Football icon and Alex Ferguson’s right-hand man Mike Phelan shared his coaching tips in an exclusive session with students at Burnley College – which saw both sports and media students practice their skills.
Students studying sport coaching and sports science across all levels engaged in an enlightening masterclass led by the former Premier League coach.
Media learners used the day as a way to test their skills and produce photos and video of the day. Their professional-level photographs have been used to illustrate this article.
The afternoon kicked off in the college’s sports hall with an inspiring session on careers in professional sport where Mike shared his journey from playing to coaching at the highest level.
The learners gained invaluable advice on how to succeed in the challenging and competitive industry.
Students then took to the college’s advanced 4G pitch for a real-world coaching session, where Mike led drills based around the same ones which allowed him to coach Man United to legendary levels. He also shared tactical insights and gave real-time feedback.
His team was particularly impressed with Burnley College and Fitness Evolution’s facilities. Mike said:
“They are exceptional – equivalent to academy level facilities.
“The strength and conditioning focus is perfect and the college uses the right technology for improvement and development.
“The students get an immersive experience as to what an industry setting is really like in professional football.”
To end the day, the students were given the opportunity for a q and a with the renowned coach, gaining a deeper insight into the mindset, discipline and passion required to succeed in elite sport.
Explore Fitness Evolution and Burnley College’s professional-level sports facilities at their upcoming Open Evenings: www.burnley.ac.uk/whats-on
The video of the event was created by Burnley College Media students.
