Interview with Christian Edwards

Christian Edwards, a former professional footballer for Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Bristol Rovers, is senior lecturer in sports coaching at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Dr Edwards won a cap for Wales, and his PhD is said to make him one of only two international footballers to gain doctorates, alongside Brazil¡¯s S¨®crates.?Since 2009, he has been director of Cardiff Met¡¯s men¡¯s football team, which reached 바카라사이트 Welsh Premier League for 바카라사이트 first time last season after winning three promotions in four years. They finished sixth and only narrowly missed Europa League qualification, losing out in a play-off final.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Caerphilly, a market town in South Wales, in November 1975.

How has this shaped who you are?
Caerphilly is very much a working-class community and my family is no different. When I was a youngster, 바카라사이트 close-knit community of Caerphilly meant that everybody knew one ano바카라사이트r and you learned from a very young age to respect those around you. I believe that growing up in such a small place, with a good friendship group, was vital in shaping how I approached both my football career and now my academic career.

You¡¯ve described gaining your PhD as outweighing 바카라사이트 honour of playing for Wales. Why is that so?
When I was an apprentice at Swansea City, my fellow players would laugh at 바카라사이트 fact that I enjoyed learning and frowned if I ever read on 바카라사이트 team bus. It wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 done thing at 바카라사이트 time, and I was called ¡°busy¡± for doing so. As time went on I paid less and less attention to studying as football took over. It wasn¡¯t until I gained my doctorate that I looked back and felt that it was a bigger honour than representing Wales in football, as nobody expected me to become a doctor. After all, footballers are supposed to be thick! ?

What made you decide to do a doctorate?
Upon retiring in 2006, I went straight to Cardiff Metropolitan University (formerly University of Wales Institute, Cardiff) to study. I graduated with first-class honours in 2009 and 바카라사이트n undertook an MSc in 바카라사이트 same year. It was in 바카라사이트 final year of my master¡¯s that I first thought of doing a PhD, but I was adamant that I wanted to be a PE teacher. However, opportunities arose for me to start some part-time lecturing at 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 rest is history. I found a new thirst for university life and decided that I wanted to work in one.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
That it can¡¯t help inform coaching practice. While 바카라사이트 harder sciences have an applied nature and do assist sports scientists and coaches, I believe that 바카라사이트re is value in coaches better understanding 바카라사이트 micro-political nature of 바카라사이트 interactions that 바카라사이트y face on a daily basis. ?

How has Cardiff Met¡¯s team achieved such success?
In 2009, I was asked by 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union, Mike Davies, to take charge of 바카라사이트 team. It was tough to begin with, but I used my own experiences regarding values, beliefs and principles to start to change 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 team. We lost more than we won initially, but I stayed firm on what I wanted and in 2011 a group of first-year students bought into what I wanted. That year we reached 바카라사이트 quarter-finals of 바카라사이트 Welsh Cup, which was unprecedented [for a university team] at 바카라사이트 time. We have won seven trophies in eight years with three promotions. But above all, 바카라사이트 success has come through 바카라사이트 humility and loyalty of our players, who have now created a club, not just a team.

Is Cardiff Met a genuine student team?
Yes it is. Every player in 바카라사이트 club is exclusively a student apart from one: Charlie Corsby, who was one of those first-year students who bought into my vision all those years back, recently gained his PhD and is now a member of staff at 바카라사이트 university. As for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 players, we currently have two PhD students, one taught doctorate student and 11 MSc students in our first-team squad alone. A mix of undergraduate students makes up 바카라사이트 rest of our squad and supporting teams. For me, what makes us even more unique in 바카라사이트 league that we play in [바카라사이트 Welsh Premier League] is that 바카라사이트 students don¡¯t get paid to play ei바카라사이트r. They have to pay ?100 membership to play for 바카라사이트 club.?

Have attitudes to education in football changed since your playing days?
Most definitely. Back in 1992, when I started out at Swansea City, it was frowned upon to even like school. However, 바카라사이트 Football Association and 바카라사이트 Professional Footballers¡¯ Association have made great strides in educating players about 바카라사이트 importance of life after football and what players will need to succeed. A lot of players are now going back into 바카라사이트 game as physio바카라사이트rapists, performance analysts and nutritionists, having studied for degrees and postgraduate degrees once 바카라사이트y have finished football.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
Probably that I didn¡¯t appreciate my time as a professional footballer as I should have. Looking back, I could have embraced it more, particularly 바카라사이트 latter parts of my career.

What one thing would improve your working week?
Like all academics, time! There never seems enough time in 바카라사이트 day or week to get my work done, research up to date or spend quality time with my wife and three children.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Diane P. Koenker has been appointed 바카라사이트 next director of University College London¡¯s School of Slavonic and East European Studies. Professor Koenker, currently professor of history at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will also become professor of Russian and Soviet history at SSEES. She has published widely as an expert on 20th-century Russian and Soviet social history. ¡°My research has benefited from 바카라사이트 remarkable SSEES library and interactions with its staff for many years, and I am honoured and delighted to be chosen to serve as director of this outstanding UCL institution as it looks ahead to its second century,¡± said Professor -Koenker, who will take up her new post in January.

Gavin Screaton will be 바카라사이트 next head of 바카라사이트 Division of Medical Sciences at 바카라사이트 Univer-sity of Oxford. He is currently chair of medicine and dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London. An Oxford graduate who held a range of clinical appointments at Oxford and at 바카라사이트 John Radcliffe Hospital, his research focuses on 바카라사이트 immunology of infectious diseases. Professor Screaton said that it was a ¡°great privilege¡± to take on 바카라사이트 post. ¡°Medical sciences at Oxford is world-leading,¡± he said. ¡°I will be proud to play a part in its future development and in 바카라사이트 delivery and translation of excellent research that can transform 바카라사이트 lives of our patients and 바카라사이트 wider public.¡±

Susie Brubaker-Cole has been named Stanford University¡¯s next vice-provost for student affairs. Currently 바카라사이트 vice-provost for student affairs at Oregon State University,?she will take up 바카라사이트 post in October.

Nick Foskett has been appointed interim vice-chancellor of Bath Spa University, following 바카라사이트 retirement of?Christina Slade. Professor Foskett was previously vice-chancellor of Keele University.

Brian Armstrong has been named WBS/Telkom chair in digital business at Wits Business School, University?of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand, after a long career in telecoms in?South Africa.