Extracurricular Activities
We hear from high jumper Ryan Webb and amateur boxer Emeline Pugeat – two Sports Therapy students have taken part in the University Sports Therapy Massage Clinic – a supervised clinic for students to practise, apply and develop the skills they have learned during their first semester, on BCU staff and students.
1. How did you get involved with the Sports Therapy Massage Clinic?
"It's set up by our academics."
R: It’s part of our course. If you pass the assessment in massage you can then go on to practise in the clinic and massage BCU staff and students who may come in. It is set up by academics.
E: Yes, our Sports Therapy course gets us involved. After our exams in the first semester we have to practise what we have learned.
2. What has this opportunity done for you?
"The experience is invaluable."
R: It’s the first step into seeing what it would be like in the real world. You have to interact with someone you haven’t met before and then it’s about treating different people and being able to adapt to different situations.
E: We get hands on experience with real patients which is invaluable really for when you go out on the job after the course is complete.
3. What skills have you learned?
"Good communication is vital."
R: I’ve learned how to make people feel relaxed. You don’t want it to be dead silent all the time; you want people to feel relaxed and comfortable. As well as learning and developing the different techniques to use.
E: Communication is a big one. Like Ryan said, making people feel comfortable. It’s also about professionalism, how to present yourself, your equipment and set up, as well as all of the hands-on physical skills that you have learned in seminars and lectures that you put in to action.
4. What do you most enjoy about this?
"You broaden your knowledge of different areas."
R: Being able to treat different people and having that interaction is really important. Being able to deal with patients that you haven’t really met before. With the interaction with new people, you broaden your knowledge of different areas and subjects.
E: It helps with your learning, and putting what you have learned into practise is very useful.
5. What do you hope to do in the future after your course?
"There’s the option of having your own business."
R: I’d like to continue with my athletics definitely. I do high jump at the moment and train with a Great Britain coach. But I’d like to go on to get more experience, and then after this there’s the option of having your own business which is good.
E: I’d like to carry on with my amateur boxing and then I’d like to go on to do a Master’s degree.