BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science (Coaching)

Investigating Sport, Exercise and Coaching

The module will provide you with a foundation of research skills designed to support your learning within sport and exercise.

It aims to introduce you to the philosophies that underpin different forms of research and to basic techniques of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.

Anatomy and Physiology

This module introduces you to the fundamental concepts of anatomy and human physiology, focusing on the application of human movement and performance in sport and physical activity.

You will explore the structure and function of key body systems, including the musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, and understand how they influence physical performance.

Sport and Exercise Psychology in Action

This module aims to introduce you to a range of cognitive and behavioural psychological factors, in the context of sport and exercise. In this module, you will investigate a range of key issues related to physical activity, exercise, sport performance, and well-being.

Through a range of teaching methods, you will explore different psychological interventions in sport and exercise, related to performance and well-being. You will learn strategies to build psychological attributes and improve performance in sport and exercise contexts.

Developing Physical Fitness

This module aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills to design and implement effective physical fitness training interventions.

By integrating principles from gym instruction, personal training, and sports performance coaching, you will develop skills in health screening, needs analysis, and goal setting for diverse clients and athletes.

You will learn to design and deliver both personalised and group-based physical fitness programmes, assess physical performance, adhere to health and safety protocols, and apply evidence-based training interventions.

The module also explores business and marketing strategies for personal trainers. You will gain practical experience in conducting health and fitness assessments, interpreting data to refine training programmes, and have the opportunity to obtain Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) qualifications, meeting professional standards for Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer roles.

Professional Skills

The Professional Skills module is designed to support your transition to university study and help you develop key academic, personal and professional skills in your area of study.

Throughout the module, you will enhance your communication skills, digital literacy and academic skills to ensure you have the tools to succeed at university and beyond.

Emphasis will be placed on developing skills relevant to your future career, including interpersonal skills, problem-solving and self-reflection. The module includes the creation of a portfolio to track your progress, demonstrating how you’ve developed skills that are transferrable to your graduate career. Additionally, you will be encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities to further develop your professional capabilities and career potential.

Understanding Participant Performance in Sport

This module aims to provide.

• An introduction to understanding the skilled performance of a key sport, or sports.
• An understanding of the social and performance-based context of the sport, or sports.
• Key safety principles that must be understood by practitioners.
• Sport-specific frameworks for the assessment of performance.

Children and Youth Sport

This module aims to give you an overview of a number of issues related to coaching children in sport and/or providing sports opportunities for them. The module examines the development of the young performer from a multidisciplinary perspective and aims to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge through appropriate assignments.

Coaching Practice and Delivery (Placement)

The module introduces various evidence-based and interdisciplinary practices and requires you to apply these practices in real-world coaching. This is achieved via peer coaching in taught practical sessions, and during the coaching placement hours (normally 50) required across the duration of the module.

Developing and Monitoring Physical Performance

This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge to design interventions for improving both health and skills-related physical fitness. You will develop the ability to complete a health screening and needs analysis on clients and athletes, establish goals, select appropriate methods of individual physical performance assessments and design interventions to improve physical performance.

Diving

Explore the complex interaction between the hyperbaric aquatic environment and the physiological coping mechanisms of the human. Environmental issues will be discussed, as will medical emergencies and progression opportunities in diving. This module will also provide you with the opportunity to gain the SSI Open Water Dive award.

Performance Analysis in Sport

The analysis undertaken could relate to technical, tactical and/or physical aspects of performance. The use of sports performance analysis is paramount in light of the limitations of human memory, such as the volume of event recall and subjectivity. The module aims to introduce you to the key concepts, skills and techniques associated to performance analysis, and outline its place in the scientific support of individuals and teams.

Project Management

This module aims to equip you with the tools and skills necessary to manage sports projects effectively and to demonstrate the importance of following a prescribed project management methodology. You will explore the concepts of project management in a practical way including effective scoping, planning, resource allocation, risk and issue management, project monitoring, reporting and review.

Reflection: Developing Your Teaching and Coaching

This module aims to provide an opportunity to select and develop specialist areas of interest.

You will be required to develop skills in introspection, reflection and reflective practice, drawing upon theoretical concepts relating to pedagogy of sport and education.

You will agree a suitable programme of work within a professional context of your choice, which will involve you immersing yourselves in the culture and practices of this working environment.

Researching Sport, Exercise & Health

You will further develop your skills in research methods and data analysis, with a broad focus on analysis procedures including the qualitative method of interviewing and quantitative methods of analysis of variance, correlation and linear regression. These methods are commonly used procedures in the sport, exercise and health sciences, and understanding of these will also provide a solid foundation for understanding more advanced research methods that you may learn in your future work including research projects or postgraduate study.

