2007 Press Releases
27.11.2007
UCC has announced the launch of a lecture series in Sport. The first lecture titled "Building Successful Teams" will be delivered by Jack Charlton to an invited audience of UCC staff and community partners this evening, Tuesday, November 27th 2007.
The second lecture, a debate on the professionalism of sport, takes place on February 6th and will be open to the general public.
The purpose of the lecture series is to explore the way forward for sport in the Irish community. The series will seek to address relevant and significant issues in this context.
UCC established the Bachelor of Education in Sports Studies and Physical Education in 2006 under the directorship of Dr Julia Walsh. The programme has a strong focus on health and the role physical education and sport play in maintaining physiological and psychological well being. "Physical education teachers often find themselves responsible for teaching health or covering health components in their discipline area," says Dr Walsh. " Traditionally the physical education teacher has been well equipped to teach specific areas of health relating to physical activity, however, more holistic approaches to health and wellness have required teachers to engage in further study and professional development," she says.
The four-year degree programme has currently 88 students enrolled. In the first two years, students undertake introductory units in sport science, health, and education as well as placements in schools and the community. In the third year of the course, the students have an opportunity to specialise in health and wellness or advanced coaching science. If students select the health and wellness pathway they complete three units of health in their course and focus on topics such as youth health, sexuality, social diversity and lifespan health. The coaching science pathway explores advanced sport science, technique development, training methodology, technology and sport, and the role of the coach.
According to Dr Walsh "One of the benefits of the UCC programme is that we offer eight other disciplines from the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences that will provide a greater choice for students". At the completion of the degree students are qualified to teach physical education and an arts subject.
Picture: Jack Charlton signing Visitors' Book with Dr Julia Walsh, Director of BEd Sports Studies
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