Month: January 2025
What is HUMKK? Athlete Student, Ask Your Study Counselor!
Metropolia is currently preparing for the Pro-Athlete UAS status audit, which will be held in March 2025. In this blog series, Metropolia's top and competitive athlete students, as well as staff and partners involved in HUMKK preparations, will have their say. Introducing Paula Lindqvist, a Long-time University of Applied Sciences Expert and Study Counselor Paula has extensive experience as a study counselor and vocational special education teacher, and for some time as a degree program coordinator. Her job also includes being the contact person for athlete students. Her daily work largely consists of guiding students: study plans, matters related to taking study breaks, considering and completing unfinished studies fill many workdays. Being a study counselor at a university of applied sciences is very versatile and lively work: the job description includes many different types of tasks, not all of which are necessarily related to each other. It is then good to remember how these things can be tied together into event chains – or delegated to the right party in collaboration with colleagues. What is the Current Situation of Athlete Students at Metropolia: How Many Are There, What Sports Do They Represent, and What Kind of Issues Do They Turn to You For? The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Sports Academy Urhea has reported about 30 athlete students to us, and the number is certainly higher when including other goal-oriented competitive and high-performance athletes. Metropolia also has league-level athletes who may not have realized their status as high-performance students or simply do not feel the need for additional support in their studies due to the existing flexibility. By systematically informing study plan advisors, tutors, and study counselors, we can get a broader and more accurate picture of high-performance students at Metropolia. The open pathway for athletes also supports identification. Describe a Typical Workday in Handling Student and Athlete Student Matters There are generally no two identical workdays, although there are almost always student meetings. The basic work routine includes many different team meetings (e.g., Counselor Team, Special Education Team) and meetings with students and study psychologists, counselor info sessions, and similar sessions, as well as study technique info sessions for new groups. I also try to participate in training webinars whenever possible. A very large part of the work involves responding to emails from students, teachers, and external parties: answering questions and inquiries from applicants, high school counselors, and TE services advisors. What Kind of Athlete Student Issues Do You Want to Influence and How? Firstly, to be able to see different strengths: people produce skills in various fields, such as culture and art. Applicants who want to study with a sports focus are important to us, and their skill development is seen as versatile, thus avoiding confrontation such as art vs. sports – a student can and often is talented in both! I hope for administrative action. If a student with a competitive or sports background at Metropolia needs discretionary study time because of the demands of sport, we must act equally because we want to encourage the student to succeed in their dual career, i.e. developing two types of competences at the same time. Additional expertise: a special merit pathway could possibly also come to Metropolia, as it is in some other higher education institutions. We could investigate this. It is important to develop teachers' understanding, e.g., when an athlete is in the national team or a team, which we at the institution do not always fully understand (yet). Commitment and participation in essential sports-related events are important for the athlete, and athlete students are usually very conscientious. Study schedules need to be even more flexible in these areas. Greetings to Athlete Students Aspiring to Metropolia As a university of applied sciences at the beginning of its HUMKK path, Metropolia works hard and listens sensitively to its students in this matter as well. Cooperation with METKA is already being done on the athlete student issue. Additionally: from cheerleaders to weightlifters, the range of sports among our students is absolutely amazing! There are even sports that one didn't realize existed, such as underwater rugby (an example of a graduated student). Our students have potential and skills! It is worth promoting the academic recognition of sports and the joy of one's own sport!
