MSc Sport Management student, Henry Phillips, used social media to promote elite level education to the world’s top athletes during his postgraduate studentship, offered by Hartpury Sports Business Hub in collaboration with the Strength and Conditioning Academy.
Henry’s brief was to boost the online presence for the Strength and Conditioning Academy, a young and rapidly growing company that provides credible, accessible and top-tier support to strength and conditioning professionals at every stage of their career journey.
Over the course of an academic year, Henry devised and implemented a social media engagement strategy for the business, focusing on Instagram.
Made up of a team with over five decades of experience working with Olympic-standard athletes across the globe, the company has solidified his position as a leader in British sports. They’ve partnered with renowned institutions and teams worldwide, including Red Bull Performance, Saudi Olympic Committee, Sport Ireland Institute, and UK Coaching.
Alex Wolf, co-founder of the Strength and Conditioning Academy, has spent 15 years working with Great Britain's top Olympians. He set up the academy to support development projects for the world's top athletes and sports figures.
Reflecting on the partnership with Hartpury, Alex Wolf said: "As a company still in our infancy, we eagerly embraced the opportunity to consult with the Hartpury Sport team and present our aspirations to their MSc students. Hartpury University stands out as a university where doors are always open. I admire their willingness to explore new possibilities, and there is always room to build something remarkable with them.
"Henry has been genuinely brilliant on a number of counts. He conceived an idea to elevate our profile, and he delivered beyond expectations - his insights have proven invaluable. He has a very creative mind, keeps us honest and is very good at holding us to account. He connects with us and works with us very well. We are so impressed with Henry that we are keen to retain him in a paid position on completion of his studies."
Endorsing the Hartpury Sports Business Hub team and calibre of MSc students, Alex added: “I would absolutely recommend the services of the Hartpury Sports Business Hub to others working in the sports industry. I genuinely cannot recommend Hartpury and the Sport department’s academic team enough - both have been outstanding in the level of support they have given our business.
"We want to be the exemplar – the most credible education business within the strength and conditioning (S&C) industry. Our goal is to support individuals who want a career within S&C and those who seek to increase their knowledge of strength and conditioning with their existing sports coaching or physio roles – and Hartpury is helping us to do just that.”
MSc Sport Management student, Henry Phillips said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for me to use my digital marketing skill set and passion for social media to support the company. Thanks to this course I’m thinking of setting up my own digital marketing company after graduating.”
As a Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) endorsed training provider, the Strength and Conditioning Academy offers comprehensive online and in-person short courses for coaches and practitioners, focusing on strength and conditioning as well as personal development.
Michael Green from the Hartpury Sports Business Hub said: “The Hartpury Sports Business Hub was delighted to work with Alex and the Strength and Conditioning Academy. It is always fantastic to work with emerging, innovative companies who value and create student opportunities that can produce outstanding results for all involved. Throughout his MSc Sports Management degree, Henry has represented the course outstandingly well and has a very promising career ahead in digital marketing.”
The Hartpury Sports Business Hub provides students and staff with opportunities to collaborate with key local and regional sports organisations, engaging in live briefs and real-world research consultancy.It currently provides access to a range of organisations including Active Gloucester, Sport Wales, Bream RFC and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club as well as multinational corporations and independent businesses.
Projects like these have helped to contribute to Hartpury’s high graduate employability rates with 97% of sports graduates in employment, further study or other purposeful activity (Graduate Outcomes 2023), putting Hartpury first in the South West and in the top 10% in the UK for graduate employability. Students also have access to over 3,000 employers via Hartpury’s Innovation, Careers and Enterprise Centre to gain real industry experience for future career. Hartpury University ranks 1st in the South West and 6th in the UK for Teaching Quality, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide for 2023.
