It feels so strange to be coming to the end of my term as Sport Officer. It feels like only yesterday that I was sat in my first introductory meeting, but so much has happened since then.
Being part of sport at Bath this year has been incredible. Varsity, the Blues Awards, every fixture and event have all been such an exciting thing to be a part of. The excitement, the energy, the passion, its incredible: not just as a player, but as someone watching from the outside and seeing the positive impact it has on young adults. We have such an amazing sports programme at Bath (I mean we are Sports University of the Year aren’t we!) and it has been so incredible to make some real positive differences.
The reason I ran for Sport Officer in the first place was because there were things I wished had been different when I was a student. I saw this role as a chance to fix some of those things, and that’s ultimately what has made this year so special. And yes, some of the things I tried didn’t work out, but some of them really did. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved, through the Top 10, my manifesto and all the other work that has popped up along the way
I’m especially proud of the work on the Top Ten and, while the Sulis Club may not be where we had hoped it would be a few years ago, we now have functional facilities which is so much better than where we were at the start of the year. The conversation is by no mean over and I am very interested to see the future of the club in a broader aspect of student life. And then of course there was the national campaign to protect playing fields and grassroots sports. If you haven’t heard about it then please do read my other blogs, but it definitely was one of the biggest and most significant pieces of work I have done this year.
Working with the officer team has been such a delight. They’re a brilliant bunch, each bringing something unique and interesting to the table. I’ve learned so much from them and I genuinely believe I’m a better person because of it. Of course, I am very pleased that Helen is sticking round and as for Benji, Sanya, Izzy and Sam, I wish them all the best. Whether they’re finishing degrees, starting new ones, or heading into the world of work, I know they will each do amazing things, and I hope we stay in touch. As for the newbies, I hope they are as excited for this year as I am and am excited to see them all grow into their roles.
So yes, it has been absolutely mental, mind-boggling, chaotic, indescribably epic and fantastic year. My expectations of what I’d do, who I’d meet, and what the year would look like were absolutely blown out the water. I’m am so incredibly lucky to have had this experience and even more so that I get to do it all again!
