Six Higher Education Institutions have been awarded the new Sport Ireland Institute Accreditation for Student Athlete Support, which recognises good practice in ‘dual career’ support for student athletes.
Queens University Belfast, Setanta College, Technological University Dublin, University College Cork and University of Limerick have all been awarded full accreditation in conjunction with Student Sport Ireland, with Trinity College Dublin being named as an ASAS Affiliate recipient.
The accreditation, known under the acronym of ASAS, is based on providing equal opportunity to all high-performing student-athletes to combine sport and education and is grounded in the right to education.
The accreditation outlines clear dual-career criteria that third-level institutes must have in order to receive the accreditation.
Network
The accreditation aims to identify and establish a network of accredited institutions that support elite athletes to achieve dual-career excellence by applying guiding principles. ASAS was launched in July 2021, with the first applications accepted in October 2021 and awarded now after evaluation from a panel made up of Sport Ireland Institute and Student Sport Ireland representatives.
There will be some eyebrows raised at the fact that University College Dublin with its highly regarded Ad Astra Programme is not on the initial list of accredited institutions.
Athletes Sarah Healy and Israel Olatunde as well as Andrew Porter and Beibhinn Parsons are on that programme at the moment.
Dublin City University is another that would give substantial weight to athletic performance but is not on the initial list either.
“The ASAS initiative is a very welcome addition to the high performance sport landscape, recognising the important role that our third-level institutions play in the development and support of our student athletes,” said Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers launching the first wave of accreditations.
Viable
“Having an athlete-centred approach makes pursuing education and sport at the highest level a viable and worthwhile option for athletes. All six institutions are to be commended on their work to date, and I look forward to seeing many more join them in the years ahead.”
“It is clear that high-performance athletes have unique demands in comparison to the non-student athlete population,” added Sport Ireland CEO Dr Una May.
“Because of increased time and energy demands, increased accountability to various support providers, international travel and competition requirements, athletes require flexible and supportive structures in order to successfully attain a dual career.”
“Creating an environment that supports athletes’ participation in sport and education is a key success factor. A suitable athlete-centred environment requires understanding and consistent, structured support, and that is what our successful ASAS applicants are providing on an ongoing basis.”
Behind the scenes
“A lot of work has been put in behind the scenes to make this accreditation possible, and the team in the Sport Ireland Institute and Student Sport Ireland are to be commended for bringing this to fruition.”
“The main aim of the ASAS programme is to formalise and raise the level of dual career support for student athletes throughout the higher education sector in Ireland,” said Sport Ireland Institute Director Liam Harbison.
“Our goal is to have a majority of Higher Education Institutions ASAS Accredited by 2025. A promising start has been made towards this target, with six institutions submitting applications in year one.”
“Notably, a significant number of Institutions have sought expert support in building their dual career support infrastructure since the programme was launched in the summer of 2021. Sport Ireland Institute will be seeking applications for accreditation once again in 2022, and we are encouraging all in the sector to work towards the ASAS standard.”
Fundamental
“With just over half of the Team Ireland Tokyo 2021 Olympic and Paralympic delegations made up of current students and recent graduates we know that universities and colleges are a fundamental part of the high performance structure, which includes a network of world-class facilities, expertise, and research, along with significant investment in support services for student athletes,” said Matthew Dossett, President of Student Sport Ireland.
“There is a huge amount of work which takes place behind the scenes in third level institutions enabling students to balance their academic and sporting endeavours, and I would like to thank and commend all those involved.”
“Thank you also to colleagues across Student Sport Ireland and the Sport Ireland Institute for enabling this cross-sector collaboration, we look forward to exploring further initiatives and support links into the future.”
Sport for Business Perspective:
A structure and system of accreditation will help all third-level colleges to reach a higher standard of support for athletes who know that their career in sport will, in the future, need to be backed up in a workplace environment. The US Collegiate system is one where sporting performance is a requirement and where injury can cut short academic progress as well.
We have a more holistic approach here and this accreditation will only add to the support that is available for young athletes to reach their highest potential on and off the field of play.”
