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ICMS Alum Stoked To Be Riding The Wave of Success at Surfing NSW

ICMS Alum Stoked To Be Riding The Wave of Success at Surfing NSW

May 26, 2021

ICMS alum and 2016 Courtney O’Connor Scholarship recipient Rohan Fell has been riding the wave of success working with Surfing NSW since graduating.

Rohan started studying a Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) in 2014, then chose to further his studies and completed a Master’s degree in International Business in 2018. During his ICMS journey, Rohan was the founder and president of the ICMS Surf Club, and Vice President of the 2018 Student Representative Council.

Over the course of developing the ICMS Surf Club, Rohan began competing for ICMS at the annual UniSport (University Games) competition. Surfing NSW ran all of these events over the years, which is where Rohan initially met the Surfing NSW Events team.

In February 2020 Rohan applied for a role with Surfing NSW, right before COVID-19 hit. Terrible timing meant that Rohan’s dream job didn’t work out. Despondent, he believed he might have missed his only chance to get his foot in the door with Surfing NSW. But things turned around for Rohan a few months later when Surfing NSW reached out and invited him to apply for an Events Coordinator role.

Rohan accepted the role and within a month he began his new journey with Surfing NSW, running surfing competitions up and down the coast of New South Wales.

When asked about a typical day in this role, Rohan said “Most of the time I’m working remotely, mainly on the road, travelling to and from events. I’m organising and planning future events; managing the events team; and ensuring quality surfing events are held up and down the coast. This process begins with council applications, marketing and promoting the event, working closely with partners and sponsors to ensure their organisation is promoted in a positive way.”

Rohan and the Surfing NSW team work closely with Surfing Australia, other state governing bodies and the World Surf League.

“Surfing has been ingrained in my life since I was 5 years old,” he added, “so to be working in an industry that I share both passion and love for gives me that extra boost. The best part of what we do is creating a pathway for junior NSW surfers to compete and hopefully join the Championship Tour in the future. The names in the junior competitions today are potentially the World Champions of tomorrow and that only occurs through grassroots surfing and providing that opportunity for junior development in high performance surfing.”

How to Succeed in the Sports Industry

“To succeed in the sports industry, you’ve really got to take initiative and be prepared to put your hand up and have a go. Knowing and having an interest in the sport that you’re involved in is a great asset as there’s a lot of prior learning. All the jargon, colloquial language and basics of the sport have been developed which makes it much easier to confidently discuss with managers, your team or key stakeholders. Having a positive mindset is key and being willing to say YES.”

So what does the future hold for Rohan? He hopes to participate in as many events as he can to gain a broader respect for different locations and build upon each experience. And of course, you’ll find him out on the waves whenever there’s good break.


Surfing NSW Opportunities

Surfing NSW offer great opportunities in working with the WSL throughout the Pro Surf Series and certain Challenger Series Events (Sydney Surf Pro & Tweed Coast Pro). There is scope to move into a more managerial role, continue to build relationships with commercial partners and develop the sport of Surfing as a whole.

Read more about Surfing NSW here.


Bachelor of Business (Sports Management)

In the multi-million dollar global sports industry, a Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) will reward your passion for sport which, together with a head for business and a heart for the game, can combine into a lucrative career that will be as rewarding as it is challenging.

You can make a career out of your passion for sport by studying sports management – the business end of sports and recreation.

Read more about the Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) here.

Master of International Business

The Master of International Business focuses on increasing understanding of the way in which global businesses function, the challenges they face and the complex environments in which they operate.

International organisations expect managers and leaders to demonstrate highly-developed business knowledge, as well as specialised skills in cross cultural management, international finance and strategic planning. These skills are crucial to effective decision making and the sustainable management of an organisation.

Read more about the Master of International Business at here.

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