Sport and Exercise in Extreme Environments

This module aims to examine the physiological challenge of performing in extreme and hostile environments and to examine how the human can exercise, maintain homeostasis and survive.

It will explore the theoretical limits of human performance, looking to identify mechanisms of physiological acclimatisation and adaptation.

You will consider how this may be used to increase sporting performance and maximise safety e.g. competitions such as the Everest Marathon and Marathon Des Sables.

Sports Injury and Prevention

In this module, you will study basic musculo-skeletal anatomy, including features particularly prone to injury in sport e.g. ligaments; incidence of sport injury. You will explore common injuries to the body and their methods of occurrence, as well as first aid procedures and injury assessment. You will also study the role of biomechanics in predisposing factors, psychology and prevention of injury, as you consider treatment methods, rehabilitation and real-world case studies.

Working With Individuals

This module focuses on the multi-faceted process of the coach-athlete and teacher-pupil relationship, drawing on contemporary psychological research which places this relationship at the centre of athlete and pupil development.

This module will explore the sources, nature and synthesis of sports-specific and psychological theory, and its application in the development of sporting competence in athletes and pupils.

Adapting Coaching for Different Contexts

This module aims to extend your coaching experience across a range of coaching contexts and develop expertise within less familiar sporting activities and types of groups. You will explore globalisation and the emergence of different sports cultures including countercultural and disability sports.

Adventures in Coaching

You will explore current issues within the coaching process and consider their application within specific adventure sport activities. You will examine the practical scientific assessment tools to identify performer needs.

Applied Sport Psychology: Delivering Mental Strategies

Traditionally, sport psychologists have advocated the use of numerous mental training strategies that are purported to enhance the cognitive, affective and behavioural states of the performers that they work with. This module provides you with an understanding of the efficacy of these strategies, to provide opportunities to deliver these mental strategies and to reflect on the delivery of these strategies.

Critical Reflection in Coaching and Mentoring

An introduction to theoretical and practical concepts related to the development and mentoring of coaches. You will critically examine the methods and processes through which coaches learn and develop. It will embed theories of learning and critically explore philosophies of education as they relate to the development of competent sports coaches.

Delivering Sport and Physical Activity in the Community

This module examines the importance of staging community sport events or projects in the context of modern sports development. It addresses the role of the practitioner or manager in these types of events and further highlights the fluid and interconnected functions that exist between the coach and sport managers. In essence, the module seeks to allow potential coach and sport managers the opportunity to understand, in part through practical engagement, the complexity of staging community sport events or projects at all levels and the management and administrative processes associated with them.

Dissertation Project

This module is the culmination of previous learning and is the major element of your independent enquiry on your programme.

The module requires that you reflect on, and utilise the knowledge base, context, and application of taught modules, as well as placement experiences.

It is designed to encourage you to generate and explore your own ‘problem’ assisted by supervision from a tutor.

Entrepreneurial (Business Setup)

This module focuses on the environmental factors that are directly relevant to a small business context, to allow you to develop a critical understanding of the entrepreneurial process. You will concentrate upon the planning that needs to be undertaken prior to the start-up of a small business.

Exploring Ethical Challenges in Coaching

The increasing access to and globalisation of sport brings with it a wider range of ethical dilemmas for all those involved, including the coach. the module aims to increase the awareness of how these issues impact on the work of the coach and examine how choices are made using both historic and contemporary examples.

Nutrition for Sports Performance, Physical Development and Health

Sports performance and the development of athletic ability relies on the individual being in peak health and having the correct nutrition support to fuel training adaptation and exercise performance. This module aims to examine the ways in which dietary intake influences energy metabolism, recovery of skeletal muscle after exercise, exercise performance, training adaptation, injury risk and immunity.

Occupational Health and Performance

The module aims to provide you with an understanding of how evidenced-based practice can be used to improve health and performance in occupational settings such as the military, emergency services and industry.

Planning and Monitoring of Training and Performance

A focus on planning and monitoring training of athletes and how a programme of physiological support can be used to enhance performance.

You will engage in current literature identifying the physiological demands of the athletes chosen sport, key measures of physical fitness and how we can enhance them.

An athlete’s ability to focus on training to gain maximal physiological adaptations, and relax in competition, can represent the difference in making the podium or winning major tournaments.

Strategic Planning for Sport

The module is divided into key overarching themes: the philosophy of strategy; the process of strategy; the drivers of strategy and whether the crucial determinants of a strategy are the organisation of the environment. The module concludes with a discussion on the interrelationship between strategies and effective planning, theory and practice, and what this means for those that manage sport organisations.

Working With Teams

This module focuses on the requirements of effective coaching delivery within groups and teams. It will critically analyse and address the knowledge and skills necessary to work with groups of athletes across key coaching contexts. You will understand how to assess the needs of a group, and the individuals within, and address this in your planning and delivery.