The road to research

By Georgia Brown, Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science (Honours)

There’s never a dull moment in my house – between three daughters, a mother, father and a dog, you can imagine how loud it can be! Not only that, we are an active family – sport has been a huge part of my life. My mum was a professional ballerina and a dance teacher for many years, and I followed in her footsteps by becoming a dancer too. Likewise, my dad and I are incredibly passionate about football. I’ve played football since I was seven years old. In high school as well, I was a Dance Captain, House Captain and (Sports) Prefect!

Currently, I am working as a running coach for state and national youth runners (sprint/athletics as well as long distance/cross country) and am also a boxing fitness instructor.

I originally completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Exercise and Sport Science. It was during this initial degree that I found a love for science. Admittedly, I always preferred the sport science aspect of it, rather than the exercise. Because of that, I wanted to focus on this area more.

Starting at UTS, the Moore Park precinct is the ideal location to study sport science. It hosts many of Australia’s leading sport scientists and sport science researchers. Deciding to complete my Honours here has been the perfect opportunity to pursue my interest in sport science.

My research is investigating the sleep habits, physical activity levels and perceived well-being of elite youth football players.

I am specifically looking at whether there is a difference in these factors between early and late football season as well as holidays and school term. The research will also aim to determine whether there is any difference in the factors between those attending Sports High Schools and those at regular High Schools.

I’m working with a youth academy team in Sydney and it was this population group that appealed to me. Whether I’m a player, coach or spectator, I am always passionate about football! Plus, working with adolescent elite athletes is something I thoroughly enjoy.

If you’re considering research, I have two pieces of advice:

Make sure you choose a topic you’re really interested in.
Make sure you choose a good supervisor.

This is the advice I received prior to starting my Honours and it has definitely helped!

The topic is important because you end up reading more on the topic than you can ever imagine – if you’re interested in the topic, you’ll maintain interest and motivation.

On the other hand, the relationship you have with lecturers as an undergraduate student completely transforms when you become a research student. It becomes a partnership, so having a supervisor who is quick to respond, meets with you frequently, provides constructive feedback and is interested in your project helps the Honours year run smoothly and minimises your stress.

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