GIS Graduate Rick Cross on the Unique Power of Sport and Connection

Travelling the world to meet new people and experience different cultures is a fantastic way of bettering yourself and becoming a well-rounded individual.

Doing so through sport and education makes it even better, something Rick Cross is no stranger to.

One of our 2025 graduates, Rick is also our Global Recruitment Manager at GIS, balancing both his work and MSc International Sport Management studies.

“Sport has a rather unique power in the sense that it is truly and utterly a global phenomenon that, more often than not, is a true vehicle for connection across all kinds of physical, cultural or social barriers.”

Telling GIS his story, Rick started with a Bachelor’s degree in Business with Tourism Management with the intention of finding a job that would enable him to travel.

“Beyond the focus on hospitality and travel agency, I became engaged with the world of International Education and the movement of students globally as part of education. 

“This industry spoke to me given my own background having been born and initially raised in the relatively culturally homogeneous northern UK town of Blackpool before immigrating to Vancouver, Canada, one of the most multicultural cities in the world at a formative age.”

During his studies, Rick spent time volunteering in Ghana and the Philippines, before heading to Chile for a year to study and work.

Upon his return to the UK, the job hunt began. “Searching for roles back in the International Education industry I came across a rather curious institution called the Global Institute of Sport,” he continued.

“Like many GIS students, my initial reaction was ironically one of GIS’ values: Curiosity. ‘You’re telling me there are pathways into sport?’ 

“Beyond my desire to assist in urging students and young people alike to gain international exposure and experience – my other passion is sport.”

With a clear drive for self-improvement, Rick followed in the footsteps of the students he worked with at GIS and began his own studies, saying: “I decided to enrol on the MSc International Sport Management course to learn and commit myself more to this brilliant sport industry.”

Managing the workload of a full-time role and postgraduate studies was something he had reservations about, but credited the flexibility of studying online and the “real-life application of the course” for his success.

With his role at GIS, now featuring an added Master’s degree, Rick assists countless students aiming to progress through the sports industry, as well as helping dozens of professional athletes advance from their playing careers to roles off-the-field.

Looking ahead, his work is leading him into some less conventional sports markets in South Asia and Africa, and says: “Through the vehicle of GIS and my network, I want to empower these regions to get onto the sporting world map, offer opportunities for people to cross-culturally connect inside and outside of their native regions and of course, help good people achieve their dreams in sport.”

Many of those who aim to work in the fast-paced world of sport are hesitant about its viability at first—Rick offered some valuable advice: “Everyone in sport was once in your shoes and not sure how to enter this industry and make a career out of it.”

“The sports industry is larger and more global than you could ever really imagine. 

“It often scares me how much opportunity there is to engage with and the entrepreneurial nature of it all means there are a multitude of ways you can take it. 

“One thing that does inspire me though, is that this industry is filled with inspirational, driven people from across the globe all speaking the same language of sport on a daily basis and I, the boy from Blackpool, am proud to be a blade of grass on that global pitch.”

If, like us, you’re inspired by Rick’s story and journey so far, discover our course offerings to find the perfect programme for you, helping you towards your dream career in sport.Article by Zakaria Anani