The Alberta Adventure...

A little one for you today, and a quick update on my life for those who are interested, for those who are not I would assume will not have come as so far as to read this blog. You may have been wondered what the hell all my little facebook status updates have been all about in recent times. Well, I shall explain. I have been on the hunt for a PhD in recent times, I applied to four universities, two in Canada and two in the UK. I recently received an offer from the University of Alberta within the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. The university is situated in central Canada (Google it if you like), and I shall be starting my great 4 year pursuit of a PhD on the 25th August, I will most likely fly out on the 24th or the 17th August (one for your diaries).

My PhD will hopefully be a cross comparison study of the structural and organisational developments of the priority national sporting governing bodies as a result of continual changes and shifts in funding patterns. For a greater detail of all this, do see my previous blog entitled 'my pursuit of educational excellence', it contains a full version of my UK specific proposal which I developed last year, and intend to adapt to make a cross comparison study next year. My supervisors name is Dr Marvin Washington (american, if you hadn't already guessed), who is an organsiational sociologist. He combines business and organisational theory and applies to the realm of sporting academia. His work is brilliant. I really cant wait to go, I am so so excited by the prospect, and see it as a massive 'big break' and an opportunity to really make something of myself, and genuinely just do something I really enjoy. I always find the opportunity to do a PhD akin to a project to would do as a kid (just obviously a tad more complex and more adult like). Its like being asked to do a project on the one thing you like the most as a kid, like a 'building castles project' or something, and you spend countless hours on it, because you find it genuinely fun, and in this case, you get paid to do it and see one of the most beautiful countries in the world. result. Anyway, that is my (poor) analogy to explain how I feel about it. I cant stop thinking about going, and about Alberta, and the adventures that await across the Atlantic, across the great pond.

I say this not as an empty nicety or polite sign off, but as a truly meant gesture, I will miss you all deeply, and a select few will be truly heart wrenching to leave, I hope that if you would like to visit, or if you are for whatever reason 'in the neighborhood' and by that I mean the continent (large neighborhood you see), do pay me a visit, and hopefully next time we meet I can show and share with you a new world of mine :)

x9