Student Jake looks back on GIS trip to Hungary for U17 Euros

A handful of UCFB students recently came back from a trip out to Hungary after covering many matches at the 2023 UEFA U17 European Championships.

The students went out with FilmMyMatch, filming and offering analysis on the matches throughout the tournament.

One of the student who travelled out was Jake Cobbold, an MSc Performance Analysis student, who worked as a video analyst during the tournament.

He said: “I filmed a tactical angle of the match by capturing all outfield players and the relevant goalkeeper included within the play.

“This allowed the performance analysts from each country to analyse the match and generate video clips for coaches and players to view during the match, at half-time and post-match.

“The footage was also live streamed on UEFA.tv for coaches and analysts who did not travel to Hungary or are from opposition nations to view or download.”

He added: “From this experience, I have gained a first-hand insight into how performance analysts operate within an elite sporting environment. This experience has also enabled me to network with professionals and gain valuable knowledge of the role of performance analyst.

“It is important to take opportunities such as this, alongside studies. These opportunities enable you to gain incredible practical experience that cannot be taught within the classroom.

“Having never been to Hungary before, I was placed in Debrecen, Hungary’s second biggest city. I did some sightseeing to get a feel for the local culture and tried some Hungarian cuisine.

“I also took a day trip to Budapest on one of my days off to meet up with fellow GIS associates who were placed there and toured around the historic city.”

He finished: “I am thoroughly enjoying my time at UCFB. Having studied my undergraduate degree at UCFB, I did not hesitate to continue my studies.

“From studying at UCFB, I have benefitted from the excellent lecturers, world class equipment, software and facilities and the incredible opportunities and experiences that have been presented to me.”