Whether you’re looking to pursue a career as a PE teacher, a football coach or a nutritionist, Birmingham is one of the best places you can study in these fields, and not just because of our state-of-the-art facilities and buildings. Keep reading to find out more about why you should study sport in the second city.
1. Commonwealth Games
It’s no secret (at least to us Brummies!) that Birmingham is hosting the Commonwealth Games this year. There’s no better time to study sport in the city, with a vast array of opportunities available at the event through work experience and placements. You’ll get hands-on experience and become part of history. The benefits of the games will be felt in Birmingham long after the event has ended.
Find out more about how the Commonwealth Games can benefit you
2. Our top-flight football clubs (and other sports too!)
Birmingham is the home of many historic football clubs – Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, and Birmingham City are all a stone’s throw from each other, and if you take a trip further around the Midlands, you’ll find Coventry, Stoke and Leicester City as well.
On top of that, we’re also home to Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the Priory Tennis Club, Alexander Athletic Stadium, and a handful of golf courses. This means that every weekend throughout the sporting season, the city comes alive with comradely. Check out this sports map of Birmingham to see all sporting venues around the city. Everything is within walking distance or a short train ride away, so you’ll never be too far from the action.
3. Plenty of outdoor space to get active in
Birmingham has 8,000 acres of green space and over 500 parks and walking spaces, including Cannon Hill Park and Edgbaston Reservoir, both of which are short distances away from the BCU campuses on public transport.
It’s well-known that getting active is good for your mental health, but if you want somewhere to practice your profession or hobby, there are plenty of options, including the free tennis courts available to hire at Cannon Hill Park, or one of many football pitches for a kick about.
Don’t forget about our facilities on campus either, where students can get a Health and Fitness membership for just £7.99 that includes unlimited access to our Doug Ellis Sports Centre fitness suite and more.
4. Impressive partnerships
We are proud to have strong links with many local sporting organisations, and some that are more further afield. Here are a few we’re proud of:
- Warwickshire County Cricket Club have participated in nutrition sessions led by students from our sports courses. As well as this, BCU is an official partner of the club.
- Kidderminster Harriers FC have also visited our City South Campus for pre-season training.
- Solihull Moors FC took on our BSc Sports and Exercise students for their placements.
- Luton Town FC also worked with our students during their placement modules.
Read more about our sports partnerships
5. Plenty of events to attend from near and far
There are plenty of sporting events that travel to Birmingham due to our large arena venues such as the Genting Arena and Arena Birmingham. International events such as WWE Live Tour, boxing matches, and Harlem Globe Trotters pass through the city several times a year, giving you the chance to experience star-studded events first-hand.