Sports Development and Coaching

Year 3 Core Modules

You must study and pass all four core modules

Brief description

Critical overview of sport structures and policies and how they contribute to sport development in the UK.

Indicative content:

• Sport governance in the UK: Overview of how sport is structured and organised in the UK. Explore the effectiveness of these structures.
• A basis for sport policy: Awareness of the underlying socio, cultural and political issues underpinning contemporary sport policy (e.g., coach education, local schemes and strategies) and sport development officers.
• Sport policy: Overview of contemporary sport policies at international, national, regional and local level.
• Policy to practice: Explore the ways in which sport policy is actioned by national organisations as part of sport development, and sport development officers.

Brief description

Contemporary issues in sport and exercise, particularly those you are likely to encounter and have to navigate in future employment.

Indicative content:

• Social theory: Key aspects of social theory that can be/have been used to explain phenomena in sport and exercise.
• Inequality and discrimination: The main sources of inequality and discrimination in sport and exercise (e.g., gender, social class, ethnicity, LGBTI).
• Sport and politics: How various political systems/ ideologies and governing bodies use sport/athletes as a vehicle for social control.
• Ethics and sport: Moral and ethical issues in sport and exercise (e.g., child protection). Sport and exercise cultures provide a unique environment for moral and ethical issues.

Brief description

The concepts of coaching and learning and their application to physical activity environments. Move beyond a reductionist view of coaching simply as a systematic procedure and consider and discuss the influence of the social aspects of coaching such as leadership, relationships, and social environments.

Indicative content:

• Coaching and learning: Students will consider the definition and purpose of coaching and learning and what it has to do with teaching and education.
• The role of the coach: The role of the coach, their purpose and what they try to achieve. Consider the level of participation, demands placed on coaches by external bodies, and coaches own philosophies towards the instruction of athletes.
• The coaching process: The key characteristics of coaching. Consider a variety of leadership and relationship models and how they fit into the idea of coaching as a systematic process.
• Skill development: The principles that underpin the creation on an efficient learning environment. Consider modern theories of skill acquisition and how they relate to effective teaching.
• Participant groups: Different categorisations of participants and how this impacts on the planning and delivery of the coaching process.

Brief description

Develop your ideas about research in sport, exercise, physical activity and health, to better understand and appreciate published research and design your own research project.

Indicative content:

• The research process: The steps associated with planning and conducting a research process.
• Formulating and refining research questions: How research ideas are questions are generated and refined.
• Research methodologies: Various research methodologies (e.g., quantitative, qualitative and mixed−methods). Develop an appreciation of diverse approaches to research in sport, exercise, physical activity and health.
• Ethical issues: The key ethical issues associated with research in sport, exercise, physical activity and health.
• Practical skill development: Develop your practical research skills in your chosen discipline area.

Year 3 Option Modules

You must study and pass two option modules of your choosing, one from Group [A] and one from Group [B].  (You must do a Work Placement module in either Year 3 or Year 4.)

Brief description

A work placement to give you structured and practical experience of your own particular area of the sports industry to enhance your employability. 

Indicative content:

• Career pathways: Reflect on your prospective career path. Identify strengths and limitations that you can address to enhance your career progression.
• Understanding the prospective work environment and organisation: Identify appropriate organisations and opportunities in line with your own continued professional development. Engage in organising an appropriate work placement. Be guided by staff, but lead the process, to develop your ability to find and apply for appropriate employment.
• Work placement: Undertake the appropriate work placement aligned with your study programme and within a prospective work environment. 

Brief description

Theoretical and practical knowledge of the fundamentals of strength and conditioning. Learn some of the major underpinning physiological and biomechanical components of human performance, and scientifically justified periodised methods for training to achieve specific goals. 

