Achieving excellence in sports is no more about sweating it out in the field only. With billions of dollars riding on sports and sportsperson, gaining performance advantage has become extremely crucial. And technology plays a valuable role in this.
With technology improvements, the demand for sports engineers has been increasing.
For all those science students wanting to work closely with sports, Sheffield Hallam University in the U.K has a range of post-graduate diploma courses and masters in science in the fields of sport engineering, sports and exercise science and sports business management.
Technical know-how
Dr David James, Sports Engineer, explaining the courses that Sheffield Hallam University offers says, “Nowadays, sports fans are being forced to think beyond what is happening on the ground. Much of my research has focused on cricket, and the game’s future is likely to be shaped by even more technological innovation. We can already see the application of technology in equipment like the snickometer and hawk eye, which enable us to take better and more accurate decisions while the game is being played. Similar advances in technology are happening across all kinds of sports, all over the world.”
The M.Sc Sports Engineering course at the university aims at transferring the student’s technical knowledge in engineering and the physical sciences to the world of sport.
James, who is the course leader for M.Sc in Sports Engineering, also speaks on the scope for the course like sports engineering saying, “Sport is big business, not just in India but almost everywhere.
It puts us and our students at the forefront of what is a booming industry. The courses we offer in sport science, sport technology and sport business management are all designed to meet the growing need for expertise in the sport industry. As well as developing their specialist knowledge in sport, students can also enhance transferable skills in problem-solving and research methodology. Students also develop a biomechanical and physiological understanding of athletes and what equipment might improve their performance or the way their performance is recorded.”
Industry
On the career prospects for students pursuing the Masters of Science in sports engineering course, he says, “The sports industry is driven by innovation and this course provides the ideal springboard to gain employment in what is an extremely dynamic area. The course also has a strong focus on research skills and provides the ideal platform for further study at the Ph.D level. The career prospects are also wide-ranging and our graduates work in the innovation teams of major sporting brands such as Adidas, Nike and Ping.”
“Graduates from our M.Sc Sports Engineering are now working as performance analysts for professional cricket teams and also for national governing bodies of sports such as U.K. Sport.”
He adds that, “The course is an excellent preparation for a career in further sports-related research through funded PhD positions.”
For students wanting to pursue further research, Sheffield Hallam University has a Centre for Sports Engineering research.
According to James, “The Centre undertakes research on behalf of many different sports companies and organisations including the International Tennis Federation, Adidas, Prince, Ping and U.K. Sport. The Centre is an official U.K. Sport Innovation Partner and provided technological support to Team GB in 15 different Olympic sports at London 2012.”
Some of the courses offered:
BSc. (Honours) Sport Technology – Four years, full-time (including a one year work placement) or three year degree programme.
MSc. Sports Engineering-12 months, full-time
MSc. / PG Dip / PG Cert. Sports and Exercise Science –12 months, full-time
MSc. / PG Dip / PG Cert Sports Business Management – 12 months, full-time
Website: >www.shu.ac.uk
Email: india@shu.ac.uk
