Why Study Performance Analysis In Sport?

Hannah is a current student studying MSc Performance Analysis in Sport after studying Equine and Human Sports Science at undergraduate level. Hannah is currently working with British Dressage to develop performance analysis techniques and tells us here how her studies have helped her achieve this.

• Why did you choose to study at Salford?

Having attended an online open day, I had the opportunity to meet the course leader and discuss my own areas of interest, sport and current field of work. This interest shown in each individual on the open day gave me insight into the way that the course was tailored for the interests and aspirations of each student and persuaded me to apply. The many links between the university and leading businesses and teams in the sports industry was also key to my decision to apply to study MSc Performance Analysis in Sport at the University of Salford.

• What made you want to study your chosen course?

Since graduating from an undergraduate BSc in 2018 I have worked in equestrian sport, with athletes and coaches from grassroots to international level. From this I have gained insight into the management of sporting performance and performance analysis methods employed across a range of team and individual sports. Having worked on a project into performance of Youth athletes in my sport of dressage in 2020 I made the decision to research postgraduate courses in this subject area.

• Tell us a bit about your course and what you enjoyed about it.

The course covers a wide range of topics, from video analysis and athlete selection in the Performance Analysis module, to assessing physical components of performance such as speed, movement ability and jump testing. The course covers performance across various sports and provides insights into the work of other practitioners, such as physiotherapists and S&C coaches to give confidence in cross-discipline working.

The course is delivered through a range of methods, including many hands-on practical sessions and projects. This has given me the confidence to use new equipment and techniques in the field and make decisions under pressure. Over the duration of the course, various guest speakers also delivered sessions, discussing their role in sports performance and insights into a wide range of sports nationally and internationally. The links between the University of Salford and various sports teams and professionals has been beneficial to the delivery of the course and understanding applications in the ‘real-world’ environment.

The staff at Salford are very supportive and always happy to answer any questions about the course or assessments by email, in person or video call. Staff are also accommodating and understanding with work and placement commitments and provide lots of course information, assessment briefs and help videos online to refer to throughout the year.

As part of my course, I had the opportunity to undertake a placement with a team to help with their performance analysis. My course leader assisted in the finding of a placement in a sport for which video analysis is an established practice which was very different to my current field. For this I undertook a placement with Manchester Thunder netball team, working with the pathway teams for the season. This gave me experience filming and coding live netball matches and an understanding of the use of performance analysis for the training of young athletes in another sport.

• What’s next for you after graduation?

Following graduation, I hope to be able to use my experience and qualification to begin developing the performance analysis provision within my current role in dressage.