A complete understanding of the sporting landscape | ISCA student, Max Lehman

We spoke to ISCA student and aspiring Rugby League player Max Lehman on why he chose ISCA and what he loved most about it. Max currently plays for the NRL Manly Sea Eagles Under-20s squad and would like to pursue a business life after football.

Tell us about yourself

I grew up on the Northern Beaches in Sydney. I’ve been playing Rugby League ever since I can remember and went to Saint Augustine’s College in Brookvale before attending ISCA.

The thing I like most about ISCA is that it gives me a better understanding of the whole sporting landscape.

Why did you choose ISCA?

I chose ISCA because it gave me the best opportunity to learn the industry. I was able to train, learn the business and economics side of sport. It just gave me a better overall understanding which I really enjoyed.

Life after football, what do you see yourself doing?

I would definitely like to have a business life after football. I want to be either a business owner or high performance coach. I would love to be involved in sport in any area which is why I chose ISCA.

What’s the most important lesson you learnt from ISCA?

The most important lesson I learnt from ISCA is definitely listening to the lecturers and the coaching staff that we have here. They are very talented and very knowledgeable so learning about the proper techniques and the proper skill set and also the business the information that they already know has been amazing.

What advice would you give to anyone looking into this course?

I definitely recommend listening in lectures, making sure you take your notes, everything applies to what you want to do. So listening to all your coaches and all your teachers is definitely beneficial for you.

I chose ISCA because I love sport and I’ve always wanted to learn more about it.

Why did you choose this course?

I chose ISCA because I love sport and I’ve always wanted to learn more about it and be involved and know every aspect of it. So this enabled me to do so.

What was one of the highlights from this year?

This year we went to Melbourne on a field trip as a whole class and it was amazing. We attended the 2019 Sports Analytics Conference and got to see all of the sporting technology that was up and coming. It was absolutely incredible.

What are the friendships like at ISCA?

Once you start, get comfortable, meet new people, meet the teachers, the other students, it turns into a big family. We are all really close and all see each other and talk to each other regularly outside of the course. It’s just another family you make, it’s incredible.

How do you benefit from the smaller class sizes?

I think smaller class sizes definitely have their benefits. At the big universities, you never really make connections or relationships with people. But at ISCA we all have relationships with the coaches, the lecturers, the teachers and the students. It’s definitely been really beneficial for me personally.

If you’re not an athlete this is definitely the course for you.

If you’re not an athlete and you just want to learn about sport, is this the right course for you?

If you’re not an athlete this is definitely the course for you. You don’t need to be a top athlete or even playing sport. We have a few students now who are just wanting to be involved in sports with physiotherapy. It just gives you a better understanding of the whole sporting landscape in general.

What do you like most about ISCA?

The thing I like most about ISCA is that it gives me a better understanding of the whole sporting landscape. From indoor gym, to outdoor field, to your classroom, to your business, it gives me a complete understanding of it all and enables me to go in any direction I want. This is what I was searching for.

What one achievement are you proud of this year?

This year, I’m proud of my achievements through my academics. I’ve never been strong academically but when you find something you enjoy and that you’re passionate about you tend to excel at it and I’ve done pretty well considering that with my academics.