Imogen Webb

Sports Therapy BSc (Hons)

Being a keen Netball player herself, BCU’s Sports Therapy course felt like a natural step for Imogen. After embracing the course and landing herself a series of successful internships, Imogen is now stepping onto the career ladder in her first role at Swindon Town Women’s Football Club.

“I always wanted to go to university, but was never sure what it was that I wanted to study. I liked the idea of physiotherapy, but knew it was a difficult course to get onto and I wasn’t sure if I’d get the grades. A teacher suggested Sports Therapy to me, so I looked into it and decided that it was something that I’d be really keen on doing.

I had always played sports myself and the idea of working in sport and helping people really appealed to me. When I first came to BCU for an open day, the Seacole Building was still being built, and so I didn't feel confident in making a decision.

However, I came back to BCU for an interview and saw the finished building. It looked great and all the staff were just so friendly. It suddenly felt like somewhere that I wanted to be and where I was going to learn a lot.

BCU were great in preparing me for work after university. We covered a lot about how to secure employment and staff provided us with lots of advice and tips. As part of the course, I had to do a minimum of 200 hours on work placements. I secured three placements at football clubs, including at Birmingham City Football Club with the men’s first team, Alvechurch Football Club and Chippenham Town Football Club and I learnt so much at all of them.

Being able to get placements was great, and feeling like I was helping the teams at each one meant a lot. I’m really lucky that I managed to do three placements as they are hard to get onto, so I’m really proud of that.

I’m now working as a Sports Therapist at Swindon Town Women’s Football Club. I’ve been there a few weeks and it’s been so good. It’s quite nerve-wracking being the head sports therapist, but everyone is so welcoming and I think I’m going to really enjoy working here. I’m so excited for the upcoming season. As all my work placements were with men’s teams, it’s really nice to be working with women and getting a bigger picture of football as a whole.

My daily responsibilities in the role include assessing any injuries, providing rehabilitation exercises for current injuries and a lot of pitch-side care. Therefore, match days will be busy, dealing with any issues, checking players are OK and deciding if they can continue playing or need to come off.

In the long term, I would love to work for a professional football club and work my way up to become the head sports therapist there. That would be my dream.

My advice to other Sports Therapy students would be to learn your anatomy - you will need it! BCU for me is all about being part of a great group of people. Being part of a group and community that make really good professionals, makes me very proud.”