As the NTSU Exec Team elections are nearing, we got in touch with the four candidates running for the VP Sports role to help you decide who to vote for.
The VP Sports is the lead role and figurehead of student sport.
They are responsible for liaising with NTU Sport as well as providing strategic direction for the continual improvement and quality of NTU’s sports clubs.
The VP Sports chairs the Sports Assembly meetings and will be the lead Executive Officer for the annual Varsity series.
Here is what this year’s VP Sports candidates had to say.
Jodi Stephens, third-year Exercise, Nutrition and Health student
Why are you fit for the VP Sports role?
I have a passion for sport, and strongly believe I can make a difference for sports clubs at NTU.
Since starting university, I have been a keen member of the water polo and swimming club and have been an active member of the committee for the past two years.
I understand the relationship between mental and physical health, and how sports can be such a huge part of someone’s university experience.
I would like to give everyone the best chance to excel and succeed in sport at NTU.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
My life has centred around sport for as long as I can remember.
From studying sports science and nutrition for the past six years to competing in a range of sports from a young age, I have a vast knowledge and interest in both sports and physical activity and fitness.
I would like a focus of my role next year to involve being a friendly face, proactively working closely with individual committees to ensure each club has the best experience possible, as well as putting a focus on the health and wellbeing of these athletes.
What changes will you make to NTU Sports if elected?
Although working for NTSU, the role involves working closely with those in NTU sport.
Following such a difficult time with Covid-19, I would like to get participation and spectator levels back to that of pre-Covid.
This includes more effective advertising for matches at NTU, with an easy to access portal highlighting exactly when and where every Trent home game is taking place.
I believe increasing the number of taster sessions throughout the academic year will help to increase participation in underrepresented clubs and make the process of joining new sports clubs less intimidating.
This will be alongside more effective promotion through the NTSU and NTU sport media channels.
Martyn Gray, MA History student
Why are you fit for the VP Sports role?
Funnily enough, I used to think that I wouldn’t make a good VP Sports before Lockdown!
I changed my mind last November when I asked myself that typical question all final years ask themselves, what’s next?
I realised I actually would be a good fit for VP Sports and that I did have relevant experience gained from my four years as a Social and Wellbeing Officer, where I was on Archery’s committee for three years and most recently with Fencing.
I realised I did have some good ideas and a vision for what I could and wanted to achieve as VP Sport, such as helping to improve Trent students’ lives through sport.
On a personal level, I simply realised I would really enjoy doing the role!
The first person I spoke to about this was one of my best mates and my former Fencing Captain, who described me as “a stupidly good candidate”, which was reassuring and great to hear.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
Certainly, I’m the only one talking about improving the quality and performance of sports committees in my manifesto.
It’s one of my top priorities because the committees are the real engines that drive our diverse range of sports clubs at NTU.
They are the people who are running the clubs on a day to day basis, organising training sessions and coaching the Play4Fun sessions, all voluntarily in their own free time.
Yet too often, they receive inadequate support or are reliant on individual competency.
There needs to be more systemic help, which is why I’ve highlighted prioritising improving the quality of handover documents in my manifesto so that new committee members can start from a stronger position.
Too often people are elected to a committee role and largely end up figuring out how to do the role by themselves, including me.
I didn’t receive a handover document when I joined either of my club committees and inherited clubs that required a lot of improvement.
Lockdown disruption has inevitably made this experience more common than ever before, which is why I believe it’s vital that the next VP Sports needs to make this area a top priority.
Enabling the members of your sports committees to perform their roles as best as they can, will have some positive and wide-ranging effects for every student at NTU.
What changes will you make to NTU Sports if elected?
I’ll be looking to make achievable changes, such as improving advertising of the great diversity of clubs that we have at NTU and helping facilitate more skill swaps, so that club membership and sports participation can grow.
I’ll be looking to expand access to Strength and Conditioning programs with a particular focus on students with less experience at their sport inspired by the number of times I’ve sadly heard about students picking up injuries through sports that they’ve started at university and the disruption to club training and competitive performance that this has inevitably had.
I would absolutely make sure the smaller clubs gain a bigger voice and I aim to ensure that this legacy would outlast my term in office permanently.
Finally, anything else that gets raised during the meetings I plan to hold with every sport’s committee.
I’ll be the students’ representative, so it’s not just about me or what I want to see change, it’s what everyone else wants to see change too.
Youssef Elkarabigy, third-year Business Management and Entrepreneurship student
Why are you fit for the VP Sports role?
I believe I am fit for the VP Sports role because of my experience in sports.
I grew up being involved in sports throughout my whole life.
I got involved in many different sports professionally and non-professionally.
I used to do equestrian before university and I was a national champion three years in a row.
I have participated in three different international events which gave me more experience.
Another main reason that makes me fit for this role is that I am self-motivated, and I work hard until I get all my goals achieved.
For example, during my time at NTIC I wanted to join the NTU Boxing team, but I did not have enough experience to go for trials, so I decided to practice this whole year in a boxing academy.
In my first year at NTU I was successful in trials, and I joined NTU Advanced Boxing Team.
In my final year, I am taking part in NTU 1st Handball Team and looking forward to BUCS at the end of this month.
With my passion and experience, I can provide value to this role, and I would love to build a strong community at NTU Sport.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
One thing that sets me apart from other candidates is my different experiences.
I have been involved in so many different sports, whether it’s individual or team sports, which gives me the advantage to be able to understand the sports clubs more.
Also, finishing a seven-month internship gives an advantage over other candidates
During my time at the internship, I used to work in the public relations department which gave me the experience of communicating with different mindsets and big companies, as well as organising huge events.
What changes will you make to NTU Sports if elected?
I would love to create an even better NTU sports atmosphere on Wednesdays, giving home games an extra boost and promoting a university-wide interest in NTU sport.
I would also increase participation in sports to accommodate and involve those who are not interested in competition, as well as increase post-graduate and international students’ participation.
In addition to that, I would create sports executive roles for students to express their opinions and increase promotion for Varsity events to get more NTU audience.
Zachary Omitowoju, third-year Media Production student
Why are you fit for the VP Sports role?
I am fit for the role because I play quite a few sports and, therefore, I am pretty athletic.
I played basketball in primary and secondary school and I’ve been swimming since I was two years old.
I’ve also gone into rowing in my second year and it’s been quite fun.
I am also very friendly and approachable and have really good communication skills.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
What sets me apart is the awareness, the ins and outs of NTU Sport and my understanding of how things operate within NTU Sport, as well as my experience with sports here.
I am focused and passionate about sports and it’s definitely brought out the best in me.
Rowing has brought out a side in me that I didn’t know existed, especially as I am from Nigeria where we don’t have rowing clubs.
I’d also say I’m empathic, fair, yet firm, and a team leader who plays well.
NTU’s always offered me an opportunity when it comes to sports and this VP role would really speak into that for me moving forward.
What changes will you make to NTU Sports if elected?
I’d like the promotion and support of non-Varsity sports to increase.
I’d also like to see more support for women in sport and moving schemes that are already in place, such as This Girl Can, and moving that forward and see how we can progress women in sport.
I’d also like to try something new in terms of sustainability in sports and see how much further we can improve in terms of being eco-friendly at NTU Sport.
I think that’s something that’s really important and really timely in terms of climate change and seeing how sport can be more eco-friendly, as well as accessible.
The candidates’ full manifestos can be read here.
For more information about when hustings and voting will take place, click here.