Sports Science has become a very popular degree course worldwide, and one of the leading countries in this field is the United Kingdom

Sports degrees were often looked down upon in past years as a less 'academic' subject compared to more traditional areas of study such as Literature or Medicine. It has been hard for some academics to abandon the idea that all people who practice sports are, well, not very smart. But the world has moved on, even if attitudes are a bit slower to change.  From long established and highly regarded courses at universities like Loughborough and Bath to highly specialised courses at universities such as Dundee (which offers degrees in Sports Medicine) or Liverpool John Moores (which is the leading centre for football studies), Sport is a now a valued and widely respected choice of subject for young British people.

So, should foreign students take degrees in Sport? What could a degree in Sport from a UK university offer someone who would have to travel halfway around the world, learn a new language and hardest of all, convince their parents to part with substantial amounts of money?

A degree in sport offers people the chance to make a career out of something that they love. At the college where I teach, many young men and women come to prepare for Sports Science degrees to allow them to pursue a career in their chosen Sport. One of our first students, a Japanese boy, had been football crazy since he first saw David Beckham (these were the first words he ever said in English!). Over many years he had gained a place in the junior squad of a J-league team but realised that without some kind of academic qualification, he would end up, at the age of thirty without qualifications and without hope of a job at all. A sports science degree has helped him in his ambitions to become a coach back home, and to make football a way of life that sustains him.

The rapid globalisation of communications media and satellite sports channels in particular has created a massive interest in the same sports in every country, but it is not only the game of football which the UK has exported.  China for example has now over two thousand golf courses, including inevitably, the world's largest. For the shrewd, adventurous young Chinese man or woman, the first choice of a degree is no longer a straight business course, but something that will enable to tap in to and exploit the vast amount of disposable income that China's new wealth has brought. Leisure management is one option, but for many a career in coaching or sport management is their choice of pathway to a successful and fulfilling life.

With the globalisation of sports such as tennis, football, baseball and golf it was inevitable that the language of sport would of course be English: the language tool for all global movements. It is therefore the most natural thing that if you want to make a career out of sport, you should do it in English, which is why so many young people come to us to study English and prepare for a degree in sport.

Over the past few years there has been a dramatic growth in students who intend to go on to study Sport at University. Recently a large proportion of these have been sponsored by their governments to become sports teachers, and they apply to do Sport and education at universities after a foundation year. A recognition around the world of how important a good sport education is for all modern children has encouraged ministries to send their brightest and best to the UK to become fully skilled teachers.

A combined degree, where you may study two subjects over three years, offers so many exciting opportunities for sports lovers. One of our most successful students, who began life as a professional goalkeeper in Brazil, did a foundation year with us and left to do a combined degree course in Sport and Law. Anyone who may have considered this strange at the time now realises that our young man was very much ahead of the game: he is now a top lawyer for FIFA, the world football governing body. Our Brazilian realised that behind every great footballer is a careful lawyer, and as one who understands the sport he is appreciated by the players as well as the legal profession and the controlling organisations of the football world.

Sport combines well with a huge number of subjects. Popular joint degrees are Psychology, with Education and above all Management, but the choice of combined degrees in the UK is infinite and amazing.

I am firm believer, after many years as a sport teacher and trainer, that doing is the best way to learn something, so half the course takes place in the gym or in physio labs. During this part of the course the students acquire a wealth of knowledge about their own bodies and how to stand up to the stresses and strains of a modern sport.  Sport makes many physical demands on our bodies, but the human body is extremely adaptable and with a well-planned training programme, sporting performance can be improved. They discover through interaction with coaches the essentials of performance and technique in a number of sports.  The course helps increase the confidence and self esteem of the students through a personal exercise programme, which they design and plan for themselves.  Social skills in English are developed through a variety of group work within the class room and team games at the gym. 

In addition to the sports courses students are required to take compulsory elements of research skills and maths and statistics, as well as work on their English skills. They learn an awful lot of biology and other subjects which guide them towards knowledge of their chosen specialisation. The overarching aim of the school is to provide an environment where students are able to get used to the study and social life of a UK university.

Holistically, Sports Science can be used as a valuable tool to develop a student's mind and body, and helps in their preparation for life. As the Romans said over two thousand years ago, 'Mens sana in corpore sano': a healthy mind in a healthy body!

Lorraine Popely teaches Sports Science at EF Brittin College Cambridge, UK