LO Cheuk Lam
Higher Diploma in Fitness, Coaching and Sports Management

I am LO Cheuk Lam, a fresh graduate of Higher Diploma in Fitness, Coaching and Sports Management. Today, we are graduated and about to unveil a new chapter in our lives. First of all, on behalf of all graduates, I would like to thank HKCT and all teaching staff for their support and encouragement.

I am interested in running when I was young. However, my secondary school did not provide any sports-related courses. Also my DSE result was not good, which led to confusion to further studies. Luckily, my family encouraged me to follow my interest and finally I enrolled in HKCT's Diploma in Fitness and Sports in 2017. HKCT's courses increased my interest in sports through theory and practice. The courses are simple and concise which enable me to grasp the basic knowledge and skills of fitness and sports. After the Diploma programme, I progressed to the Higher Diploma in Fitness, Coaching and Sports Management in HKCT.

The content of the two-year Higher Diploma programme is more intensive. Besides the two main modules, sport coaching and management, the programme also include sports trauma, individual and team sports training and sports psychology, which improve the communication and leadership skills of a coach. In the module of sports trauma, I learned how to deal with injuries for myself or trainees. It makes me realise that a coach is not someone who only teaches sports skills to trainees, but also someone who should understand the trainees' needs, so as to provide them with support and suitable training advices.

Besides a diversity of programmes, HKCT also has the Department of Student Development which provides us different activities and services to explore students' potential, broaden our social networking, and even let us apply what we learn from classroom to show our strengths. For example, I established the Basketball Association under the assistance of the Department of Student Development and teachers when I was studying the first year of the Higher Diploma programme. I noticed that HKCT students like to play basketball in their spare time. The Basketball Association aims to organize different basketball activities for people who are interested in basketball. The Association not only brings students a sense of belonging to HKCT, but also establish a positive learning atmosphere. The establishment of the Basketball Association is exactly applying what I have learned from lessons. The Association cannot develop smoothly and enrich students' school life without the help of the Department of Student Development.

I have not only enhanced my understanding of the sports industry but also learned that sport is not limited to one career as a coach. Instead, it also includes event planners, sports media and therapists which can help me to build up interests in event planning. To further strengthen my knowledge of event management and planning, I am going to enroll the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) in Sports Management with Coaching in the coming days.

HKCT filled me up with colors from a blank sheet, increasing my knowledge of sports and fitness. HKCT teaching staff is just like our friends. They help us solve problems and difficulties patiently by sharing their valuable experiences with us. I would like to thank the teachers who taught me (especially CHENG Kwok Ho, Oliver and WAN Zhen Hao, Zeco) and the staff of the Department of Student Development (Brian, Tata and Sony) for their support and encouragement over the past two years, so that I can set up a clear direction for future development.

The ups and downs in these two years will never be faded away by time. I hope that all of you can bring along with what you have learned in HKCT and sail out a new chapter in your future study or work.

Once again, on behalf of the graduating class, I would like to show my heartful thankfulness to Dr Chan, President of HKCT and teachers for your support and cultivation. I wish you all the best. Thank you!