The first half of the year flew by! It feels like I blinked and now I am halfway through my stay in Ireland! The cliché saying saying that time flies when you’re having fun is true.
I am doing my Master’s degree in exercise physiology at NUI Galway. While most scholars opted to obtain business degrees, I thought that my background in science as well as my desire to coach were more suitable for an exercise physiology program. The course load is structured so that students are only in one module at a time, and it is very different than the more classic college structure that I am used to. In addition, a grade of 70% on assignments is the equivalent of an “A” in the U.S., so that was definitely a major mental adjustment.
In the modules, I have learned extensively about the muscles, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and nutrition. In each module, I find I can apply a lot of information to my own training, and I know that I will definitely use this information in any future coaching I do. At the end of the year, each student must complete a final research project on an area of interest. Luckily for me, a professor is offering a project specifically relating to basketball and plyometric training. I am very thankful that Sport Changes Life is giving me this opportunity to grow not only as a coach and a leader, but also a student and thinker.
