University of St Andrews Launches New Performance Curriculum for Student Athletes

Saints Sports has launched their new Performance Curriculum, an online course designed to support the University's top athletes on the Performance Sport programme. The Performance Sport programme encompasses eight teams: Basketball (women), Football (women), Golf, Hockey (women), Netball, Rowing, Rugby (men), and Tennis.

The new Performance Curriculum has been curated by Ian Gaunt, the Deputy Director of Saints Sports, and Dr Joan Strang, the Performance Sport Coordinator. The programme will give students support in sports medicine, performance lifestyle, sport psychology, nutrition, analytics, and physiology.

The first online modules of the curriculum plan to focus on topics such as ‘Living an Athletic Lifestyle’, ‘Optimising Athletic Health’, and ‘Sports Injuries & Injury Prevention’. These modules have been created in collaboration with sports medics Dr Andrew Hall and Dr Ciara Grant.

Dr Andrew Hall is a clinical lecturer for The Scottish Clinical Research Excellence Development Scheme (SCREDS). He is also a Speciality Registrar in Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery. Currently, Dr Hall works as the Club Doctor for the Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and as a member of the matchday medical teams for the Glasgow Warriors and the Scotland Rugby international teams.

In a University press release published on 4 March, Dr Hall stated, “Delivering a High Performance lifestyle means optimising training, recovery, and health, as well as preventing time loss through injury and illness.”

Dr Hall continued, “The Performance Curriculum will help our athletes make better choices in order to reach their full potential, and to leave St Andrews with the tools to build success.”

Dr Ciara Grant, a professional football player for the Hibernian Football Club worked alongside Dr Hall to develop the online modules for the Performance Curriculum. Alongside her career as a professional footballer, Dr Ciara Grant is a medical doctor and completing a part-time Master's degree in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Bath. Dr Grant has also played for Rangers Football Club and Heart of Midlothian FC, and has held positions as a clinical medical lecturer and tutor.

In the same University press release, Dr Ciara Grant said, “As a former high performance student athlete, I know first-hand the unique challenges students face. Our aim is to help educate student athletes to optimise their health, training, performance and academics during their time at St Andrews.”

This new Performance Curriculum comes at an opportune time for student athletes at the University, many of whom are gaining international success across a multitude of sports including canoeing, rugby, football, and golf in both the men and women's divisions.

For instance, on 6 March, the University highlighted the sporting success of Kristina Armstrong, a first-year medicine student who is a World Junior Bronze medallist and double U23 European Championship Gold medallist for Great Britain in Canoe Sprint.

Deputy Director of Sport, Ian Gaunt, said, “It is really pleasing to see our top athletes representing the University on the international stage and performing at the highest levels, whilst balancing the academic schedule of a world-class education.”

Gaunt continued, “It is testimony to the advanced level of support we now provide to our performance athletes and scholars that enhances the unique St Andrews experience.”

Image by University of St Andrews