Liverpool Sefton Hockey has been working with Sport and Exercise Science student Ragul Selvamoorthy as the club prepares for the start of the new season.
The second year student has been working with the women's team as a sports scientist, and strength and conditioning coach since the 2017-18 season. He designed a pre-season training programme, which aims to ensure the team is able to hit the ground running from the first whistle.
Ragul said: “My time at Liverpool Sefton Hockey has been invaluable. It has provided me with an opportunity to take initiative and improve my confidence working with athletes and coaches. I feel everyone studying a sport science degree should involve themselves in some form of internship/work experience, no matter how small the opportunity, as it helps develop multiple skills required for your future job prospects.”
Coaches at the club were impressed by Ragul’s work during the placement and the players have reported to have felt fitter as a result of the work being conducted.
Senior Lecturer in Coaching Science Dr James Malone, who set up the student placement between the University and the club, said: “Student placements such as the one at Liverpool Sefton Hockey allows our Sports Science students to gain ‘real life’ experience of working with players and coaches. While we can teach them the fundamentals and theory in the classroom, students need to be able to apply these in a real environment and develop their ‘soft skills’ such as communication and working as part of a multidisciplinary team.”
The School of Health Sciences developed the link with Liverpool Sefton Hockey in 2017, in order to provide the organisation with sports science support. The club is the most successful hockey club in Merseyside, with the women’s First team currently playing in the Northern Hockey Premier League.