Sports Coaching and Performance Science

Sports coaching and performance science brings together the art of working with athletes and teams to improve their performance with the scientific understanding of how the body and mind respond to training, competition and recovery. Effective coaching is not simply a matter of experience and personality, though both matter. It is increasingly grounded in an understanding of exercise physiology, sports psychology, biomechanics and performance analysis, and the coaches who can integrate scientific evidence with practical coaching skill are better equipped to make the decisions that improve outcomes for the athletes they work with.

At the University of Hull, this four-year full-time programme, which includes a foundation year to build the academic and scientific foundations you need, combines the science with real-world experience from multiple placements, developing the skills to work with players and teams of all abilities. You will engage with the scientific principles underlying athletic performance alongside the coaching methods, communication skills and leadership qualities that effective coaches develop over time. The programme's facilities, following a recent significant investment in sports infrastructure, give you access to the equipment and environment you need for both scientific and practical learning.

A typical entry tariff of 104 points reflects the programme's accessibility to students from a range of backgrounds, and the four-year structure, including the foundation year, gives you the time to develop both scientific knowledge and coaching competence to a professional level.

Graduates pursue careers as sports coaches at club, community and performance levels across a wide range of sports, as performance analysts, strength and conditioning coaches, sports science support staff and sports development officers. Some move into elite sport environments working alongside high-performance coaching teams, while others build careers in community sport, physical education, health and wellbeing or sports administration. Postgraduate study in sports coaching, sports science or performance analysis is a natural route for those who wish to develop their expertise further.