Ash Russell

Living in Wrexham my whole life, I had identified Wrexam Uni straight away as a university I could see myself at. As I was observing the UCAS pages and scrolling to see which course was for me, I’d seen that the University were specialising in a new degree relating to football and coaching, and this was a really appealing course to me. After speaking with the programme lead and discussing the course, I knew it was the course for me.  

The banter with the cohort was first class and I’m sure Chris and Sara will back me on that one! The day we travelled to the Etihad Campus for a tour and discussion was a real eye opener and showed me what I could be if I worked hard to achieve. The facility and level of detail they worked to was incredible and I remember taking 100’s of photos to take back and analyse – it was a really informative day.  

I would definitely recommend a degree as the facilities, tutors and information you’ll receive are all great. The opportunities you get are unique and set you up for the future within your industry, whatever that may be

My time at Wrexham was great, as I learned a lot of theoretical knowledge but also had the opportunity to apply it. I was also well supported and guided when using the knowledge in applied environments, so I wasn’t going in uneducated or blind. The information and the way it was delivered enabled me to further my interest in football coaching, sport science and general physical activity, as well as help me to gain my coaching badges as an extra.  

My current job title is ‘Foundation Phase Lead’ at The New Saints Academy, and my job involves coaching within and overseeing the age groups from Under-7 to Under-11 in the Academy. I organise festivals, tournaments and fixtures to make sure that players can have a range of formats and opportunities to develop their skills. I also support coaches within the phase and complete various administration tasks to ensure that all of the data is up-to-date for each player (individual development plans, attendance registers etc). As well as this, I support and feedback information to my Head of Coaching and Head of Academy.   

I lead two age groups within the Academy too: one in my own phase and one being an older age group. I coach both groups for three training contacts plus two games (one per team) each week, so I'm very busy.

There’s been a lot, as we’re extremely lucky at TNS to have the opportunity to play in tournaments across the globe against well renowned clubs from here, there and everywhere. We’ve played Barcelona in a tournament called the ‘Jamon Cup’ in Calamocha, Spain, with the current U13’s, and have also been invited to play the majority of the biggest clubs in England such as Liverpool, Everton, Man United, Man City and more. These are always great days.  

Away from the games though, some great highlights are the development you see of those you work with. At the club, I’ve lead one specific group since joining, and in this group we’ve had 3 players move onto CAT-1 clubs and two more to CAT-2 and CAT-3 academies. This, along with ten players being picked for the FAW North Wales regionals, has been a fantastic success for the club in my eyes and something I’m really proud of. 

The degree at Wrexam gave me all the theoretical and applied knowledge needed to enable me to be confident working in the real world. As well as giving me lots of opportunities to analyse other elite level individuals within the industry, it's given me something to aspire to. Without the degree, I would definitely not be where I am now. Prior to the degree, I was a Level 1 coach helping out my brother's football team because I had nothing else to do.  

Find out more about our BSc (Hons) Football Coaching & the Performance Specialist degree and book your place on one of our upcoming open days

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