Sports Therapy graduate, Marcus Verney, shares with us why he chose to study his degree at Lincoln College University Centre and what he's up to now since finishing his course earlier this year.
What course did you study?
What year did you graduate?
2023
Why did you choose this course and why Lincoln College University Centre?
I had many options to apply for many different universities due to my high UCAS score. However, Lincoln College University Centre stood out to me as it seemed to be practical based and smaller class sizes which was what I was looking for. This was the best decision that I made as the support that you get is amazing academically and practically.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
I really enjoyed the small class sizes as it feels like a group of mates instead of a class. I have met people that I will stay in contact with for the rest of my life because of this. The practical side of the course was amazing, learning from the amazing tutors and hearing their life experiences through their careers was so inspiring. They were also there to help you with any questions or worries that you have.
What advice would you give to someone else looking at studying the same course?
You will not regret taking the course! The tutors are amazing and so knowledgeable, they seem more like your friends than a tutor. We always had great banter and there was never a dull moment when we were in the classroom.
One thing I missed out on throughout my course, due to a knee injury, was gaining more experience outside of the course as experience is crucial to be good in this industry. I lacked confident at the start of my final year and really struggled to build that up. I worked with the College's amazing counsellor that is available for you to use and that was the best thing I did. I understood the reasons why I felt the way I did, and she guided me to feel more confident in myself. Alongside this all of the tutors (Paul Campbell, Linzi Waite, and Stewart Kelman) supported me through the difficult times I was having with my knee by adjusting practical assessment to make them possible for my to do as I really struggled to do lots of physical activity such as squats and deadlift.
Where has your degree taken you?
After finishing my degree in May 2023, I have moved back home to Nottingham. I was initially lost with what I was going to do as being away from home for three years. At first, I was planning on starting up a mobile sports therapy business like a few of my course mates, however, I was completely overwhelmed with everything that came with it, and with me living in a area where traffic is always an issue, I decided that it wasn’t the best thing for me.
I was really unsure of what to do at this point until I was having a conversation with my barber that I have known for 10+ years and he suggested that he has a spare room in the back that he does not use anymore and was trying to rent it out. I thought that this would be an amazing opportunity as it is in my hometown, however, I was very hesitant as it would require a lot of money to start up and it would be a big risk. But that is how you make successful businesses, by taking those risks.
I worked out a payment plan to be able to afford the rent while I start up and that is where I am up to now - opening my own clinic: Marcus Verney Sports Therapy at 46 Derby Road, Sandiacre, NG10 5HU. The startup has been a massive success, gaining lots of interest straight away and lots more bookings that I anticipated which has given me that drive to build something big and something to be proud of.
I am also working as First Team Sports Therapist for Sandiacre Town FC to help them in their first season since getting promoted which is going to be an exciting adventure. This just shows that no matter how hard things get if you keep pushing through, things will always work out in the end if your heart is in the right place!
