Hull FC Academy half-back Mackenzie Harman believes the Hull FC Sport College has put him in the perfect position to progress as a professional sportsman.
The college, part of the club’s Centre of Excellence, combines his rugby league for the club’s academy with his educational studies.
The college is currently recruiting new students for the 2022/23 academic year.
“My class is currently studying for a Level 3 Diploma in Sport, and I’m in my first-year. There’s a lot of focus on skills and experience, and a real focus on athlete lifestyle.
“There’s a really good balance in the structure of the week; in a morning, we focus on our educational style of stuff before heading in for a gym session just after lunch. We then move onto the field outside to work on our hand-eye co-ordination, before a team meeting, and then a full field session to end the day.
“I feel like this environment is helping me progress towards my own goals, more so than if I was at a normal educational facility. There are more opportunities here for those who want to have a career in sport. We all have similar goals so we all push each other too.
“Being here, it’s really easy to stay on top of both the education side of things and playing as it’s all built into the schedule. Everything is all on site too – even stuff like your food and drink.”
And Harman explained that the college allows students who aren’t able to progress as professional sports players, to follow other career paths related to sport.
“It’s great for me that the sole focus here is on sport. However, it’s obvious that playing sport professionally isn’t going to work out for everyone, but coming here allows you to pick up the skills to work elsewhere in sport, whether its coaching, personal trainer, teaching, admin, or elsewhere.
“It’s the best place to give you a chance of making it, but I’ve taken real confidence that If I don’t end up playing Rugby League professionally, I’ve learnt enough and will hopefully have the qualifications to really help me in my future career.”
The 17-year old also praised the tutors at the college, as well as the club’s Head of Talent Pathways Michael Shenton, adding: “We really get on with the tutors – there’s a good mix of being able to have a good time and knowing when to get down to business too. We’ve got a good relationship with them and they’re key in helping us to progress.
“And having Michael as our Academy and Reserves coach is an unbelievable opportunity for us. He’s done it all at the top of the game for the last 15 years, so it’s great for him to be able to share his knowledge and experience with us.
And when asked what he would say to a Year 11 student who is looking for their next steps in education, he continued: “I couldn’t recommend the college enough; if there are Year 11s who are wanting a career in rugby, but also want to continue their education, this is the perfect place to be. Even if you don’t make it as a player, you have the skills to continue on a career path elsewhere in professional sport, and that gives me great confidence.”
If you are interested in joining the Hull FC Sports College for the 2022/23 academic year, you can take a look around at our open evening on Wednesday 18th May.
Full open evening details are below:
Where: Hull FC Centre of Excellence, Pickering Road, Hull, HU4 7AB
When: Wednesday 18th May 2022
Time: 5.00pm – 8.00pm
To register your interest and to book a slot with a member of the Centre of Excellence staff please email ryan.langton@hullfc.com with your name, date of birth and preferred time slot.
For those who live further afield, they can book a Zoom meeting with a member of our team by emailing ryan.langton@hullfc.com.
For more information on our upcoming open evening, please click here
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