On their Way from Superfans to Professionals

Crowded arena, fierce competitions, breath-taking match points, rounds of applause…

When watching a sport competition, one would be very impressed by and excited for the beauty of body power and spirit of hard work. There have always been several super fans who are looking for more than being an “outsider”, but taking it to the next level, developing a career in the sports industry.

This is also the dream of two students at Dulwich International High School. Both of them have already received the conditional offers from the universities in the leading area of sports category in the QS ranking, including Loughborough University, University of Birmingham, University of Stirling and University of Bath.

Steven was born with the connection with sports.

Growing up with his father who graduated from a sports college, Steven has been dabbling at various sport activities. He is very passionate in basketball and has fostered a special connection with sports. 

“My family always supports me the most. My parents and I had several discussion when I was in Y11, and we all agreed that sports management is the best-fit for me.”

Dulwich Zhuhai devotes itself in supporting the holistic development of each student. There are over 60 co-curricular activities and a wide range of global collaboration and communication projects for all students, which also helped Steven explore his potential in various fields and move closer to his dream.

The most impressive experience for Steven was the 2019 Dulwich Olympiad Celebration. As one of the student representatives from Dulwich Zhuhai, he visited Dulwich College in London and created great memories with over 900 Dulwich students from around the world.

“We had a campus tour at the 400-year-old Dulwich College. The campus is so marvelous. I was very impressed and admired the students there, and at the same time was very proud of myself for being one of the Dulwich students.” Steven recalled.

Steven took part in the basketball competition during the Olympiad and has established friendships with other Dulwich students. “We only spent  one week there, but it definitely would be a life-long memory for me.”

During his “Week Without Walls” in Y12, Steven had the internship opportunity with an international cross-country marathon race. The immersive English environment at Dulwich Zhuhai prepared him well enough for being the translator for foreign athletes, and the physical exercises and skill of team collaboration he developed in the school’s co-curricular activities built him up to play a key role in the operation team of the race. He managed to cooperate with the team for an emergency plan in food and beverage supply to the athletes. And he also had the opportunity to witness the sprint of the 100km race. “I was able to perceive the sport spirit of persistency, and experience the whole process of the race, from planning to execution. It was very tough but the feelings of accomplishment really made all counts. I was more sure about my faith in sports.” 

Steven's Dream School is the University of Edinburgh, which is ranked one of the 2020-2021 QS Top 20 universities.

Steven also shared some advices to students who are interested in sports management. “Be determined and hold on to your interests. Follow the updates of the sports industry in your daily life. More importantly, seize the opportunity in Dulwich Zhuhai to improve your English, which would lead you to a wider picture of the industry around the world, and help you in winning more opportunities to communicate and work with global talents. When you are well-prepared, you just need to wait for the good news to come.”

There is another student at Dulwich Zhuhai who has also received several offers in sports management from stellar universities around the world – Alex Z.

Alex become a fan for sports at a young age. He seldom missed a football game. He has learned a lot of football knowledge by himself by reading in-depth articles and has developed the interests in operating a football team or managing a sport business. Alex has developed his dream in sports management from when he was fourteen or fifteen years old.

“I found it very interesting and aspired to be a coach who knows lots of tactical strategies, or an agent that manages the athletes, or a manager that develops and promotes a team.”

As long as one dares to dream, it would always result in something, no matter how small the dream is.

Sports management is relatively new as a major to go for in China. Alex knew little about the domestic curriculum development of this subject. Thanks to the weekly university counselling since Y10 at Dulwich Zhuhai and his online research in spare time, he has gradually learned more about the universities with well-recognized sports management majors and their global rankings, and become clearer about his dream.

During the four years with Dulwich Zhuhai, Alex has been a member of the school’s football team. Leveraging the global resources and platforms of the Dulwich Family, he has participated in the Sports Leadership course held by the Sports Leaders UK and received the “Sports Leaders UK Level 2” certificate after two years of case studies and project practice, such as being the judge for a sport event.

“My skills of active learning, communications and problem solving has been well developed in the co-curricular activities at Dulwich. Based on my practical experience, I have also established my own philosophy and theory to achieve goals, which is very important in sports management.” Alex recalled.

Alex also benefits a lot from the immersive English environment at Dulwich Zhuhai. “I can read all the English materials when searching for university information. I believe I can adapt to overseas studies and life very easily.”

Alex feels he is ready for studying abroad in the future. He looks forward to being a volunteer in international sports competition, which he is quite passionate about.

We are delighted to see our students going to their dream schools and even making a career out of their interests in the future. It is our aim for all students at Dulwich Zhuhai to enter their best-fit universities and have a bright future that builds upon their capabilities and interests.