Latest Leeds Rhinos star has one eye on coaching career

The 19 year-old from Leeds, who made her debut for the Rhinos earlier this summer, is part of an apprenticeship programme run by national charity Coach Core Foundation, set up as part of the legacy of the 2012 Olympics to give opportunities for young people to develop careers as community sports coaches.

Short, who made the step up to the women’s first team from the under 19’s, coaches in local schools as part of her apprenticeship which she hopes will offer her the opportunity of a full-time job when she graduates next year with the ultimate ambition of becoming a PE teacher.

She said: “I went down this route because I love being active, but an apprenticeship, especially in sports coaching, is not something many people my age would consider. For me it’s a better option than university as it gives you hands on experience and training on the job which is so important when entering the job market and there also isn’t the worry of a potential lifetime of debt. I’d love one day be an inspiring PE teacher."

She added: “Although, I’m not long into the apprenticeship, I’m already loving coaching children, teaching them new physical and mental skills. We coach a whole range of different drills and activities in sessions and it’s brilliant to see them enjoying it and wanting to come back and play. It’s helping them get active but also introducing them to rugby league."

Short will be hoping to join over 1,000 young people who have graduated from the Coach Core programme since 2012. The charity recently announced plans to deliver 500 new apprenticeships over the next three years, including a number in Yorkshire, as part of their new strategy and a call on the government to prioritise and invest in sports apprenticeships to help tackle the current youth unemployment crisis.

Chief Executive, Gary Laybourne, said: “The sport and physical activity sector is the poor relation to other traditional sectors when it comes to apprenticeships. We know that sport has a unique appeal to young people, especially in Yorkshire, yet it accounts for less than 1% of apprenticeships nationwide. It needs to be taken more seriously and prioritised as a career opportunity especially for those from marginalised backgrounds.”

“Whilst we can play our small part, it requires the government to work more closely with the sector as a whole to take advantage of the huge opportunity offered by sport to tackle long term youth unemployment, help drive economic activity and growth and give life changing opportunities to those young people who need them most.”