Phil Baines

Background

About Phil Baines

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my profile. I recently completed my master's degree in sports business, after changing industries from live entertainment. I worked as a lighting, sound, and AV technician in the live entertainment industry from 2009-2020, with the peak of my career working for the award-winning Crucible and Lyceum Theatres in Sheffield. I was part of a team that won a national theatre award for outstanding achievement in technical theatre for Life of Pi, among other successful productions.Although I wasn't interested in sports as a child, I developed an interest in attending live sports events in my late teens while at university. Since graduating in 2012, I have become more involved in sports and sport events. I started playing for and helping to organize the Sheffield Bladerunners Baseball club in 2017, which has shown me the positive benefits of being part of a sports team for physical and mental health.In 2019, at age 29 I decided to pursue a master's degree in sports business at Leeds Beckett University. My dissertation focused on fan engagement and growing the sport of baseball within the United Kingdom. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 ended my career as a full-time theatre technician. I took this opportunity to retrain and transition into the sports industry. I worked for a company in the automotive industry for two years, where I gained skills in sales and administration as a customer befriender whilst continuing my master's degreeAfter graduating with my master's degree in 2022, I obtained a job as an administrator at Sheffield Hallam University in April of the same year. Throughout the 2022/23 academic year, I took on additional projects and responsibilities, and following a departmental restructure, became a sports development officer in Participation and Workforce a year later. I am currently focused on rebuilding the university's participation Sports programmes, including Social Sports and Leagues, as well as Workforce Initiatives.