Chris Collinson Interview

Chris Collinson is aiming to 'take sport to the next level'

Why do you want to be AU President?

Sport has, since this university was built, been the poor relation both in terms of funding and recognition. This is because people have believed that there’s no need for us to be a top sporting university because we’re a top academic one. But this excuse doesn’t stick, because last year we finished 48th in BUSA, whilst our academic rivals Warwick finished 22nd and Durham finished 6th. That, to me, doesn’t seem right.

Thankfully, the arrival of the new Head of the Sports Centre has seen the university start to pay attention to the state of sport at York, and as a result we are approaching one of the most exciting times for sport at York for years. We are at a vital crossroads in our sporting history. Pick the wrong candidate, and we will continue to plod along in mid-table obscurity, and the university's funding chequebook will close, with no-one knowing when it will open again. The recently-passed "Sport at York" motion is a great step in the right direction, but we need to build on it: because I believe that, with reform of coaching, media coverage and funding, there is no reason why we cannot become one of the top 20 universities for sport in the UK, and I would love to be given the opportunity to help lead us there.

Why do you think you should be AU President?

I think I should be AU President for a number of reasons. Firstly, I think I should do the job because of the knowledge I have and the research I have done on the state of sport at York. I think the AU President needs to be knowledgeable about all sports clubs, not just his own, and I’ve achieved this by being Sports Co-Editor of the Yorker for the past year, which has kept me informed of and given me the opportunity to research the majority of sports on campus.

I've sat in on AU Executive meetings since last year, so I'm up-to-date and familiar with the administrative goings-on at York at the moment. I've also, since the start of this term, met over 20 club presidents to ask their opinion on how we could improve not only their club, but York sport as a whole. I can guarantee that if I won, I would meet the remaining club presidents before I actually start the job in July to make myself the most well-informed AU President that York has ever had!

I have already met the Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Jane Grenville, who is Head of the Sports Policy Committee and responsible for improving sport at York, and John Moran, the Head of the Sports Centre, to discuss how sport can be improved, and they are both in full support of my policies and what I would want to achieve as AU President next year. The funding is there: like I said, the university have woken up and put sport near the top of the agenda now. My policies are supported and attainable.

I think I should also do the job because I believe that the AU President needs to have the relevant management experience and business acumen to improve the AU. I think I have this in abundance, and the Yorker itself is the proof. At the very beginning of its development, I was the Managing Director of the Yorker and played a significant part in helping transform it from an idea into what it is today. I have the history of making ambitious ideas a reality, which is exactly what I am looking to do to sport at York.

With a history in rowing, I have experienced first-hand how a lack of facilities and funding is hindering York from fulfilling its true sporting potential, and I have personally experienced the sporting success that I wish to help bring to all of our athletes!

I also think I should do the job because, unlike some of the other candidates, this is the field in which I want to pursue a career (i.e. sports administration). Nothing gets me more excited and more passionate than thinking of how I can work to help our sports teams obtain the success and recognition they deserve, and I believe that this is the greatest commitment that anyone can give to the job. I can guarantee I will deliver results, even if I have to raise money for a new athletics track myself!

What are your policies? Where will the money go?

My first policy will be to bring in more professional coaching. The difference between us and the universities above us in BUSA is that they have professional coaches and we don’t. This would improve our BUSA standing, as well as help us dominate Roses. I have already investigated prices for coaching with a lot of sports presidents, and the figures are very reasonable. The Pro-Vice Chancellor is also very interested in bringing more top quality coaches to York.

My second policy concerns funding and facilities. Over the summer the Sports Centre is being renovated and the JLD and tennis/netball courts are being recarpeted. This is great, but we need to fight and make sure that university funding doesn’t stop there. I will work hard to get a new athletics track, because I believe we won’t be taken seriously by people – including prospective students – until we do, and I will also work to get insulation for the tent, because the freezing temperatures in it make sport both less enjoyable and dangerous for our athletes.

At the moment, I believe that a lack of media coverage means that both potential sponsors and our own students are unaware of the success of our sports clubs. I also believe that our sportspeople don’t get the level of recognition that their achievements deserve. I would use my experience as sports editor of the Yorker to revamp the AU website so that accurate and up-to-date fixtures and results are easily accessible, and work closely with campus and local media to raise the sporting profile of York and attract more sponsorship.

Communication between the AU and the Sports Centre is a problem that’s been identified by both parties. I would organize regular Presidents’ Committee meetings with the Sports Centre to improve communication and help us work together to achieve success. Organizing more AU socials and inter-club charity events will also help foster a greater sense of sporting unity among our clubs.

I also believe that at the moment there’s a lack of publicity and encouragement for students to earn coaching, refereeing and minibus driving qualifications. I would work closely with the North Yorkshire Sports Partnership and the York City Council – who are both very interested in helping development – to have the first well-publicised week near the start of the year for students to earn their qualifications on campus with ease.

These are just my general policies: I also have policies specific to various clubs, which I have formed whilst meeting a lot of presidents in the past few weeks.

Are you doing this just for the CV or do you really want to improve the uni?

As I mentioned earlier, I am aiming to pursue a career in sports administration, and I believe that York would be a fantastic place to start. But I think this also proves just how determined and driven I am to improve the state of sport at York, because there’s nothing more I want to do in my whole life than give athletes all the support they need to help them fulfil their sporting potential, starting with our own athletes at York.

Has Jo Carter done a good job? Where can you improve on her work?

I think Jo has done a great job. Not only has she taken charity work to a whole new level at York, she’s in fact already helped set the foundations for us to push on and become a successful sporting university. She’s been working closely with John Moran, the Head of the Sports Centre, to develop a sports policy for the university and she got the recent motion ‘Sport at York’ passed at the UGM, which was fantastic. I would look to continue with the charity work that Jo has got our university involved in, and build upon the foundations that she has built in terms of sport development to deliver the success and recognition that I believe our athletes – and our university as a whole – deserves.

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