First Team
EVERY WORD | JACK WALTON LOOKS AHEAD TO IBROX TEST
21st November 2024
The future stars of Dundee United Football Club will benefit from cutting edge sports science support thanks to a new partnership with Abertay University.
Staff and students from Abertay’s Division of Sport and Exercise Sciences launched the new programme at Soccerworld in Dundee, providing a full range of fitness testing for the U13, U14, U15 and U17 sides, analysing players’ body fat, sprint speeds, flexibility and endurance capacity.
The reciprocal agreement gives Abertay students the chance to work with elite athletes, while academic staff will take the opportunity to tie the sessions into ongoing research projects.
Data from the testing periods will be reported back to the club.
In addition to the analysis work, Dundee United will provide four internship opportunities for Abertay students on the Bsc (Hons) Sport and Exercise, Bsc (Hons) Strength and Conditioning and Bsc (Hons) Sports Development and Coaching courses.
The club will also provide staff to deliver talks and workshops as part of the University’s academic programme, with Abertay staff returning the favour for educational events run by the club’s Academy.
Andrea Cameron, Head of the School of Social and Health Sciences said high quality performance analysis is essential in elite sport and can very often mean the difference between winning and losing.
She added: “We are delighted to be working with Dundee United Football Club on this project which will benefit both the players and our students and staff.
“Abertay’s suite of courses offers a variety of avenues into the industry and, with performance analysis becoming ever more important in all disciplines, there’s never been a better time to start a career in sport.”
Graeme Henderson, Head of Academy Football Science and Medicine at Dundee United commented on the importance of working partnerships and the perceived impact he believes it will have on the youth players currently plying their trade at the club.
“This partnership with Abertay University is an exciting opportunity for the club and our Academy players. In line with the Scottish FA’s Project Brave initiative we are aiming to further improve upon the highly successful programme we have in place through the utilisation of expertise and resources from Abertay University.”
“I am confident that the impact of this relationship will be visible over time in the development of our youth players as well as the experiences of the aspiring students.”
To find out more about the courses on offer at Abertay visit https://www.abertay.ac.uk/discover/academic-schools/social-and-health-sciences/sport-and-exercise-sciences/
To view the latest information on the Dundee United FC Academy visit
https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/the-club/academy-information
