Are you passionate about sport science, exercise and health, and want to know what opportunities are out there for you?
We talked to some of our alumni about their experiences studying a degree in sport science, exercise and health, and where they are now.
Ander Rodoreda
After some research, Ander’s choice to study a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Exercise and Health, at UWA was easy, due to the “great industry connections for student placements.” Ander then went on to study an honours at UWA too.
When asked about his time studying at UWA, Ander said he has most enjoyed “all the in-person interactions with fellow students, many who have become lifelong friends.”
Ander is currently working as the Head of Performance Analysis for the Western Force Super Rugby team. His role is to “work with the coaches and identify the ‘critical few’ pieces of information to measure and track our players and team’s performance. This will then impact what we decide to work on in training, in the gym and ultimately what we aim to achieve on the field.”
I’m a Perth boy who grew up loving sport and wanting to get to see the world, so professional sport was the easy choice!”Ander Rodoreda, Head of Performance Analysis at the Western Force
To excel in the high performance and professional sport industry, Ander shared that an understanding of data structures and database principles is important, “as you’ll likely be managing a lot of your own!” Knowledge of how to use programs such as Excel, Power BI or Tableau are fundamental and standard in the industry.
Ander also shared that it is important to build your sport specific knowledge, where “the more of an expert you can be in a sport and ‘think like a coach,’ the more you will be able to connect with them and design impactful analysis.”
Ander gives some advice for students considering a career in sport.
If you are interested in a career in sport, or in a career related to sport, go for it. There are probably more sport opportunities than you are aware of, and you have a lot of flexibility to follow your area of interest.”
Bhavisha Devchand
Bhavisha chose to study a Bachelor of Science majoring in sport science, exercise and health, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Exercise Rehabilitation at UWA for the “opportunity to participate in highly practical courses, and cross over other domains such as organisational behaviour and psychology, which are now integral to [her] daily role.”
Bhavisha had an interest in sport from a young age, playing hockey, soccer and cricket throughout her school years. This made her decision to study exercise science an easy one.
Bhavisha currently plays for WA Cricket, while being the founder of the Inside Edge Project, offering services such as sport coaching, guest speaking and workshops for schools and organisations.
Bhavisha is passionate about the professional sport and business industries, where “women’s sport is growing at a phenomenal rate and there are no signs that it is slowing down. Furthermore, many athletes tend to perform exceptionally well in the business world, there are so many exciting opportunities with skill sets that cross over.”The driving force behind both of my roles is to be a role model for people to pursue what they love. The Inside Edge Project has a focus on helping women from South Asian backgrounds do what they love, and I’m excited to continue to see it grow”Bhavisha Devchand, Professional Cricketer and founder of the inside edge project
Bhavisha gives some advice for students considering a career in sport.
Go out into the industry and speak to people who are doing something that is similar to what you are interested in. Ask about their journey to get there and see if further education is something that would help. Most importantly you must love what you do. It can be difficult at times, but finding joy in the process and connecting to a purpose greater than yourself is the most important. The rest takes care of itself!"
Martyn Binnie
Martyn was always passionate about sport, so he decided to study a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Sciences at UWA, before going onto study Honours and a PhD in Sports Physiology.
Martyn got the opportunity to complete his PhD at WAIS in 2011 and has been working there ever since.I chose UWA due to the high quality of the sport science degree and the reputation UWA and its staff had for producing industry leading applied research."Martyn Binnie, Performance Scientist at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS)
Currently, he works as a Performance Scientist for the Rowing Program, and spends 1-2 days per week at the High Performance Sport Research Centre (HPSRC), “mentoring and supervising honours, master’s and imbedded PhD students across a range of projects within sport programs.”
Martyn’s role involves working with elite athletes at to enhance their performance, achieve their goals and “inspire the next generation of young athletes.”
Recently, Martyn worked with the Senior Australian Rowing Team as they completed their final training block and competitions in Europe, in the lead up to competing on the world’s largest stage. This included working day to day on training support and performance monitoring, and working within the multi-disciplinary team (dietitian, strength, physio etc.) to help keep the athletes and crew boats on track towards their ultimate goals.
To excel in the high-performance sport industry, Martyn said “it is critical to have a good understanding of your discipline area, however, it is becoming increasingly important to have good data literacy skills and a multi-disciplinary expertise.”
Lastly, Martyn shares some advice for students considering a career in sport.
You will have a long career, so engaging in something you are genuinely interested in makes the investment of time and the drive for continuous improvement much easier. That said, there is also no issue with changing your mind and shifting paths along the way!"
Interested in what opportunities in sport science, exercise and health are out there for you?
Find out more about our study options including the Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Sciences.
