Sport Industry Roles: Sport Science and Medicine
Examples of roles in the Sports Science and Medicine industry include:
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In sport, a doctor of a team of athletes usually works as part of a wider team or leads a multidisciplinary team on a range of medical interventions for injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Develop and deliver systems and protocols for medical management
- Providing medical support to the athletes during matches and competitions
- Leading athlete assessments and screening processes
- Coordinate medical interventions, treatment plans and referrals
- Maintain accurate recording of athlete medical data
- Acquiring and maintaining relevant equipment to supplement the care provided to athletes
- Oversee the management and storage of medication and stock
Necessary skills & requirements:
- Must be registered with the General Medical Council
- Must be qualified in Sport and Exercise Medicine (or equivalent)
- Effective organisational and planning skills
- Excellent communication skills
- High level of attention to detail
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A Massage/Soft Tissue Therapist may also be known as a masseur or masseuse and supports an athlete’s preparation and rehabilitation through manipulation of the body’s soft tissue.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Assess symptoms and causes of athlete soft tissue injury and pain through conducting athlete screenings
- Provide injury prevention and recovery through the manual treatment of muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues and joints
- Monitor an athlete’s neuromusculoskeletal system and determine interventions to benefit an athlete’s motion and posture
- Provide coaches and managers with detailed records and updates on athlete progression
- Work collaboratively with physiotherapists and performance teams to provide overall athlete care programmes
Necessary skills:
- Clinically competent in treating soft tissue damage & injuries
- Excellent clinical assessment and reasoning skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Professional approach to engaging with and gaining trust of athletes and coaching team
- Effective organisational and preparation skills
- Adaptable and reactive to the needs of the athletes and coaching team
- Awareness of emerging interventions and new developments across sport
- Accurate time management
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As a physiotherapist you are likely to be responsible for the strength and conditioning as well as the identification and treatment of sport injuries suffered by the athletes. A physio make work for a team, a sports club, a hospital or clinic or a gym.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Deliver proactive and rehabilitative medical services and programmes to athletes
- Support injury management strategies and frameworks for athletes
- Plan and deliver athlete strength and conditioning programmes of development
- Support Sport Scientist and Technicians with all gym screening and testing procedures
- Monitor and record confidential athlete fitness and performance records, including required physiotherapy interventions and consultations, to support athlete management and development
- Ensure clear communication with athletes, coaches and administrators as well as key stakeholders
- Keep up to date with the latest trends, innovations and research within sport to ensure improvements can be recognised and implemented where necessary
Necessary skills:
- Trained and qualified in clinical and manual physiotherapy
- Understanding of acute injuries, including prevention and rehabilitation treatments
- Data analysis and the ability to interpret athlete performance data
- Technology skills to use systems to analyse, record and monitor athletes’ health data
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Professional approach to engaging with and gaining trust of athletes and coaching team
- Effective organisational and preparation skills
- Ability to work as a team yet make concise and rapid decisions when necessary
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Sports Psychologists work with athletes to better understand their needs, improve their motivation and focus on their overall well-being.
The roles studies the mental and emotional effects of taking part in sport and focuses on the factors that may effect an athlete’s performance, such as stress, nerves & anxiety, effects of injury, lack of confidence and so on.
The role works closely with coaches, managers and physiotherapists to monitor behaviours and to create a development plan to support the athletes to best improve their performance.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Consult with athletes to identify problem areas and difficulties which may be impacting their performance
- Develop diagnostic screening processes
- Create development plans to support an athlete’s emotional well-being
- Work with athlete’s and teams to build systems and interventions to improve self-confidence
- Use strategies to enhance motivation of individuals and teams and set targets/goals to achieve
- Work with coaches and managers to improve communication and better engage with athletes
- Assist physiotherapists to support athletes to cope with the effects of injury
- Help athletes to mentally prepare for key fixtures, competitions and tournaments
Necessary skills:
- Thorough understanding of sports culture and the associated pressures of being an athlete
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Motivation and emotional encouragement
- Innovation and excellent problem-solving skills
- Professional approach to engaging with and gaining trust of athletes and coaching team
- Ability to build strategies that effectively support an athlete’s confidence, moral, preparation and performance
- Provide athletes with coping strategies to deal with injuries and/or setbacks
- Active listening skills
- Effective organisational and preparation skills
- Ability to work as a team yet make concise and rapid decisions when necessary
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