U21s visited the University’s campus for a morning of football training followed by two hands-on workshops designed to connect their passion for the game with academic and career pathways.

Led by Katie Davies, the first workshop introduced players to the University’s Sport and Exercise Therapy degree, with a focus on Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury prevention - a critical topic in women’s football. The second session, delivered by Tina Smith, lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, explored the biomechanics of a football strike using advanced 2D and 3D motion analysis, offering players a glimpse into the science behind performance.

Grassroots girls discover Coaching and Performance Careers

On Thursday 30 October, 15 girls from local grassroots football clubs attended a special event at the University’s Walsall Campus, designed to highlight the career potential within football coaching and performance.

The day began with a fun and engaging coaching session led by female students Maicie Goulding and Shaquanna Watson, providing powerful role models and demonstrating that coaching is a viable and rewarding pathway for women. This was followed by a careers workshop exploring the wide range of opportunities in sport—from coaching and analysis to therapy and science.

The event concluded with a performance analysis workshop led by Football Coaching and Performance lecturer Kerys Harrop, where participants used Hudl software to analyse a professional women’s football match, gaining insight into the analytical side of the game.

Casey Asuma, student at Wolverhampton College said: “It was great to have the opportunity to explore careers through sport; from the technology side to the coaching side. The event has opened my eyes to the different job opportunities, and I will definitely take these into consideration for the future when deciding what I want to do.”

These events are part of the University of Wolverhampton’s ongoing commitment to empowering young women to pursue careers in sport, both on and off the pitch. By connecting education with real-world applications and showcasing female role models, the University is helping to shape a more inclusive and dynamic future for the sports industry.

Photo caption

Birmingham City Football Club's U21 Women's team attend the University for training and workshops on academic and career pathways.