Corey Lawlor, a former Rochdale Study Programme learner between 2020 and 2022, has just completed his third and final year studying for a Sports Analysis Degree at the University of Derby.
LFE visited the university recently to catch up with Corey and find out more about his journey from study programme learner to budding sports analyst.
What made you choose the study programme at Rochdale after leaving school?
When I left school, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I then got the offer from Rochdale and despite not ever seeing myself working in the world of sport, my decision to go to Rochdale helped me figure out what I wanted to do and provided me with the platform to go and achieve it.
What did you enjoy most about the programme?
The thing about the programme I really liked was the fact that it was all assignments based with no exams. This taught me how to manage different workloads which has proven to be a really useful skill at university. I was also given the opportunity to do some work experience during my time on programme, doing some coaching at the Trust’s soccer camps which was great as it gave me my first taste of working in sport.
How did you see yourself develop during your time on programme?
I grew up a lot during my time at Rochdale. We had a really close-knit group and because the group was smaller than you’d be in at a standard college we got lots of one-to-one support. The support was great, especially from LFE. We’d also have guest speakers coming in to talk to us and share their experiences with us. This was really helpful too.
How did the opportunity to go to university after leaving Rochdale come about?
It came towards the end of the programme when we started looking more closely at next steps, whether that be applying for jobs or applying for universities. After my experience on the programme at Rochdale I realised I definitely wanted to work in sport. I decided to go down the analysis pathway and received backing from my tutors and LFE to go on and pursue this at university.
What influenced your decision to choose the University of Derby?
I’ve always been quite technology centred so analysis seemed like the best option for me personally. I came down to the University of Derby for the open day and really liked it. Derby has the best analysis degree, and the numbers show they also have the best record of graduates finding work in the professional world. The facilities and equipment available are also industry standard.
For those who aren’t aware, give a bit of insight into what sports analysis is?
Analysis is very much data driven, so you’re going down the facts route. Obviously with a lot of coaching on the pitch it’s all subjective and opinions based, whereas analysis is there to offer that objective view on things, gathering statistics on aspects of the game such as progressive passes, running stats, defensive contributions etc, using software such as sports code and VEO. It’s a massive aid for not only player development but coach development too.
You’ve gained lots of work experience during your time as an undergraduate, tell us about this?
My first piece of work experience was during my first year working with a local non-league team called Ilkeston Town. That was my first experience of being thrown in the deep end and having to adjust to working in a professional/semi-professional environment.
In my second and third year I then began working for Derby County’s women’s team. This was another step up for me but one I really enjoyed as it was even more demanding and performance driven, so I had to get on board with that right away. We managed to win a trophy during my first season there and that is probably the highlight of my degree, knowing I contributed to that success.
I’m now working with FIFA as a tournament analyst. At FIFA my role is to gather statistics on a single player during a match and that is used to compile match reports. It’s all publicly available data and it’s nice to see it and know some of that work is mine.
You recently worked on the Club World Cup with FIFA, how was that experience?
Yes, I recently worked on the first ever reformed FIFA Club World Cup. This was interesting as we were working on Miami hours as the data needed to be provided live, so I was starting work at 5pm and finishing at half one in the morning which took a bit of getting used to. It’s FIFA, the best of the best, so the demands were really high, and it was a massive learning curve, but definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I owe a lot to the university for the opportunity, and through them I also owe a lot to LFE and Rochdale because they provided me with the foundation to get to university and in the end have these experiences.
Now you’ve graduated, what are your plans moving forward?
I would love to become a full-time analyst in football. I’m starting my Master’s in September here at the University of Derby and alongside that I’ve secured an internship with Doncaster Rovers Academy. I’m really looking forward to this and learning more about talent development and academy performance.
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into the industry?
If you want to work in this industry or any industry, the most important thing is getting that experience. Every employer will ideally like you to have some sort of experience, so if you’re provided with an opportunity to get some, that baseline of experience will give you the platform to progress.