Integrating academic, professional and entrepreneurial skills in undergraduate sport students

Abstract

The following chapter outlines the establishment and the ongoing development of the Centre of Coaching and Performance Analysis at Glyndwr University in Wrexham. The Centre was set up by the Sports Coaching Team within the University with help from members of the Enterprise Team. The centre was initially set up to provide three fundamental objectives. The first objective was to provide students with the ability to transfer theoretical knowledge which had been gained during their degree programme and to apply this knowledge into the sporting context. This would enable them to understand the cyclic link from theory to practice and vice versa when working in external coaching and performance analysis environments.

The second objective was to facilitate and encourage the students to actively go out and work within performance analysis and coaching context in a range of sports and at different levels of the performance spectrum. These included students working with elite athletes and coaches at the top of the performance pyramid and engaging with participation level coaches and performers at a grass route level. Students gained both professional skills and personal skills of working in that applied environment which includes attributes such as problem solving, time management, working in a team and leadership. It was envisaged that such an engagement would develop and enhance academic, professional and personal skills but develop these skills within the context of the vocational setting and contribute to them developing a vocational network for future opportunities.

The third objective of establishing The Centre for Coaching and Performance Analysis was to create a ‘hub of information’, where knowledge and information could be exchanged between clubs, National organisations, coaches, analysts and academics. The centre would play a role in the sharing and dissemination of knowledge in addition to providing an opportunity for students/external practitioners engage in research which underpins applied practices. This would take the format of students transferring knowledge from their undergraduate degree into the applied context and studying the theory in relation to practice through the facilitation with external agencies and practitioners.