Sports is a discipline, a career and can be a profession. But aside from these, it can prepare a person for another, discipline career or another profession. In a greater sense, athletics can prepare the athlete for life after sports, school and youth. One such path of preparation are athletic scholarships.
Athletic scholarships in universities in the United Kingdom offer young student-athletes a free pass to university. Now with the skyrocketing costs of education and the incidental expenses that come with it, young people need to find ways to raise money for life through university. Those who have the talent in sports have the option which is the sports scholarship.
Let us take a peek into the world of athletic scholarships through what three top universities offer.
University of Exeter
When it comes to international students under athletic scholarships in the UK, many graduating athletes in the University of Exeter move up to representing their home countries in the world competitions. They even progress towards the professional level of their sport.
The University of Exeter Sports Scholarship Scheme is popular for being among the most prestigious athletic scholarships in UK. The comprehensiveness and individuality of their sports scholar training is designed to enable their student-athletes reach their full potential.
To become a sports scholar in Exeter, you need to be one of the most outstanding performers in your sport. Specifically, evidence of international or national level achievement in the university’s Focus Sports is important. For applicants who do not qualify for these, they can apply for the university’s High Performance Individual Bursary which require that you are considered to be at an appropriate standard in your sport.
Interested parties still have time to gather their credentials for the application process which will open in January 2015.
University of Birmingham
Student-athletes will have the chance to apply for the 40 scholarships available at the University of Birmingham this coming January of 2015. Maximising the potential of student-athletes is the goal of the university’s Sport Scholarship scheme which has already helped hundreds of student-athletes. Such maximisation means not only developing the scholars’ athletic talents but also the skill set needed to progress and maintain peak performance at professional level.
Birmingham’s student-athlete scholars receive benefits which include membership to the gym and swimming pool, training facilities, sports science support service, sports medicine support service, strength and conditioning coaching and facilities and high performance coaching. They also get financial support relating to cost of equipment, competitions and training.
Student-athlete scholarship candidates prefer the university because of some good reasons. To start with, its scholarship programme is individualised and is cutting-edge. Going further, the university is No. 3 for sport. They have a team of specialist practitioners who work full-time for the programme, to add. Moreover, their coaching staff are highly respected and highly recognised. As an added bonus, their scholarship scheme is reputed for its top academic standards.
University of Leeds
Student-athlete scholars in the University of Leeds are not only outstanding in their sport; they are also excellent in their studies. On top of individualised high-level athletic training schemes, world-class degree programmes are also ensured to be given by the university.
The university offers aspiring athlete-scholars two kinds of opportunities: the Elite Sports Scholarship and the Performance Sports Package. Aspirants who do not meet the requirements of the higher level Elite Package will still get the chance to qualify for the second tier Performance Scholarship. The university starts accepting applications in July. After which, new elite scholars will be announced around the end of September. Those who did not make the cut will continue with a further three-week screening wherein their performance, commitment, contribution and attitude will be assessed. Those whose assessments are satisfactory will be awarded the performance scholarship.
Notable add-ons to the benefits of being an Elite sports scholars in Leeds include having:
1. academic liaison officer
2. sports massage
3. personal development support and
4. complementary sports leisure wear
These are on top of a bespoke financial offer, premium membership at the university’s state-of-the-art on-site sports facility, additional strength and conditioning support from a dedicated team, additional physiotherapy support,
The personal development support includes leadership skills training, curriculum vitae writing, networking events and interview preparation. Specifying these supplementary support shows that the university is really committed to developing athlete scholars who excel both in sports and in their studies. They will not only be outstanding sportsmen and sportswomen but also well-educated career people and citizens of the world.
What can you say about the benefits that these and other universities offer to their student-athlete scholars? Do you think that sports is a good investment for universities?
The Telegraphs 