The Sport and Exercise Scientist Issue 27, Spring 2011 - BASES

Student focusCollaborative sport andexercise science ‘in action’Highlights from the BASES Student Conference 2010 symposium onCollaborative sport and exercise science ‘in action’A ‘hot button issue,’ currently experiencingwidespread media coverage, is the unstable groundon which many UK graduates find themselves. Andwith an ever-increasing number of former sportand exercise science students in the workforce,to gain employment in a related capacity requireswell-developed skills and experience thatdistinguish the candidate from their counterparts;potential alone is no longer enough. Be it inapplied, research, or teaching roles, the sport andexercise sciences are inherently collaborative;hence, a documented ability to initiate and/or bean effective part of quality teamwork is one way toprovide evidence of employability.In organising the symposium Collaborative sportand exercise science ‘in action’ I sought to exemplifythe type of high-reward collaboration recentlyundertaken by BASES student members. Invitedcontributors included Kerry Clarke, University ofNorthampton, Dr Eleanor Quested, University ofBirmingham, Emily Oliver, Aberystwyth Universityand the Institute for the Psychology of ElitePerformance, Lauren Mawn, Créde Sheehy-Kellyand James Bell, Bangor University and the Institutefor the Psychology of Elite Performance. Theemphasis was on the practical lessons that theyimparted on their audience at the conference.Gain relevant experience in seeminglyirrelevant placesStudents seeking employment during term-timeand/or vacation periods might lean towardspositions that include teamwork. This can onlyenhance one’s appreciation of what is involved andengender flexibility when collaboration is requiredin sport and exercise science. In this regard,Kerry’s background in the public and privatesectors gave her a wealth of experience dealingwith people (individuals and collectives), which hassince facilitated her research investigating issuesassociated with activity referral schemes. While atthe time she may not have realised how it wouldbenefit her in the future, she can now effectivelyliaise with both large and small organisations. Inany activity you undertake, appraise the time spentin terms of skills you’ve gained, not what you couldhave been doing instead.Talk to people!Collaboration requires uncomplicatedcommunication – a skill that can be developedwith practice like any other. Unfortunately, theomnipresent Facebook and other such phenomenado not necessarily hone the art of effective face-tofaceinteraction. Therefore, students were urged toconverse with others for the sake of their personaldevelopment. Often, research ideas must be ‘sold’to non-academic audiences, requiring empathyand an ability to express complex concepts ina relevant manner. Data collection often meanscollaborating with athletes during performance– a precarious proposition. Eleanor had to buildcooperative relationships with her participants andgain their trust for this to work. And on the appliedside, James talked of the difficulty his colleagueshad in effectively communicating the principles oftheir mental toughness intervention to all thoseinvolved. These experiential accounts emphasise theneed for sport and exercise scientists to developtheir ‘soft skills’ before attempting to imposeon an athlete’s preparation and/or performance.Universities often offer workshops or shortcourses to this effect, but there is no substitute fortaking it into one’s own hands and socialising with across-section of individuals.Construct a network of potentialcollaboratorsKerry’s advice was to proactively build a networkof potential collaborators and maintain opencommunication channels at all times. It isn’tprudent to rule out opportunities simply by beinginaccessible; rather, “real needs” can be identifiedfrom offers that present themselves, and adevelopment and sharing of knowledge can ensue.Emily reported gaining “valuable career experiencein writing grant applications and supervisingstudent projects” by collaborating with staff fromher own institution. Similarly, through workingwith senior members of staff, student members ofthe Institute for Psychology of Elite Performancegained access to clients and contacts that mightotherwise have been unavailable; providingopportunities to learn from seasoned researchersand consultants during everyday projectmanagement. For the undergraduate, if yourdissertation is extraordinary, and you’ve made afavourable impression on your supervisor, theymay help you publish the research, thus forging anice link going forward. Additionally, Emily urgedus to seek collaborators at other institutions (betalkative at conferences!), as these relationshipscan lead to publications that supplement one’sresearch. Increasingly, one may need to take an“Every youngstudent willbe faced withsituations that theyhaven’t preparedthemselves for. It isfar more importantto take on thosesituations and learnfrom any mistakes,than it is to avoidbeing in a situationin the first place.”16 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 27 n Spring 2011 n www.bases.org.uk