Matthew Williamson is a former student athlete here at University of Worcester. Sport Business Management student who played for the Worcester Wolves. Upon graduating from Worcester in 2020 Matthew played for Cheshire Phoenix, Regnitzal Baskets (Regionalliga, Germany) and Sambendettesse (San Benedetto, Serie C Gold). This season he played a few games for Manchester Magic in NBL2, but stepped away due to personal reasons. Matthew is exploring how he can utilise his degree in Sport Business Management to stay involved in the game of Basketball. We caught up with Matt to reflect on his time at UW

You came to Worcester in 2017, how did you here about the University?

MW Before attending UW, I was a student at the Franconia International School in Germany. I completed my International Baccalaureate, whilst playing Basketball. I’d been asking about basketball programmes over there. I was told that Worcester was the best University for Basketball in the UK. So I started researching it. I wanted to study Sport Business Management. I found out that Worcester offered the course. So I thought, it will be really good, if I can combine the two. So my academic qualifications and basketball. Also, getting a new experience moving outside of Germany. I thought that would be cool.

So once you got to UW, what was your experience like being a student?

MW – I think it was honestly the best time I’ve ever had. I made, so many friends, that I still speak to today. Just having that opportunity to get better, with being able to practice everyday. It was crazy for me because I was actually put on the third team when I arrived. So obviously I wasn’t too happy about that to begin with. I slowly worked my way up to the first team, then got the Pro team. You obviously have to put the work in. Actually, one of the biggest takeaways I got out of it. If I put that work in, the opportunity will come my way and you kind of just have to forge it for yourself. I enjoyed my time. I have very fond memories of everything that happened there.

You got the opportunity to play and train with the pros. What was that like?
MW – Yeah. So my first year when it happened, it was absolutely surreal to me. Prior to being selected I was going to the games on Friday as a spectator. So to be in a practise with them, was crazy to me. Absolutely surreal experience. Being able to go up against them and compete. Unreal! I realised by my second year that I needed to come out with a different mindset again. I was like, OK. I’ve got here now, but I need to actually maintain it. So I think I came out with a better mindset in the second year. Always trying to level up. I took that with me into third year and fourth year as well. Just continually trying to level up and just learn as much as you could from these pro guys. Obviously this is what they did for a living and that’s what I was aspiring to get to.

This wasn’t going to be easy, this was going to be a tough process. As a young guy, practise doesn’t go your way, a lot of the time. Being able to have that mental resilience and persistence to come in every day and compete, was really important. Just to try and get on court, because obviously you don’t get much game time as a young guy. So like I said, just having that persistence and resilience just to continually come back and working towards something that’s in the future. That you’re still aspiring towards.  

You’ve mentioned working towards something in the future. Do you think your experience as a student athlete at University of Worcester set you up for the things you went to on to achieve later on?
MW – Yeah. Yeah, 100%, I mean. I think I was very spoilt in my opportunities at Worcester, everything was there for me. I had the weight room, I had court access whenever I wanted. I was training with professionals everyday.

What was a typical day like for you at University?
MW – A typical day. I’d wake up at 5:45am. I’d practise with the BUCS team from 7:00am till 9:00am. We’d have individuals with wolves from 9:00 till 10. Lift with wolves from 10am till 11am. I’d go home, get a quick bit of food and take a quick nap. Go to my lecture, then back at it from 4:00pm till 6:00pm with the Pro team. I’d get home around 7:00-ish, have my dinner. Get some studying done and go to bed. That was my schedule for 3-4 days a week. Unless it was gameday. But it was all there for you. If you’re willing to put the work in and make those sacrifices.

You mentioned that word ‘sacrifices. What sacrifices do you feel you made to achieve your goals
MW – To be honest, I wish I hadn’t said sacrifices. To me it wasn’t really a sacrifice. I just did what I felt was necessary. Lots of people go out and stuff. Obviously still doing that every now and then, but you can’t go overboard with it. Stuff like prioritising sleep as opposed to hanging out with friends. Prioritising practise and recovery as opposed to going out to the club. As I said, to me it’s really a not a sacrifice. You’re working towards something bigger. For me that was playing professionally. I had to do, what I needed to do, to get myself there.

When I left the BBL and went over to Germany to play Regionalliga. It was kind of like a step down to a semi pro type of level. So I felt like I was very spoiled in Worcester and the opportunities there. In Italy I didn’t have the same access to like weight rooms or courts etc. It definitely set me up just in terms of preparing me mentally for what was to come.

You left Worcester after the Covid season. Once the University decided Wolves wouldn’t compete in the BBL.
MW – Yeah, so when Worcester left the BBL (now known as SLB), I didn’t want to play in NBL 3. So I went on to play Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL for a season, won BBL (SLB trophy). I then went on to play in Germany in the Regional league for Bamberg. Really cool experience because they were affiliated with Bros Bamberg in the Bundesliga. So I got the opportunity to practise with the Bundesliga team every now and then, which was really cool. I had my best season statistically, average 14 points a game and I took a losing team when I joined. We won seven out of the first nine games that I played in, so we were on a 7 game win streak after I joined, so really cool experience.

I then went on to play in Italy in series C the next season. Again, crazy experience. That was a very different experience, as no one on my team spoke English, so I was kind of by myself for a lot of it. It was a challenge, but I think all the lessons that I’d learned leading up to that point, helped a lot. In terms of persistence, keeping in mind why I’m there and what I’m there to do.

I was looking to play again this season, but unfortunately didn’t find anything. So I kind of just worked for my own business that I’d set up in terms of WWS worldwide sports. And that actually led me to work for Thomas Politi at the player agency now, so working as a basketball agent.

What advice would you give to someone coming to University of Worcester?
MW – Be a sponge! Be completely open to anything. All the information you can get, take it all! The training you can get, take it! Make use of the time that you have there because you won’t get it back. I think I used to be a victim of, “Oh, I’m still only 19, 20 years old. I’m going to play basketball forever.”
I’m 26 now and I realised that’s not the case. So really if you have that goal of playing professional, grab it and take it. You don’t get that time back and like you’ll regret more if you dont. But you won’t regret trying and failing. But you’ll regret if you didn’t try because you’ll never know if you could have done it or not. Make use of that time to the best of your ability. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. At least you can be proud of yourself for giving it all you’ve got.