University News Last updated 02 April 2019
Birmingham researchers are collaborating with some of the region’s renowned sports teams to help them minimise player injuries and boost sporting performance.
PhD researchers at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences have joined forces with the trio of teams to pass on their expertise and support the club’s drives for success.
Daniel Jackson is working with football club Kidderminster Harriers to ensure their squad’s workloads are managed efficiently to minimise injuries and achieve their ultimate goal of promotion back to the Football League.
Francesco Dimundo is working with rugby team Worcester Warriors to assess the pathway and trajectory of their academy players.
Tom Brown’s studies into the lack of professional cricketers of South Asian heritage have also secured him on-the-ground research with Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
Dr Adam Kelly, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at Birmingham City University, believes collaborative research projects such as these are key: “We want to push a practice-led, knowledge-applied approach where PhD students aren’t just in classrooms; they’re actually going out and applying knowledge that they are taught.
“Generating a relationship with external clubs and organisations brings a host of benefits. It allows our researchers to gain additional skills, while their research will provide considerable impact to the three clubs and beyond. It’s important to also share the knowledge through publications and conference proceedings, to support our efforts to be a leading sport and exercise research hub.”
The teams benefit from key knowledge and research insight through the collaboration.
Adam Crowle, Chief Operating Officer for the Kidderminster Harriers Football Club, said: “We have been working with Birmingham City University for 18 months and have set up testing and educational days for our first team, under-23 and under-18 squads which have been a huge success and enabled coaches and staff to shape training methods.
Find out more about research at Birmingham City University on the University’s website.