Applied Sport Performance Analysis placements
Students undertaking an MSc in Applied Sport Performance Analysis are required to undertake a placement as part of their degree. Here you can find out more about this requirement.
Placements provide you with the opportunity to immerse yourself in performance analysis support with either Loughborough University performance athletes or external sport partners.
The experience will help you develop and test your skills in an applied setting, providing additional opportunities to analyse and reflect on your own professional practice and develop robust plans for your continuing personal development.
During the placement you will be supported by a placement mentor and a personal tutor who will help guide you towards achieving your individual goals and developing the skills you need for your future career.
Previous students have undertaken placements at national football associations, Premier League and Football League clubs, Premiership Rugby teams, County Cricket clubs, and more.
Find out about how you can organise a placement and the support in place to help you:
Will I be provided with a placement or will I need to arrange one myself?
Applicants for the course meeting the entry requirements will not automatically be provided with a placement. If you meet the entry requirements, then you will be given a conditional offer and need to secure an appropriate placement before being accepted onto the course. See question 6 to learn more about securing a placement opportunity.
Will placements be with Loughborough Sport or external organisations?
Applicants for the course can apply for placement opportunities with teams and organisations on Loughborough’s campus or with external sports teams and organisations.
The placement provider needs to be able to provide adequate mentorship and supervision in a safe and secure environment.
It also needs to provide appropriate opportunities for you to utilise industry standard performance analysis hardware and software to create performance insights and support your development to meet the course aims and learning outcomes.
The course involves regular in-person teaching each week, placement opportunities therefore need to be within a reasonable travelling distance of the Loughborough campus. A rough guide to this is for the placement opportunity to be within 2 hours of the university.
How do I identify and secure a performance analysis placement opportunity?
The university and the staff within SSEHS have an extensive network of contacts and industry partners across a range of sports. There will be three different routes available to you to secure an applied performance analysis placement:
- Loughborough University and a placement provider will publicly advertise certain placement opportunities online and through our social media platforms.
- Placement opportunities with Loughborough Sport and our external sport partners will be shared with applicants who have received an offer to join the course.
- Applicants can secure their own placement opportunity via their own professional contacts or apply to placement adverts identified through sites such as The APFA, UK Sport, Jobs in Sport Science and sporting organisations own websites.
When applying for a placement opportunity through an external advert, you will need to discuss the role, responsibilities and support available with the Programme Director to assess the suitability of the placement before being accepted onto the course.
Once you have identified an appropriate placement opportunity, you will need to go through a formal application and interview process. This will either be organised in combination with the university or be organised solely by the placement provider. This will typically involve creating a CV and covering letter outlining your suitability for the advertised role, a series of tasks and standard interview questions to assess your current skill set and alignment with the organisation’s values and requirements.
What is viewed as an appropriate placement opportunity?
You can apply for a placement in a sport based on your personal interests or the opportunities for career development.
The placement provider needs to be able to provide adequate mentorship and supervision in a safe and secure environment. It also needs to provide appropriate opportunities for you to utilise industry standard performance analysis hardware and software to create performance insights and support your development to meet the course aims and learning outcomes.
The course involves regular in-person teaching each week, placement opportunities therefore need to be within a reasonable travelling distance of the Loughborough campus. A rough guide to this is for the placement opportunity to be within 2 hours of the university. To find out more about placements and work-based learning at Loughborough please review our ‘Student Placement Charter’.
Where have previous students been on placement?
Students have benefited from placements with Aston Villa FC, Brentford FC, Coventry City FC, Derby County FC, Leicester City FC, Leicester Riders, Leicester Tigers RFC, LU Swimming, Lightning Netball, Lightning Rugby, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, Nottingham Forest FC, Saracens Mavericks, Sheffield Wednesday FC and QPR FC among others.