Indicative content:

• Introduction to Strength and Conditioning/Functional Screening: Introduction to key terminology/concepts of Strength and Conditioning and a fundamental understanding of basic functional athlete screening.
• Introduction to Human Movement: An introduction to human anatomy and the mechanics of human force production (e.g., planes of movement, lever systems).
• Introduction to Compound lifting: Introduction to the major compound exercises (e.g., Back/Front Squat, Dead−Lift, Bent−Over Row, Bench Press and an introduction to Weightlifting derivatives) with Key technical elements and coaching points associated with each lift.
• Neuromuscular physiology: Neuromuscular physiology and fibre types.
• Plyometric training: An introduction to the fundamental principles underpinning Plyometric Training (Stretch−Shortening −Cycle) and an understanding of the key technical coaching points.
• Sports nutrition: Principles of periodised sports nutrition for S&C training programmes.

Brief description

The core physiological concepts that underpin performance. Gain knowledge of biochemical, cardiovascular and neuromuscular bases for performance and training the body for endurance, team and strength. Use both physiological and biomechanical equipment to explore and collect physiological data in relation to enhancing sports performance outcomes.

Indicative content:

• Biochemistry of performance: The core concepts of energy production during sport and exercise, the metabolic processes and the rate limiting steps for performance and the metabolic adaptations to training.
• Cardiovascular system and performance: Cardiac output and blood flow regulation and cardiovascular adaptation to training.
• Neuromuscular system and performance: The contractile mechanism, motor unit activation, neuromuscular fatigue and strength, power and speed performance.
• Doping and performance: The role of doping in elite sport and the physiological adaptations to doping.
• Training for performance: Different training modalities to improve endurance and anaerobic power and strength. How to plan energy specific programmes.

Brief description

The health benefits of physical activity and its potential function in disease prevention, treatment and its role in promoting and maintaining public health.

Indicative content:

• Relationship between physical activity and health: Physical activity and disease mortality Morbidity. Historical perspective to present day.
• Epidemiology of physical activity: Concepts and methods in physical activity Epidemiology Epidemiological measures.
• Variations in health status: Influence of age, gender, social status, education.
• Determinants of participation in physical activity: Challenges of engaging people in physical activity.
• Physical activity recommendations.
• Place and emphasis of physical activity in health policy: Identified role of physical activity in policies to promote health. Developing role, adoption and promotion of physical activity as a tool to promote health of the nation.
• Role of physical activity in promoting physical and mental health: Physical and mental health benefits of regular participation in physical activity.

Brief description

The principles of biomechanics and the concept of performance analysis within a sporting context. Using biomechanics to create evidence based intervention strategies to optimise performance.

Indicative content:

• Performance analysis: Identify what performance analysis is, observe performance analysis against existing models, apply and assess the efficacy of the different types of performance analysis.
• Biomechanical concepts associated with performance: Evaluate biomechanical concepts in relation to their application within a sporting/performance concept. Discuss biomechanical factors that contribute to performance or used to optimise performance.
• Development of intermediate laboratory skills: Develop intermediate laboratory skills in collection of biomechanical data including, 3D assessment of movement, kinetics using force platforms (ground reaction forces and stability).
• Data processing and analysis: How to effectively process and analyse biomechanical data generated using biomechanical laboratory equipment.

Brief description

Health issues high on the policy agenda and the ways in which participation in physical activity can be and is promoted as a way to address them.

Indicative content:

• Defining health: The different ways in which health can and will be defined.
• Complexity of health promotion in contemporary society: The ways in which health promotion has the potential to both reduce and exacerbate existing social inequalities.
• Physical activity, its determinants and importance for health promotion: The factors that influence physical activity and its fundamental role in health promotion.
• Health promotion, physical activity and the environment: The environmental factors that influence the promotion of health and physical activity participation.

Brief description

The theory and knowledge of sports psychology and aspects of applied sports psychology in the sport and performance context.

Indicative content:

• Sports psychology context and practice: Role(s) of the sports psychologists; contexts and different perspectives on the work of a sports psychologist.
• Planning and developing interventions: The needs analysis process; empowerment; ownership and motivation; assessment of efficacy.
• Psychological skills training: Theory and research of goal setting, relaxation, energisation, imagery, positive self-talk, pre-performance and performance routines. Performance enhancement contexts; injury prevention and rehabilitation contexts.