Dani, Sports placement, Crete

The motivation

I knew this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The placement

My placement was with the coaching team for the Greek women’s super league football team. I was based at two different locations: the University of Crete, and their normal training ground.

My supervisor, Nikos, was very welcoming and gave me different tasks to complete. These included video analyses, set up drills, and giving feedback to the players.

My supervisor told me ‘It’s not about the drill, it’s about what you want to
achieve through the drill.’ I sat through a union meeting and gained an  understanding of the legal rights the players have. I learnt about the treatment of the players and how it differs in different countries.

The location

I liked how the hotel was like the centre point and everything around it was in a big circle, and I wouldn’t get lost.

The people in Rethymno were really welcoming and friendly and the food was delicious.

The motivation

I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to gain some real professional experience whilst travelling with my friends. I did not need to prepare much as everything was sorted for me.

The placement

Most of my tasks involved body work and painting the vehicles but I was also able to do mechanical tasks like replacing the fans, suspensions and oil filters, etc.

The location

Working in a Spanish company allowed me to develop my communication skills as I had to interact with Spanish speaking people on a daily basis.

I was a bit nervous at the start but realised that everyone responded well when I used my body language, and learned some key Spanish phrases. I also loved communicating with locals when my group would explore the area in the evenings.

The best thing about the destination for me was to experience the rich Andalusian culture and local Roman Catholic belief, and view the many related heritage sites.