Annika: Competitive Athlete and Student
Annika, a 26-year-old working Master's student and volleyball player: I have always enjoyed all kinds of sports and, in addition to volleyball, I also played ice hockey and soccer as a child. I also play padel and badminton to varying degrees. Besides volleyball, I spend almost all my free time in the summer playing beach volleyball at Hietaniemi beach. You could say that I identify very strongly as a competitive athlete, as I spend the most time on it throughout the year. Volleyball as a Sport I started playing volleyball at the age of 6, inspired by my mother and older brother. Playing volleyball and team sports teach children very important group and leadership skills, which are still useful today, for example, in work and study life. Through volleyball and beach volleyball, I have also made many friends. Although teams have changed over the years, friendships have remained. Volleyball is a very tactical and technical sport. There is always something to learn, even after 18 years of playing. Although basic skills can be learned at a young age, development never stops, and skills are honed to perfection, which may never be fully achieved. Every opponent is different, and you have to adapt very quickly to what the opponent is doing in the games. Volleyball also requires mental strength, as your individual performance must be at a high level if you want to succeed in games. These pressures must be endured from match to match. Master's Studies at Metropolia Outside of volleyball, I work in training and developing patient information systems. After working for the two years required for Master's studies, I started exploring further study opportunities through Opintopolku. I knew I was interested in all forms of digitalization, but I didn't know what universities of applied sciences had to offer. I found a Master's program in digital services expertise in the social and health sector offered by Metropolia. After reading more about this program, it was actually quite easy for me to choose this program. It had everything I hoped for in further studies. Scheduling I started my studies in the fall of 2023, and in addition to this, I have been working between 80-100% of full-time hours. It goes without saying that combining competitive sports, studies, and work has sometimes been challenging. Although there are enough hours in the day to accomplish everything, it is also important to remember to rest, recover, and maintain a social life. A typical week often includes a normal workday, 6-7 training sessions, a game day, and school assignments. Due to my day job, I often cannot attend lectures. In this program, it has been particularly important to me that I can advance my studies on my own time, as all lectures can be recorded and watched later. Additionally, all lectures are remote, which greatly eases a busy schedule. There have been some group assignments, and I have been able to complete some of them by juggling my own schedules. However, sometimes it has been impossible to complete group work due to scheduling challenges, and in such cases, teachers have offered the possibility of taking exams, which has suited my situation well. Study Support at Metropolia In the program, the ideation and planning of the thesis start very early, which gives more time to work on it. My thesis supervisor has been very understanding about the progress of the work but constantly encourages and guides me to keep working on the thesis. I am satisfied with the guidance also from the perspective that students are required to make progress despite competitive sports or other things that may slow it down. However, I have chosen to combine competitive sports and studies, and I should not expect to get a lot of relief from study-related matters. As a competitive athlete, I must accept that I may not be able to graduate on time if I want to take care of my mental well-being during my studies. Therefore, it has been reassuring to know that studies can be done more at my own pace, keeping certain deadlines in mind. Factors for Endurance Many people ask me how I manage to study, work, and compete in sports at the same time. As strange as it sounds, playing volleyball helps me cope with everyday life. When you love the sport you get to play every day, everyday life doesn't feel heavy. Of course, constant communication with my coach, supervisor, and tutor teacher is also central. An athlete must also recognize when to lighten training and when to take a whole day off from training. I have also found that clear scheduling of when I do school assignments helps me. You need to find the methods that work best for you. It is very important for an athlete to have a support network to rely on in difficult times, and I am grateful for mine. Greetings to Applicants Competitive sports and this program fit very well together because the studies are completely remote and all lectures are recorded. So, if you can't attend a lecture due to work or a competition trip, you can delve into the week's topics better on a day off. There aren't many lectures, but more independent work is done. In terms of group work, it is good to be prepared in advance that you will likely have to take more exams if your training and competition schedule does not allow for group work. And if you do group work, you need to invest just as much in it, whether you are a competitive athlete or not. However, I definitely recommend further studies so that there is something to do after a sports career. It is also worth exploring scholarship options, for example, from the URA-Foundation.
Tomi-Pekka: Elite Athlete, Paramedic Student, and Mixed Cheerleading Ambassador
Tomi-Pekka is a 27-year-old mixed cheerleading athlete who moved to Helsinki from Vaasa in 2018. An athlete who trains at the gym and plays football, he wanted to combine team training with weightlifting. In Vaasa, there were only women's cheerleading teams, so Tomi-Pekka decided to try mixed cheerleading and was hooked after the first training sessions. Now he is in his sixth year in the sport. Another major hobby is motorsports and car building: Tomi-Pekka has several motorcycle and car projects underway for friends and for sale. He doesn't need rest days: cheer and gym workouts also serve as recovery in his daily life, especially as a counterbalance to long study days. Sport: Cheerleading Tomi-Pekka is the base in formations, and the cheerleaders he supports are the flyers. It's easy to keep going in cheerleading: practically only your imagination limits the stunts you can perform, and the limitless nature of the sport is fascinating. It is a competitive sport, with 30 people on the team, and everyone encourages each other to succeed. Training together and working together is certainly a strong motivator within the team. Memorable experiences include the World Championships in Orlando in 2020 and the first World Championship bronze medal, and of course, a successful routine remains a warm memory. Studying to Become a Paramedic at Metropolia Tomi-Pekka has wanted to become a paramedic for a long time: he discussed his career path with a study counselor in high school and applied three times before getting into the desired program. Metropolia was chosen for several reasons: his current partner studies there, making the place familiar, and the modern, spacious campus facilities and clean overall appearance were appealing. Tomi-Pekka praises the quality and professionalism of the paramedic lecturers at Metropolia. He also feels that the lecturers' own career paths have been successful: there are field leaders, those who have worked in helicopters, and teachers with strong social and health care field experience. The only criticism Tomi-Pekka mentions about Metropolia's studies is the short duration of the internship, five weeks, whereas, for example, at SAMK and LAB, the first internship period is twice as long. Combining Studies and Training Tomi-Pekka's mornings are spent at school, followed by a nap and a one-and-a-half-hour study session, and then training in the evening. National team camps run from Friday to Sunday, and any lectures and other studies must be arranged so that they can be compensated. Tomi-Pekka has not experienced any challenges in combining the two, as the lecturers have been positive about competitive sports when he has discussed flexibility with them on a case-by-case basis. Tomi-Pekka has only talked to the career counselor once about combining sports and studies. He hasn't heard of any difficulties from other student-athletes in combining sports and studies. Greetings to Metropolia "Thanks for the encouragement and flexibility, which has made it possible not to be late for sports. I can't think of anything that needs improvement." Becoming an Elite Athlete Student "I encourage you not to postpone it. Go to school and combine these things. Contact counselors and lecturers with a low threshold. I personally do not recommend gap years: talk to the teaching staff and plan your studies, and you will succeed." Advertisement: Mixed Cheerleading! "A little advertisement for cheer: mixed cheer needs men to at least try it! You can join the club team! The club is Funky Team FTC Gorillaz. It's worth checking out!"
