Aidan was no stranger to sports psychology, having studied it before his time at The University of Central Lancashire. He always enjoyed learning about the psychological characteristics of sport performance and knew he wanted to specialise in performance analysis despite having very limited practical experience.
Aidan’s passion for the subject was ignited after previously volunteering with London Bee’s Football Club in 2016 as a Performance Analyst during their season in the Women’s Championship. It was then he received an opportunity to complete a MSc in Sports Coaching at UCLan whilst working as an Academy Analyst with Fleetwood Town Football Club.
This studentship allowed Aidan to get his foot in the door at a category three academy, master industry specific software, and learn to understand what skills were required to operate in an elite sporting environment.
Thinking back to his time at UCLan, Aidan has nothing but fond memories, “I have nothing but great memories of my time at UCLan. From the animal walks in the sports hall, Danny Massaro’s crazy lectures, to the zoom calls during COVID.” Aidan said.
"My experience studying and collaborating with the lecturers at UCLan has had a massive impact on my career."
— Aidan Adamson, MSc Sports Coaching graduate
He recalls his tutors playing a key role in his learning development. “My experience studying and collaborating with the lecturers at UCLan has had a massive impact on my career. I owe a lot to Craig Wright who was my mentor at UCLan. He dedicated a lot of time to support my development, push me out of my comfort zone, and identify solutions to issues I experienced both on a personal and professional level. He pointed me in the right direction when designing the analysis programme at Fleetwood Town and provided me with insights I wouldn’t have noticed myself when reflecting on my portfolio. These pieces of work helped identify my personal philosophy, which has, in turn, helped me secure employment.” Aidan said.
Aidan currently works as a Youth Phase Academy Analyst at Manchester United. He works with the Foundation (U9–U13) and Youth Development Phase (U14) to cultivate a positive, player-centred, and engaging learning environment that allows players to build their love for analysis and the game, while enriching their childhood and building their personal skills that will assist them in everyday life. Securing this role was by far Aidan’s greatest achievement, although there were many more moments in his career that made him feel proud of how far he had come. One of these moments was supporting Fleetwood Town U18’s to reach the F.A. Youth Cup Fifth Round for the first time in the club’s history.
If Aidan had any advice for prospective students, it’d be to “make yourself stand out from the crowd. Be innovative, investigate the latest pieces of research, speak with your lecturers. I would also advise students to go the extra mile and take pride in your work.”
