The Centre for Developing Athletes
Edinburgh Napier University goes beyond the game. Our Centre for Developing Athletes brings together programmes and partnerships that:
- Support the development of young sporting talent
- Help athletes to study while competing through our Dual Careers programme
- Develop coaches - from volunteer entrants to postgraduate level study for professional coaches
- Provide flexible study routes to turn a sporting passion into a post-competition career
Our facilities include a Biomechanics Lab, Physiology Lab with a climate and altitude chamber, and a Human Performance Lab and our academic staff includes specialists in exercise physiology, biomechanics and sports psychology.
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Developing Talent
Our Partners
Consultancy
Study While Competing
Dual Career Path
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Our Partners
American Football
We partner with BAFA and BAFCA to be the Scottish provider for coach education courses.
Cricket
We partner with Scottish Cricket to host the Scottish Cricket Performance Academy at Sighthill.
Football
We are working with several professional clubs in Scotland to support players as they develop skills for a career after they finish playing.
Golf
We are the biomechanics partner for the R&A, the governing body of golf for most of the world.
Gymnastics
We partner with Scottish Gymnastics, and the Scottish Rugby Union, to provide bespoke coaching qualifications to develop their coaches. Our first cohort of rugby coaches graduated in 2017 with a UKCC Level 4 qualification as well as a PG Diploma in Sports Performance Enhancement which is accredited by Sports Coach UK.
Our Scottish Gymnastics coaches have focused on gaining PG Diplomas, following a similar route to the SRU coaches, experiencing sport-specific teaching and following a personalised learning pathway specific to their development needs.
Rugby
We are home to the Edinburgh-based Fosroc Rugby Academy in partnership with Scottish Rugby. The academy is one of four in Scotland, and gives talented female and male rugby players access to personalised training and development from the ages of 14-19.
Being on our campus means the developing players get access to the same facilities as our students and can base themselves in the student environment. That gives them the insight to see if they want to develop their knowledge off the field as well as on it through our Dual Career programme. It supports those wanting to study even as they compete at the highest level.
Our commitment to developing athletes benefits both our students and Scottish Rugby’s most promising talent, as students on our sport and exercise science degree collaborate with the players on their academic projects.
Through our partnership with both Scottish Gymnastics and Scottish Rugby, coaches can study one module per trimester for two years, including work-based learning, leadership and organisational management and performance development and expertise. In their last trimester, they pick an independent study module based on a real-life problem they are facing as a coach, to personalise their learning to the specific areas they need to target. On successful completion, coaches can finish with a PG Diploma in Sports Performance Enhancement, accredited by Sports Coach UK, or gain a PG Diploma.
Study While Competing
Are you an elite athlete? Have you thought about developing your skills beyond the arena?
We understand the challenge of combining competitive sport and academic studies when you want to succeed in both.
Our Dual Careers pathway was created specifically to provide flexibility around an individual student’s pattern of study or assessment, as necessary from time to time, to enable them to prepare for, compete in, or coach at major events.
Students can enrol for the pathway from any Edinburgh Napier degree programme, so you can keep up with your studies no matter where in the world you are training or competing.
Train and gain
As a member of the Centre for Developing Athletes you will have access to a range of benefits including:
- Flexibility in your studies to meet your training and competition commitments
- Access to a Dual Career Academic Tutor
- ENGAGE membership, including use of our high performance gym and exercise classes
- Tailored strength and conditioning programme and support
- Free regular health checks and bespoke fitness consultations
- Access to sport science support, including our labs for exercise physiology, biomechanics and injury prevention
- Promotional opportunities through the University media
Apply
Application for membership of the Centre for Developing Athletes is made in advance of the start of each academic year and is considered by the University on a case by case basis.
We have students from a broad range of sports – including kayaking, karate and curling – enrolled on degrees from Sport and Exercise Science to Sports Coaching, by way of Mechanical Engineering, MBAs and Software Engineering.