Education Support

22 Feb 2010

 

There are many challenges you will face through your athletic life. The Sport Ireland Institute can help you to develop the skills and competencies required to cope with the various transitions you may encounter. This work will leave you better able to blend your sport with the other important elements of your life. There are various factors to consider when looking at creating a balanced environment with a view to maximising your ability to fulfil your potential in both areas.One of the main elements that can impact on athletic development is education and the ability to combine this with sport. Education may take many forms through different stages of your life:


Junior Certificate / GCSE's
Transition Year
Leaving Certificate / A or O Levels
Repeat Leaving Certificate
Third Level Education
Vocational Study or
Post-Graduate Study

Through all of these forms of education you will not only have to work to create a balanced environment but you will also have important decisions to make relating to both your sport and study. The Institute can work with you to help you to evaluate your options and look to create a better informed decision. These decisions could revolve around areas like course selection, institute selection or even evaluating the ability to elongate your study and create a part-time option.

The primary function of any life skills programme is to develop an athlete's ability to management themselves in a high performance environment. "Graduates" of the Institute's performance life-skills and planning programmes are able to self-manage with high levels of athlete responsibility but also knowing where and when to go for advice when they need it.

Sport Ireland Institute we have programme support for those specifically involved in education and service support for all athletes that require resource in this area. A key component of this programme is partnership between the Institute and nine universities and colleges in which carded athletes are supported by the Institute and the University or IT to develop a high performance sport and education plan. This typically involves modification to the teaching or assessment programme of the athlete-student to facilitate their training and recovery needs.

Our academic partners are extremely supportive and as a consequence there are more high performance Irish athletes every year who are studying part-time, deferring examinations of course work or taking distance learning options or even exams at Irish embassies abroad.

Third level partners

  • University of Limerick
  • University College Dublin
  • Dublin City University
  • Waterford Institute of Technology
  • University College Cork
  • Dublin Institute of Technology
  • Cork Institute of Technology
  • Athlone Institute of Technology
  • Letterkenny Institute of Technology
  • Setanta College

Institute of Sport Athlete Support Programme 2013 - 2014

The aim of the Institute of Sport Athlete Support Programme is to help create an environment where elite athletes can combine their international sporting career with their education in a way that allows them to achieve their potential in both fields. This support is available through both secondary and further education. There are a limited number of places on the programme each year.

Topics covered include life-skills, planning, organisational and academic scheduling support. Any carded athlete can contact the Performance Director of their sport if they wish to gain access to support in this area. This support may already form part of your development plan in your sport.

 

Eligibility - Who should apply?

If you are currently studying and are likely to be studying next year then you should apply for the support the programme offers.

 

Athletes eligible for the ISASP supports are:

Carded athletes - athletes on the ISC International Carding Scheme that are involved in education or looking at educational options.

 

ISASP will facilitate athletic and academic development by addressing the following:

  • Development of performance life-skills (e.g., time management, planning, coping skills) to enable athletes to better manage the blend of sport and academia
  • Combined sport and academic career planning
  • Student-athlete academic counselling support
  • Access to training facilities where possible