A recent Graduate of Preston North End’s Education Programme has put his qualifications and experience to good use as a Summer Camp Coach in America.
Luke Harrison, who finished the Level Three Diploma in Sport and Exercise at PNE this summer has travelled the corners of the USA working on various soccer camps, most notably around the Ohio and Kentucky area. Whilst working as a fully qualified coach and improving the footballing abilities of children, Luke is also delving into the sports culture, experiencing various background and cultures and spending time with new people every week.
Rewind back to his time on the programme at PNE, Luke would regularly work on the PNE soccer school amongst other coaching roles, and admits his time with the club he supports has given him the confidence to step up and progress his career in the field.
“There’s no way I would have had the confidence or knowledge to be part of what is a unique and once in a lifetime experience without gaining my Level One and Two coaching qualifications whilst studying at North End,” said Luke who is preparing to study at Edge Hill University in September.
“In my two years at PNE, it gave me the confidence and drive to get those vital qualifications under my belt and I was keen to put them to good use.
“Without the education programme at PNE, I probably wouldn't be here now; I learnt so much more than I thought I would have at PNE. Learning about different subjects such as Psychology and Business in Sport widened my horizons. My coaching certainly improved as many modules are practical and coaching based.
“From the back of that, I gained so much confidence in coaching people my own age and being assessed professionally. We went through a lot of analysis of not only coaching, but playing as a PNE representative; this didn't only make me a better player but increased my knowledge of the game and ultimately made me a better coach.”
Luke had been coaching children from ages three to 16-years throughout the summer, living with different families and learning about the American culture.
3,000 miles away, back home in the UK, 16-year-olds from across the country will be finding out their GCSE results this week, and speaking from New York where Luke is currently residing, he has some words of wisdom to those who are still unsure on the next path of their education ahead of this September and the new academic year.
He continued: “I’m very thankful of the opportunity I was given at Preston North End and would recommend the college for anyone with a passion for sport, not just football as they cater for everybody.
“I can guarantee that there will be opportunities for you at PNE that you won’t get at your normal standard college, such as watching the academy train, working for the club and playing on Deepdale.
“I’m now ready to go to University with lots of experience and confidence behind me. I’m going to study study Sports Management and Coaching at Edge Hill University, something I'm extremely excited for!”
To find out more about the education programme at PNE, or to register an interest, click here. Alternatively the Education team are also hosting a 'drop in' session all day for GCSE Results on Thursday 23rd August, so if you've just received your GCSE results and want to find out more, come and visit us in the community office located behind the Alan Kelly Town End at Deepdale.
You could very well be wearing Lilywhite next season!