Joanna: Elite Athlete and Radiography Student
Joanna Yli-Suvanto, a 21-year-old elite athlete and first-year radiography student at Metropolia: a player in the Finnish Handball League and a member of the women's national team. Alongside her studies, Joanna's daily life consists of training and games, work, and spending time with friends. Sport: Handball Handball has always been a part of Joanna's life: her mother played it, and Joanna started at the age of five. The best aspects of the sport for Joanna are continuous development, physicality, and the team. Joanna started and still plays for ÅIFK. The most delightful, educational, and memorable experiences in the sport include youth tournaments, games with the women's national team, and the closest friends gained through the sport. Studies at Metropolia Joanna had heard a lot of good things about Metropolia and studying there. Among the study path options, the field of radiography sparked her interest, and after researching it further, Joanna chose it as one of her options. Radiography studies began in August 2024, and Joanna is pleased with how everything has gone. A Typical Week Joanna's weeks are full of activities: 1-3 team training sessions and 1-2 individual training sessions, almost weekly games, and weekend games. Studies vary: remote and in-person, classes and labs, which provide flexibility and the opportunity to complete course assignments and review materials. Daytime studies and an evening-focused sports schedule allow Joanna to also work 1-3 times a week as an entrepreneur. Challenges Changes in class schedules or extra training sessions have sometimes required quick rescheduling, and occasionally school assignments have been left to the last minute. Having personal time has sometimes been challenging, but Joanna feels that tutor teachers have been a great help in discussions: they have helped her figure out the next steps when the schedule has felt heavy or thoughts of extending study time have been on her mind. Recovery Spending time with friends during free time gives a lot of strength and endurance, as it takes her mind off everything else. Also, moments when she can be alone at home and watch tv-series help recharge her batteries after the toughest days. Sometimes Joanna visits her home in Turku, where she can fully recharge. Metropolia's Support for Athletes Metropolia takes student-athletes into account well, whether it's absences due to sports or needing to leave classes early for training, for example. Joanna has heard good feedback and gratitude from others about the understanding shown towards athletes. Message to Prospective Metropolia Students Combining sports and studying at a university is not impossible, as long as you work towards it and discuss things with teachers and your coach. In the end, everyone wants to help and make daily life run as smoothly as possible.
