Elite athlete wellbeing programme to be held at university

THE WORLD’S first Elite Athlete Wellbeing Management programme to be held in the UK will be hosted at Loughborough University.

The programme, developed by Australian psychologist Steve Johnson from the Wellbeing Science Institute, takes a holistic, proactive and skills-based approach to help people working with elite athletes, coaches and officials.

The Elite Athlete Wellbeing Management Programme comes to the UK after achieving significant acclaim in Australia, where professional sports have embraced the qualification as a minimum standard for people working with elite and professional athletes.

Steve Johnson, the programme developer, said: “This programme is unique because of its holistic nature, where it focuses on the whole-person and the social determinants of their wellbeing, as well as the skills that are necessary to build and maintain quality of life.

“For athletes, who are under immense pressure, personally and in public, acquiring these skills can mean the difference between flourishing or languishing.

“Loughborough was a natural fit for the Wellbeing Science Institute to run the programme because of its outstanding reputation in research and teaching as well as its close association with sport across the UK and particularly with the English Institute of Sport.”

Simon Wombwell, Education and Development Manager (Performance Sport), Loughborough University, added: “In order for Loughborough University to continue to cement its position as the world’s best sporting university we must continually look to learn from high calibre examples globally.

“As part of this, we are proud to be the first European host site for the Wellbeing Science Institute Certificate IV in Elite Athlete Wellbeing Management as it aligns with our values of supporting wellbeing to enhance holistic performance.

“The course is currently the only nationally accredited qualification for elite athlete wellbeing in Australia and has been endorsed by a number of professional sporting organisations including the National Rugby League (Australia’s mostwatched television sport), The Australian Cricketers Association and the Queensland Academy Of Sport and the Rugby League Players Association.

“The course will provide a world-class professional development option for practitioners looking to provide excellence in their work with elite athletes across the UK and Europe.”

The programme has backing from such global sporting institutions as the NRL (National Rugby League), The Australian Cricketers’ Association, The Queensland Academy of Sport, and the Rugby League Players’ Association.

The 11-day course, which is completed over four months, will commence on November 25 at Loughborough University.