The invaluable skills university club sport can teach you that'll help you in your personal and professional life

By Ben Heaney, Cycling Club Captain and Marine & Freshwater Biology Student

Recently, I had to give my CV a long overdue refresh, and while doing it, I realised that one of the most important things I could add to it was my involvement with the University’s Cycling Club.

I’m a passionate cyclist, and I’ve been a member of the Club for as long as I’ve been at university. I’ve now served on the club’s committee for two years—first as Road Convener and then as Captain. When reflecting on it, I realised how amazing it was just how many career skills being part of club sport like this had taught me, from the benefits of hard work and cooperating with others to the vital experience of leadership.

Drive and dedication

In my opinion, the most important thing to develop as a person is drive and dedicate. Without the ability to push yourself to pursue something, you’ll never get to where you want to be. Being involved with the Club has really shown me that. For example, something as intuitive as training to improve speed and fitness has taught me the rewards of commitment and the value of hard work. When it comes to my future career, I know that my ability to drive myself to put in the time to work toward my goal will probably be my most valuable skill, and it’s a mindset that I’ve gained through my involvement with club sport.

Leadership

Knowing how to make big decisions and manage things is all good, but having actual experience leading a group has been invaluable.

I joined the Club’s Committee as Road Convener after my second year and was later voted in as Captain. As Captain, I’ve learnt that there is so much more to leadership than simply conflict resolution and planning—you won’t be able to get anything done unless you can act as a leader in your role.

It’s kind of hard to describe, but the best way it was explained to me was that it’s like playing a character— you’re not yourself, you are the leader. One of the greatest pieces of advice I was ever given about this was to examine other leaders who you look up to and try, identify their best and worst qualities and try to add the good to your character and avoid the bad.

I know it all sounds a bit crazy, but taking the time to recognise what qualities work when it comes to leading others and trying to perform them myself has really help me understand through actual experience how to conduct myself as a leader. I know this experience will one day be invaluable in my career after university.

Communication

Probably one of the greatest parts of all club sports is the social aspect. It’s amazing when you get to university and can finally meet so many like-minded people with whom you share a passion.

However, these experiences require a lot of work at a committee level to coordinate—people won’t stick with club sport if the experience isn’t rewarding for them. The key to success with this, as with anything, is good communication. You won’t know if something is wrong or what to improve if you don’t listen to the opinions of others. Being able to take on and respond to criticism is vital in order to grow.

Club sport has not only given me skills but memories that I’ll have for the rest of my life. If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then go for it!

Other resources

Why you should join sports clubs and societies at university video: Hear how club sport and society involvement can help your personal and professional development

7 key careers skills you pick up from playing sport: Read about the skills you can develop through sport that'll boost your employability

UofG Cycling Club webpage: Learn about the Cycling Club's activities, social events, membership benefits and more

UofG Club Sports webpage: Browse over 50 Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA) affiliated sports clubs

Cycling at Glasgow webpage: Learn about how cycling is a part of life at UofG

2023 UCI Cycling World Championships website: Learn about the events taking place in Glasgow, including through the UofG main campus, and beyond