Sport Excellence Programme

Strength and conditioning
This core service is designed to improve key areas of physical performance such as strength, power, speed, endurance, and mobility, while also developing physical capacity and enhancing resilience to injury. Our individualised coaching and programmes support dual career athletes in managing the physical and mental demands of both high-level sport and university study.

Sports therapy and rehabilitation
This is a core service that will assist you with injury-related issues, whether assessing new injuries, providing rehabilitation to return you to activity, or reducing injuries in healthy athletes. Our team, coordinated by the sports therapy and rehabilitation lead, will also support recovery after training or competing through several means (e.g. sports massage, cold therapy, compression therapy).

Sport science support
This service is designed to help you better understand how your body performs. It will assist in assessing key physiological metrics, identifying individual strengths, and pinpointing any factors that may be limiting progress. Through detailed insights, it enables our strength and conditioning coaches and sport therapists to design precise and effective training and rehabilitation programmes tailored to your needs.
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Sports psychology
This service supports dual career athletes by enhancing mental skills such as focus, confidence, motivation, and coping with pressure. Through a mix of 1-2-1 sessions and targeted workshops, athletes develop strategies to manage performance demands and build resilience.

Mental health and wellbeing support
As part of our commitment to student wellbeing, we offer tailored mental health support through our in-house mental health and wellbeing team, including one-to-one therapy, group workshops, and expert guidance. We also work with Sporting Wellness to provide specialist support for performance athletes, and many Sport Excellence Programme staff are trained in mental health first aid.

Dual-career and lifestyle support
This service is here to support and empower you in balancing the demands of competitive sport, academic study, and life beyond sport through personalised planning and coordination. With regular check-ins with our athlete support officer and connections to core university services, we ensure you have the right support and resources throughout your time on the programme.

Athlete development workshops
Throughout the year, you'll take part in targeted athlete workshops focused on performance, personal development, and life beyond sport, covering topics like UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), financial planning, and career transition. We are proud to be offering workshops delivered by IBM and True Athlete Project. These sessions also offer a chance to connect with fellow athletes and learn from shared experiences within the Sport Excellence Programme community.

Sports nutrition
This service helps you to fuel your training, optimise recovery, and maintain energy levels across both sport and study. Through personalised 1-2-1 support and workshops, athletes learn how to eat for performance, manage busy schedules, and make informed choices that support health, performance, and academic focus.