College can turn out a good sport
RAveeNA PATeL hopes to inspire other young women to get involved in sport.
This autumn, the 17year-old keen cricketer will begin the second year of her Level 3 sport and exercise sciences diploma at Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet).
she will have the opportunity to focus more on sports massage and therapy, a career path she eventually hopes to follow.
raveena, from north Birmingham, says: ‘I’d like to study sports therapy at university, so want to learn as much as I can about physiology and anatomy.
‘At college you get more freedom with how you learn and this prepares you for university.
‘BMet has a big library you can stay behind late and work in when you need to. There’s a really good gym where I can do cardio and leg workouts.’ raveena studies fitness testing, sports performance and nutrition and she is required to complete 30 hours of work experience in a sporting capacity.
she also volunteers as an event coordinator at the Birmingham schools Winter Games and during the local Panathlon Challenge tournament for students with disabilities.
raveena plays netball for BMet, but her main passion is cricket: she joined Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s women’s team in 2016 — and toured south Africa.
In addition, she is a member of teams at BMet, Walmley Cricket Club and Aston Manor Cricket Club. ‘At school, I was also into football, judo, rugby, rounders, badminton and athletics, but cricket became my main sport.
‘There’s a good mix of male and female students at college, and the women are involved in all kinds of sports.
‘We encourage each other as we understand what it’s like to manage your assignments, your training, being in competitions and coaching or volunteering.
‘This is a great time to be involved in sport. There are so many role models out there.’
For more information about BMet, log onto www.bmet.ac.uk