As female athletes continue to gain ground in professional sports, the underrepresentation of women in sport-related careers beyond the field of play remains an issue. On Friday, January 20, Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) will host its first ever female only performance technology workshop for 5th and 6th year students in the TUS SportsLab located at its Thurles campus. This event is designed to educate and support young females in the area of sports science, while also giving them the opportunity to learn more about a career in the sports science industry.
Led by Dr. Amy McGuire, Head of the Department of Sport & Early Childhood Education, along with Michael Fennelly and Dr Damien Young, Lecturers in Applied Strength and Conditioning at the TUS Thurles campus, the workshop will provide attendees with practical information about some of the key differences and considerations that need to be taken into account when it comes to the performance of female athletes. The workshop will be an informative experience for attendees and will cover areas such as exercise approaches and management during the menstrual cycle, strategies to reduce the risk of injury for female athletes, heart rate monitoring during different types of exercise, testing for speed and agility for female athletes and measuring the body’s ability to generate power and force.
Commenting ahead of the workshop, Dr. Amy McGuire said, “The driving force behind establishing a female performance technology workshop was not only to educate young females about the different approaches they can take when it comes to training and performance but to encourage young females to consider a career in sports science. Our courses here in TUS are designed to ensure students are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge required to understand the key differences between male and female athletes and what is required to ensure maximum performance. A one fits all approach does not work and as female representation in sport continues to make great strides, it’s important that young females also see the opportunities to work in many aspects of the sports industry.”
Next September, a new Level 8 course in Applied Sports Science with Performance Technology – BSc (Hons) will commence at TUS, Thurles Campus. The four-year course will prepare students to work in the emerging field of sports analysis. This course is underpinned by exercise science to provide students with the background knowledge of developing sports performance.
For further details on attending the performance technology workshop on Friday January 20 from 10am to 12.30pm, contact schools@lit.ie or call 0504 28021.