November 2023
Jack's Story
By Jack Woolhouse
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Jack Woolhouse
Strength, Conditioning and Sports Nutrition BSc (Hons)
SPARC to the States
It was attending a conference of top sporting speakers at University College Birmingham that persuaded Jack to enrol at the University – three years on, he was one of the guest speakers.
Jack took the floor at the University’s Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Conference 2023 and had plenty to talk about having just returned from a three-month internship in the US.
Working with the Washington Huskies in Seattle, Jack experienced the world of collegiate sport and a land of lakes and small, close-knit communities. And it was an opportunity he had through the University and IUSCA (the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association). It was an incredble experience.
“There is a high emphasis on building a culture around sport there and students are exposed to it from a young age," said Jack. "It’s different. You can’t really experience it anywhere else.”
Within a relatively small industry, the result was a nucleus of high-quality coaches and a huge networking potential, one that Jack took advantage of. “People who know about strength and conditioning know how prestigious it is to be working with a Division One college football team and to have a referral,” he said.
Three years ago, despite having a personal trainer qualification, sports therapy diploma and his own coaching business, Jack knew he needed more to progress in the industry, which made him book onto the SPARC conference. It was here he was drawn in by University College Birmingham's high-end sports facilities at Moss House, making the decision of where to study quite simple.
“The course was really good, as were the lecturers," he said. "They gave us a lot of time to do our own learning, opportunities to use the space and be involved in group training.”
As a speaker at SPARC 2023, Jack joined a stellar line-up of speakers including Dr Steve McNally, Head of Sports Medicine and Science at Manchester United FC, Sam Kotadia, Sport Psychologist for Wrexham FC, Kristin McGinty-Minister, Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Senior Research Assistant at University of South Wales, and Dr Sam Moss, Sport and Exercise Nutritionist and Senior Lecturer at University of Chester.
Jack is now studying for a master's and eyeing up opportunities to work with the GB judo team and youth academies at West Bromwich Albion and Walsall FC.