Dan Bennett

My main areas of expertise are sports coaching, sports therapy, fitness and sports science. I’ve worked in sports coaching for over 15 years, across foundation and development settings, and I’ve also been involved in sports development research, community sport management and large‑scale events for organisations such as Youth Sport Trust, School Games and Street Games. I’ve acted as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and I’m a qualified first-aider.

In my classes, I make a point of sharing real-world industry examples to complement the theory. This brings the subject to life for my students, and also allows them to see how their studies link to careers in sport, coaching and personal training. I also focus on how sport can support personal and social development - it’s so much more than just perfecting technical skills. Having  taught from primary school through to higher education, I bring a huge amount of teaching experience into the classroom. 

A common misconception in my industry is that sports is all about “winning”. In fact, it’s just as much about personal development - building confidence, resilience and learning to work as a team.  
My advice to new students is to get involved and ask questions early on. Make the most of every opportunity, especially the practical and real‑world experiences you get, and remember that progress comes from consistency and effort. 

Outside of work, I stay active by going to the gym, walking, running, cycling and kayaking whenever I can. I also listen to sports and comedy podcasts. Finally, I really relate to this quote from Jonny Wilkinson, former England fly-half: “Discipline is doing what you know needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like doing it.”