Do you like sports? Do you follow your favourite sports teams or personalities in the news? Or have you ever thought of exploring Sports Science as an academic discipline, but wonder whether it will offer you many career choices in the future?
For a career in Sports Science in Singapore, you can start with a diploma, or even a degree. Having a diploma may give you a foundational knowledge in Sports Science and prepare you to be a personal trainer or coaching assistant. But the Sports Science degree programme covers much more in-depth in terms of research and academic studies. Read on to find out more about why you should study for a Sports Science degree programme with PSB Academy, which partners with Edith Cowan University or Edinburgh Napier University.
1. Gives you a holistic understanding of Sports Science that will establish you in a career in sports.
An athletic-shoe company Reebok once launched an advertising campaign with the slogan “the physics behind the physique”. It is meant to demonstrate that sports is not just about physical exercise, but also about physical science of how the human body moves and performs with the help of tools, such as shoes and rackets, depending on the types of sports activity.
But that is not the whole story because Sports Science also includes psychology. What do Brazilian soccer legend Pele, American tennis champion Serena Williams and Singaporean swimming champion Joscelin Yeo have in common? Well, they not only excelled in their respective sports physically but also psychologically. They all demonstrated the fact that in order to perform optimally in sports, you need to develop physical strength, mental fortitude and empowering beliefs to overcome challenges and defy the odds.
Similarly, a Sports Science degree programme gives you more than just a basic overview of the subject; it also offers advanced modules such as biomechanics, anatomy and physiology, motor learning and control, psychology of sport, exercise and health, and so on. You will get to design a training programme and conduct research to evaluate what works and what needs to be improved to serve your clients better. You will also learn skills and concepts as well as analyse case studies, so that you can tap on your hands-on experiences to lead a team in your chosen profession related to Sports Science.
2. Equips you to help others prevent injuries and develop a healthier lifestyle.
Competitive sports is only one part of the rich tapestry of Sports Science because it is not just about helping elite athletes to perform at their best or win in competitions. When you study Sports Science,
you will get to apply what you learn in non-competitive sports or physical exercises too, which includes jogging, yoga, tai chi, aerobics and so on.
That means Sports Science is no longer confined to a small niche of elite athletes and sports professionals, unlike, say 10 or 15 years ago. Thanks to the progress made in scientific research and the advocacy of healthy lifestyles in our modern society over the years, Sports Science is finding its way into the mainstream slowly but surely.
Fitness-wise, having a Sports Science degree will allow you to create a fitness, nutrition and exercise programme for both athletes and the public to develop a healthier lifestyle through proper diet and exercise regime. It will also help you guide and teach them to prevent injuries commonly sustained in physical activities.
More specifically, when you study a Sports Science degree programme, you will get to study advanced modules such as exercise nutrition, exercise rehabilitation, physical activity and health, sports injury prevention and management, psycho-social aspects in physical activity and chronic disease, and so on. You will also learn statistical research methods to analyse and evaluate data regarding sports performance and the like.
3. Offers you opportunities for fulfilling career choices in Sports Science.
Completing the Sports Science degree course with PSB Academy (in partnership with Edith Cowan University or Edinburgh Napier University) will prepared you for a variety of professional exercise and sports science roles in the private, corporate and government sectors. You can choose to become an exercise scientist, exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning coach, or even a personal trainer, just to name a few possible roles.
You may also pursue postgraduate studies in sports and exercise sciences, if you want to. As a Sports Science degree holder, you will have the potential to go on to do postgraduate studies in courses such as Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning) and Exercise Medicine (Oncology), which open doors for lectureship and even further research in Sports Science, such as a Doctorate.
Summary
To sum it up, while getting a diploma in Sports Science may give you a basic foundation, you can continue to progress to a degree in Sports Science so as to have more job opportunities. You will also enjoy a lot more guidance, such as in the area of doing evidence-based practices like exercise rehabilitation, strength and conditioning exercises, as well as using more sophisticated equipment for research and analysis of data output. Most of all, you will get to work independently and lead a team where synergy is needed in a Sports Science profession, such as personal training and athlete coaching.
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