Introducing Juha “Dallu” Dahlström from Urhea and the Olympic Committee
I work at the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Sports Academy as a high-performance sports coordinator and at the Olympic Committee as a dual career expert for elite athletes. My job involves various tasks. One of them is to be in contact with secondary and higher education partners. I strive to maintain a developmental approach with these institutions to improve the conditions for student-athletes. Wherever athletes study, they need to be supported as well as possible, and this requires strong networking. I work as a supervisor for sports coaches and occasionally meet individual athletes. In certain Olympic Training Center sports, such as men's artistic gymnastics, I am part of the national team coaching staff, responsible for the dual careers of athletes. At the Olympic Committee, one of my tasks is to be in contact with support athletes transitioning from their sports careers and to care for them after their sports careers. Urhea was founded about 20 years ago when the principal and vice-principal of Mäkelänrinne High School set out to support young people graduating from sports high school. At that time, young people often had to choose between school and sports when moving on to vocational or university studies. This needed to change. Metropolia has been involved from the beginning and has developed Urhea as one of the educational institutions. The goal is that after secondary education, athletes have as many options as possible to study their desired field and receive support in combining high-performance sports and studies. My Journey from Sports to Urhea My background is in education, and I have worked as a primary school teacher and as a basketball coach. I have completed the Basketball Federation's training and have worked as a full-time coach in the top league, as a youth coach in a club, as the head coach of the youth national team, and as an assistant coach for the men's national team. My educational and practical coaching background is strong. I was a primary school teacher at Suutarila Elementary School for a long time and a basketball coach at Mäkelänrinne High School. Three mornings a week, I first went to Mäkelänrinne for morning training and then went straight to elementary school to teach. It was a great richness to coach high school students and teach young children. I gained a lot of interaction skills from meeting different children and young people. In 2008, the principal of Mäkelänrinne High School, Seppo Pitkänen, and the vice-principal, Simo Tarvonen, recruited me as a high-performance sports coordinator for Urhea. It was the first year that Urhea received state aid for its activities, and I became Urhea's first employee. It has been great to be part of Urhea's growth story. I came to Urhea with a basketball background, but through my work, my understanding has expanded to the various individual sports and other ball games. I look with open eyes when new sports emerge. We must be able to consider them too: we cannot revolve around old values. Experiences and Observations from HUMKK Audits It has been a great thing that the Olympic Committee took this step. The core of the sports academy system is secondary education, which has an official status. With the help of the Olympic Committee, we first developed the lower secondary phase in addition to secondary education, and now we are promoting higher education cooperation, with a developmental evaluation approach led by Karvi. As an academy operator, I have been involved in Aalto University's pilot audit, Haaga-Helia's audit, and in the audit of the University of Jyväskylä, I served as the chair of the audit team. When this model was developed, I was initially involved with the Olympic Committee's dual career team in developing it but later stepped aside. The Olympic Committee, led by Jukka Tirri, brought the audit model to its current state. My role is to support Urhea's partner universities in their preparation for the audit. One of the most valuable aspects of this audit has been when universities have started to conduct self-assessments. Self-assessment and analysis of where we stand have brought very good insights within universities. At Metropolia, the number of staff related to sports matters has also increased. Initially, for example, study counselors had a solitary work field, and now they have great teams around them. This model is only strengthening, and in higher education, it is a big advantage for student-athletes. Hopeful Outlook for the Future of Student-Athletes Looking ahead, I hope that athletes will continue to train and spend a lot of time achieving their best, growing as individuals and professionals in that environment. It is a great learning platform, and I feel that athletes become professionals in learning. I also hope that students can reflect on the skills they have gained through sports: things that can be validated from their sports careers through the recognition and acknowledgment of previously acquired skills and also through academic credit. These things can relate to general learning objectives. I hope that the understanding of sports will increase. Work and life, in general, are continuous learning, and for an athlete, it is part of their DNA. One must always learn new things, develop, and excel physically and skillfully. Future Support for Professional Student-Athletes Basically, I hope that in five years, sports and athletes will be seen in a more respected light in society. Then I see in the cooperation between Metropolia and Urhea that in addition to supporting students, there would also be a research approach, possibly joint projects that could diversify and develop our cooperation. Sports are also constantly evolving and changing. Those who play professionally may not have long contracts and are also constantly on the edge: it seems to be the same in other areas of society's work life. What if we grow into the idea that this is the future norm: shorter career spans with different emphases, but you build your career in your own way with your skills. I hope that coaches become more aware of all the interests their trainees have. This awareness could help deepen the interaction, trust, and sports results between coaches and trainees. Tips for Preparing for HUMKK Audits The Olympic Committee has prepared an excellent manual for audits. By going through it and evaluating one's own activities, one can develop the operations of a university of applied sciences. At the same time, a developmental approach towards the future is essential: not getting stuck in the fact that we have been audited. Words of Encouragement and Guidance for Young Professional Athletes The first years of professional sports are just as much about learning as studying for a degree. But once you have mastered professionalism, an athlete can free up energy to study alongside it and see it as a means of recovery and detachment from the work role. I encourage athletes to reflect on whether there is room in their daily lives to learn something new as a counterbalance to their sports profession. Lastly As a basketball coach, the most thrilling thing has been working with young people and adults who really want to test their own limits. Everyone's limits are individual, some in the Euro League, some in domestic leagues, but when you have boldly tested your own limits, you get to know yourself better.
- HyMy Village and the HUMKK Audit – An Interview with HyMy Village Designer Sofi Olsson
- Jukka Tirri – Specialist Expert in Collegiate Sports and Key Contributor to the HUMKK Auditing Process
- TItta Komssi: Coordinator of the Metropolia Sports Team, Sports Customer Manager, Head of Degree Programme in Physiotherapy and Senior Lecturer
- Interview with Heidi Stenberg, Director of School of Rehabilitation and Examination
- What is HUMKK? Athlete Student, Ask Your Study Counselor!