Cian Choy
24-Year-Old Cian Choy is in his third year studying Sports and Exercise with Business at DkIT.
A volleyball sports scholar, Cian is currently team captain and club president, and is responsible for the overall running of the volleyball club, including events and training sessions and arranging fun taster sessions and beginner tournaments.
Although Cian had considered going to college in the UK, the impact of Brexit and COVID altered his decision to move away. The close proximity of DkIT to his home in Carrickmacross and being able to have support of family and friends nearby throughout his studies made choosing DkIT a no-brainer.
A past pupil of Patrician High School, Cian initially started a degree in Film and TV, before realising that it wasn’t the right choice for him. He then opted to take a year out where he worked in the sports industry, coaching at camps and working with kids across a variety of ages.
“Taking that time gave me an insight of what I’d be good at. I love socialising with people and learning how to interact with people and understanding what works best for different personalities.”
The time out confirmed that sport was the right career path for him. Cian is an advocate for young people having a balance between study and hobbies and he believes sporting clubs play a vital role in building community and easing academic pressures.
“I often talk to the kids I coach about finding their passion. It might be their course or it might be their sport. I think that if you have something you really love you’ll want to stay here and keep being part of that community.”
The practical nature of the sports and business course is what stands out most for Cian. He particularly enjoys modules such as Fundamental Movement, which he sees as vital to early athletic development.
“Getting a deeper insight into these skills is so important. As a kid, I learned how to throw or pass a ball, but now I understand why developing basic movement skills matters so much in sport.”
He also values the business and enterprise elements of the course, which offer opportunities to learn how to set up or manage a business. In third year, students can specialise, and for Cian, sport was the obvious choice. He notes that the scientific components of the course came naturally to him.
“I studied biology and physics in secondary school, and they fitted seamlessly into the course, giving me a strong head start.”
One of the most challenging but also rewarding parts of the course for Cian is the experience of being a coach.
“Leading children for the first time was a big responsibility. There are rules to follow, so you have to do it by the book, but you also have to be ready to react. If something doesn’t work out, you need to figure out what to do next on the spot.”
Through his studies, Cian has coached children and teenagers of all ages, with the 8–12 age group being his favourite. “They don’t take it quite so seriously; you can let them enjoy what they’re doing and not overthink everything.”
Balancing training and coursework was initially challenging, particularly in first year.
“It was then when I first really learned what time management was,” he laughs. The commitments also had a lot of benefits.