Flexible timetable, Online studies a win for ICMS surfer student

Semi-professional surfer Ollie Heintz is balancing an ICMS Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) degree with the demands of pursuing a career in competitive surfing.

He credits ICMS’s flexible timetabling, supportive environment, and online class options for enabling him to strike a balance between his academic pursuits and surfing career.

“I chose to do study at ICMS Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) degree because I’ve always had a love for sport in general, whether it was soccer, hockey, surfing, rugby; anything to do with sport I was always interested in,” Ollie said.

“With the business side of sport, I felt I could integrate my degree with my surfing and also use it as a good plan for after my surfing or during my surfing career.”

He anticipates graduating around 2026 or possibly as early as next year.

A Balancing Act

Ollie is a domestic student, born and raised in Avalon, Australia, with Dutch ancestry.

His surfing journey started at a young age, with notable achievements such as representing the Dutch team at the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games in America.

Despite a recent injury setback, Ollie remains focused on his goals, and will represent the Netherlands in the European qualifying series.

While he dreams of representing the Netherlands in the Olympics and transitioning into a full-time professional surfer, his broader goal in sports management is to become a sports agent representing athletes globally, including those in Australia.

Balancing surfing and studies is key to achieving these goals.

“I manage to balance surfing with studying because of the benefits of the online classes ICMS offers, especially when I’m away traveling,” Ollie said.

“I can still study and do my assessments properly due to having an online class and the flexibility of that with doing my competition surfing as well.

“I also think time management especially is very important when balancing my surfing and my studying and also my training.”

ICMS the answer for “fellow sports people”

“I would recommend ICMS to fellow sports people that are also very busy due to the flexibility it offers students,” Ollie said.

“Being able to choose to study two days in a week, and being able to be online is amazing for me because I can make sure I get everything done, prioritising both my studies and my surfing.”

Ollie found the accessibility of the online classes via pre-recordings very helpful while travelling for surfing.

“Because of the time differences, you can always go back to the pre recordings and look at the information your lecturer has given you for that subject.

“It just makes a life as a sports person that studies a lot easier.”

• Watch this video below to see an example of an ICMS student’s actual timetable – covering studies with plenty of time for sport in between.

@icmscampus 2-3 day timetable AND no exams?! sounds good to me #college #degree #noexams #studentlife #collegeuni #campuslife #bachelordegree ♬ Sure Thing (sped up) – Miguel

A supportive environment

ICMS Domestic Development Coordinator (Sports Management) Kane McQuiggin said that ICMS recognised the demands that surfing semi-professionally placed on Ollie and were there to support him on his student and sporting journey.

“Ollie has done an exceptional job balancing study and progressing his semi-professional surfing career,” Kane said,

“Back in May 2023 Ollie suffered an ACL injury whilst surfing which required surgery and meant that Ollie was out of the water for roughly 6-9 months.

“During this period Ollie was able to focus on his studies and rehabilitation whilst out of the water and living on campus.

“Coming from a sporting background myself I know that the demands are high, but he has done a great job and ICMS has supported his journey too.

“Now that Ollie is back in the water ICMS has provided Ollie with a personalised timetable and the opportunity for Ollie to study full-time across two days with a mixture of face-to-face and online delivery options which allows him to get his study done and get out back in the lineup.”

Ollie’s experience shows how ICMS helps student athletes balance sports and academics, empowering them to follow their athletic dreams while studying sports management for a successful future in the sports industry.

Click here for Ollie Heintz’s profile on the World Surf League.

Click here to connect with Ollie Heintz on Instagram.