Sport Development and Coaching BA (Hons)

Alexandru Radu

Alexandru Radu joined the School of Sport and Exercise Science in May 2010 after lecturing at Northumbria University, where he gained an MSc in Sport Management UK/European and the APT Award (Applauding and Promoting Teaching). As well as teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, Alex is actively involved in coaching basketball – Romania Women National Team, Romania U20 Women National Team, Worcester Wolves (BBL) men team, Cardiff Archers (WBBL) women team and Wales U18 Men's National Team are amongst some of the teams he coached (as either Assistant Coach or Head Coach). 

The books Basketball: A Guide to Skills, Techniques and Tactics and Basketball Coaching and Putting Theory into Practice are two of his key publications.

Mandy Newbold

Mandy joined the University in 2011 following 20 years’ work within the sport development industry. An enthusiast for physical activity, sport and getting people active, Mandy has supported initiatives for disabled people, youth groups, schools, sports clubs and Local Authorities and has worked for the national sports charity the Youth Sport Trust, as both a trainer and regional / national staff member, since 1996.

Mandy works part-time as a Senior Lecturer supporting the Sport Development and Sport Business Management modules, as well as being a Senior Tutor for the Youth Sport Trust Learning Academy delivering on key programmes such as Girls Active, My Personal Best, and the Football Associations Disney Inspired Shooting Stars programme.

Debra Price

Debra has been employed in the education sector since 1998, working at a partner FE college. During this time she had various roles within the sports department, both leading and teaching on a range of sport related HE and FE programmes. Debra held positions as a Programme Area Manager for Sport and Quality Development Manager and latter, a Teaching and Learning Coach, where she assisted others to raise the standards of teaching and learning across the college. Debra was previously the Course Leader for HND Sports Coaching, a collaborative course with University of Worcester and has taught several sport business modules for FdSc Football Business Management and Coaching.

Michelle Morgan

Michelle Morgan joined the University of Worcester School of Sport and Exercise Science full-time in 2011, after fulfilling a number of part-time roles within the School during both her undergraduate and MSc studies. Michelle has a range of experiences in sports coaching (both in the UK and USA) with a Netball specialism as a UKCC Level 3 coach. In her role as Course Leader and Senior Lecturer for the BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching Science degree, Michelle uses her industry and academic experiences to support and develop students’ understanding of the demands of the sporting industry, including the skills and qualities needed to be employable.  

Craig Williams

Craig successfully blends his passion for student learning and employability in his roles at the University of Worcester where he is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching Science, Course Leader for the BSc Cricket Coaching and Management degree and the Coach Education and Development Manager. As well as a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching Science, Craig is an affiliate tutor with the Football Association delivering courses from Level 1 to 3 (UEFA B) and a qualified and active Cricket Coach.  

Since 2001, Craig has created a vocational coach education programme that has provided over 16,600 opportunities for University students and community coaches to secure accredited coach education and relevant coaching and officiating CPD. These qualifications and opportunities provide University of Worcester students with the necessary skills and qualifications to secure coaching and officiating opportunities.

Glyn Harding

Glyn came to the University of Worcester in 2004 having previously worked as a PE teacher, youth worker and the Assistant Academy Director at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.

Since coming to the School of Sport and Exercise Science, he has undertaken the roles of HND co-ordinator and course leader for Sports Coaching Science and has developed the coaching of disabled athletes, culminating in a unique taught degree pathway in this evolving area of study. As part of his role, Glyn supports and provides guidance to elite athletes in their pursuit of sporting and academic excellence; these have included the GB paralympic blind footballers Ajmal Ahmed and Lee Greatbatch, the Port Vale footballer Robert Taylor and GB downhill mountain biker Jessica Stone.

Glyn has been a key pioneer in the development of the Brazil-UK Football Development Course undertaken in partnership by the University of Worcester and the University of São Paulo.

Gill Renfree

Gill has been working at the University of Worcester since 2012 and teaches across a range of modules from sport business professional placement to event project management as well as mentoring students undertaking sandwich years in the sport industry and supervising research projects. Gill also teaches in modules related to her research interests such as sports tourism, event management and sports marketing. Gill has extensive experience of working on collaborative projects and continues to research in areas related to Generation Z, gender equity in sport as well as sport governance, leadership, and volunteering.

Dr Paul Blakey

Paul is Senior Lecturer in Sport Business Management and joined the School of Sport and Exercise Science in November 2015. Paul has considerable experience within the higher education sector having previously been course leader for Sport MSc programmes at Northumbria University and the University of Chester. He is also Visiting Professor at NEOMA Business School in Paris.

Paul’s PhD thesis, from the University of Manchester, focused upon strategic marketing practices of small and medium-sized businesses in the leisure industry. Prior to embarking on a career in academia, Paul was employed by several sports, leisure and hospitality companies, most notably working as an Assistant Manager with a leading private sector entertainment company.

Paul is the author/co-author of several sport marketing textbooks including the first digital sport marketing book published by Routledge in 2020. He has worked on collaborative, and individual, research publications, conference presentations, in-field event impact studies for sports governing bodies and co-ordinated a nationwide research project for a UK-based leisure corporation. He has supervised PhD students on subjects including surf brands, sports volunteers and sport tourism destinations.

Jaime Guinan

Jaime has been a member of the School of Sport and Exercise Science since 2005, teaching on various HND and undergraduate programmes. She has been working in education for the past 16 years within both further and higher education. Developing extensive knowledge of HND and degree programmes through leading, teaching and externally examining these programmes for a number of years. Within her role as Senior Lecturer, Jaime applies her experience to support student learning and transition within higher education.

Jaime is currently involved in the working project group Women in Sport and Exercise (@UoWWISE) and lead for the health and well-being strand to advocate gender equity in all areas of the sport and exercise domain. This will lead into personal research practice investigating the underrepresentation of women in sport and physical activity.

David Mycock

David consults and researches in the field of coaching science and coaches externally in elite level football. He has helped evolve the game of blind futsal and is a qualified FA Tutor. David is the Head Coach of Worcester Blind FC and has previously coached the England and Great Britain Blind Futsal teams at major tournaments, and is currently the Head Coach of the Czech Republic National Blind Football team.

David has a variety of NGB Awards and as an ex-professional football player is a member of the Professional Footballers Association. His role at the University has grown since 2006 and he is now the Link Tutor for the SSES Partnership programmes with Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.