WORKING IN SPORT JOHN PAPADOPOULOS

WORKING IN SPORT

BY JOHN PAPADOPOULOS (98-08)

Whilst studying at RGS, I was a competitive swimmer, for both school and my local team. My main achievements for the school were representing the school in the English Schools’ Swimming Association (ESSA) relay national finals, the John Parry relays (Northern HMC), the Bath Cup and Otter Medley (London) along with my teammates Andrew Barrett (9808), Stephen Addison (01-08), Remus Winn (97-07), and Chris Dixon (99-09).

John (far left), with Team USA Select Basketball team

Ihave always thoroughly enjoyed taking part

in competitive sport, the thrill of beating my personal best times making it all the more enjoyable. Even as a spectator, watching others perform to their best was an incentive to train and compete at a higher level (even to push myself with my studies – I always had a competitive drive to attain the highest possible grades).

Since leaving RGS, I have graduated with a Masters Degree in Physiotherapy, worked primarily within Newcastle for both the NHS and private sector, including recently starting my own private physiotherapy clinic just off Clayton Road. Outside of my private clinic, I am the First Team Physiotherapist for Blaydon Rugby Club. I work with some of the players who have previously studied at RGS: Alex Clark (98-05), Chidera Obonna (08-19) who plays for both Blaydon and Newcastle Falcons Senior Academy, Tom Penny (03-13) who currently coaches at Blaydon and plays for the Newcastle Falcons. I have also worked with Matt Thompson (91-01) who was formerly the Director of Rugby at Blaydon, and previously played at the Newcastle Falcons. Blaydon are in the fifth division (North Premiership), and are aiming for promotion back into National League 2.

Since qualifying, my love for sport enticed me to work alongside many local teams. Starting with a local swimming club, and rugby club, to more recently with Northumbria University’s Netball Super League team (the top flight netball league in the UK), to working full time in the

I feel as though RGS has definitely helped me improve my confidence to communicate clearly whilst in a high-pressured environment.”

Performance Sports Department at Northumbria University. During my time working for Northumbria University, I was the Physiotherapist at the England Invitational Rugby Union 7s tournament, Lead Physiotherapist for Northumbria University’s men’s basketball team, men’s and women’s football teams, and the men’s rugby union team (when they finished second in the British Universities and Colleges BUCS Super Rugby 2017-18).

Working in sport has its highs and lows, as to be expected. Some of the more memorable ones include:

Working as the pitch side Physiotherapist for Northumbria University against Hartpury University. We were behind and managed to pull back an unexpected away win, in what was pretty dire conditions after a few of the players had picked up some major soft tissue injuries, made worse by the thick fog that covered the pitch, making it extremely difficult to see the players from the touchline during the game. Physiotherapist for Team USA Select Basketball since 2014, primarily when they take on one of the UK’s most successful basketball teams –Newcastle Eagles. The Americans beat the Eagles in an exciting down-to-the-wire win by one point on 3 September 2019, with less than a second to spare.

Thankfully pitch side first aid has moved on since the ‘sponge and cold water’ era, however you find that sometimes you are essentially in at the deep end, being the only person during a game or sporting event with any training in traumatic injury management. For example, training includes relocating fractured limbs to ensuring safe management of a player from the time of injury through until they reach hospital.

I feel as though RGS has definitely helped me improve my confidence to communicate clearly whilst in a high-pressured environment. Including improving my confidence when networking, resulting in me setting up physiotherapy links with Team USA Select Basketball. The school also helped me improve other essential life skills such as discipline, being autonomous and working effectively in a team, including acting in a more professional manner. All of which have definitely had a profound effect on my ability to work as a clinical and pitch side Physiotherapist, ensuring I am confident and competent in performing quick, yet thorough injury assessments, including relaying appropriate injury management information to the Director of Sport or Coach as needed. I am grateful for the skills that I have learned from my time at RGS.