Footballer and psychology graduate on having an open mindset

A footballer and psychology graduate from the University of Wolverhampton has spoken about how his degree has helped him maintain having an open mindset.  

Jamille Matt, striker at Walsall Football Club, graduated from the University in 2011 having studied Counselling Psychology.  

Having graduated 13 years ago, Jamille is still applying learnings from his degree into not just sport and football, but everyday life too.  

Jamille said: “One of the biggest lessons I learnt from my degree was being open-minded. In psychology, you need to think about being open-minded because everyone thinks a different way.  

“Another lesson learnt, especially from a counselling side, is to listen. My first thoughts when I thought of doing counselling psychology was you’ve got to help someone by telling them what they need to do.  

“Counselling taught me you’ve got to be a better listener more than anything, listen to what someone is going through and help find a solution to their problems.  

“Naturally when you go into a football environment, you may think things are going to be one way. But on a day-to-day basis, things can change so you’ve got to have an open-mindset, be able to adapt and go with what is happening on that day. Your expectations won’t always come through.  

“You also need mental toughness because you need to be consistent. There’s so many outliers that can happen from injuries to a change of manager. You’ve got to control what you can control and think about what you bring every day.”  

Jamille was also given a tour of the sports facilities at the University’s Walsall Campus. Reflecting on his time at the University, he said: “Being in the buildings brought back so many memories and I used to live five minutes down the road from the Campus.  

“For me, University signalled the start of adult life and it was great to be back at the Campus where I made so many friends. The facilities and new gym are something I probably would’ve been desperate to use during my time at the University.  

“The facilities have changed a lot but for the better which was great to see.”  

The University also has a partnership with Walsall Football Club allowing students from various sports degree courses to take on work placements at the club and work in a variety of different competitive environments throughout the club’s wider community.   

On the partnership with the club, Martin Harrison, Football Coaching and Performance Course Leader at the University, said: “We have relationships with the Walsall FC Foundation allowing students to gain work experience and learn from the Foundation how a football club runs and what football coaching looks like as a profession.  

“We also work very closely with the Academy with students working as performance analysts and coaches within that environment. Our students also have the opportunity to watch the Academy team train so they get an understanding of what it’s like to work in a professional football working environment.  

“It’s amazing we have an opportunity to work closely with a professional club and are able to work with all the departments within the club. Having the ability to work across a whole football club is invaluable.”  

For students studying at the University of Wolverhampton and anyone thinking about joining the University, Jamille said: “Enjoy it and embrace everything that is given to you. Hard work is such a cliché. If you work hard and put in the effort every day, you’ll get a lot out of being at the University. There are a lot of people at the University who are willing to help you.  

“University life can help you be more self-directed in what you do and give you structure.  

“When you’ve got your time to study, use that time wisely. Those are some of the big lessons I learnt during my time at the University and I’ve taken them forward in my football career and life.”  

To find out more about graduate success, check out the Every Story Has a Start web page which showcases our exceptional alumni across the globe doing incredible things. High achievers from the worlds of literature, business, sport, film and the arts feature, sharing how their lives and careers have developed since their days studying with us.     

Anyone interested in studying for courses at the School of Sport at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days.       

You can also follow University of Wolverhampton Football Coaching and Performance on Instagram (@wlv_fcp) and X (@wlv_fcp).