Holly has the Edge in sport

Holly Espie and Mark Fagan, Sports Lecturer, at Hopwood Hall College's Higher Education Graduation Ceremony which was held in Rochdale Town Hall

Holly Espie has had a passion for sport, especially football, from an early age. When she started at Hopwood Hall College in 2009, aged 16, she knew that she wanted to teach sport in colleges. She enrolled on the College’s Football Academy.

Now age 23, and with a degree under her belt, she has secured a coveted place at Edge Hill University to complete a Further Education PGCE, making her one step closer to her dream job.

Holly explains: “The Football Academy BTEC wasn’t easy and I had to work hard to complete all of the assignments, at the same time as doing lots of football training, but I was delighted to get a distinction.

“In the two years I played ladies football for Hopwood Hall College, we did not lose a single game and every competition we entered, we won.

“While on the course, I completed my FA Level 1 football coaching qualification. Since then, I’ve run my own football team at Curzon Ashton Football Club (my girls were champions last season).”

With her BTEC distinction in hand, Holly was accepted at Manchester Metropolitan University to study sport science. Within the first few weeks of study, though, she realised that she was not enjoying it and left.

She knew that she wanted to go back to university, but didn’t know where, so she went back to the college she was so happy at, to ask for advice.

The following September she was back at Hopwood Hall College, starting the foundation degree in Sports Development and Coaching.

Holly said: “The foundation degree was difficult, but the encouragement and support I got from the tutors on the course helped me through it.

“Thanks in no small part to the tutor support, my grades from the foundation degree were good enough for me to go on and complete a top-up year at Manchester Metropolitan University, achieving a full degree.

Yet again, the college helped Holly during university by giving her work placement in the sports department at the college. The work experience was crucial for Holly in gaining a place at Edge Hill University to complete a Further Education PGCE.

Holly is extremely grateful to the college for helping her to realise her dreams, she said: “I am currently completing my PGCE, and I am, yet again, on placement at Hopwood Hall College. I teach at both the college’s Middleton campus and at Manchester City Stadium, the Etihad. Working at the Etihad provides me with much needed experience that cannot be gained in a classroom setting. I am so grateful to the tutors and staff and the college for helping me get this far.”