About the Sport Scientist and a career in physical activity
There is a wide range of careers in sports to choose from, Sport Scientist jobs offering exciting career opportunities that incorporate elements of medicine as well as psychology. If you are passionate about sports jobs, then a career as a Sports Scientist is a great way to do what you love as a job.
What a Sports Scientist does
The primary role of a sports scientist is to help athletes to reach their full potential. These professionals use knowledge from a wide range of disciplines to assist athletes in achieving their goals. Medicine and physiology as well as biomechanics and psychology are part of this field of study.
Duties of Sport Scientists
If you are trying to understand whether becoming a sports scientist is the right option for you, it is important to know what duties are associated with this position.
Sports Scientists are tasked with assisting athletes in reaching their peak health through nutrition and exercise. They also play a role in helping athletes to recover from injuries. These professionals team up with coaches and therapists to help athletes achieve their goals.
These careers in sport may involve you working with individual sports men or women as well as teams which are made up of multiple players. Another duty that sports scientists are required to perform is developing training programs with the aim of helping athletes to strengthen their muscles and increase their fitness levels.
These types of sports jobs can be found at hospitals where they are involved with health promotion. Medical centres may also require sports scientists to assist with cardiac rehabilitation. Other employment opportunities are provided by research centres.
Professionals in this field may also be tasked with providing manufacturers with guidelines on the design of sporting equipment. Sport Scientist jobs may also entail attending training sessions and matches in order to review the athlete’s or team’s performance. Once they have assessed the athlete they will offer advice on how the athlete can improve their performance.
What it takes to be a Sports Scientist
Now that you know more about what sports scientists do on a daily basis, let us find out if you’ve got what it takes to do well in this career.
To succeed as a sports scientist you will first and foremost need a passion for sport. Organisational and analytical skills are also required. Superior communication and interpersonal skills are also required for this role. Decision making skills are another necessity if you want to succeed.
Education and Training
If you don’t meet all the requirements, there are plenty of ways that you can develop your skills. Once you know what skills are important for sports jobs in this field, you can look out for opportunities to develop your capabilities.
A good start is to complete the necessary learning pathway before looking for relevant work experience. When it comes to Sport Scientist jobs there are a variety of learning pathways to choose from. The learning pathway that you choose will depend on the career that you want to pursue as well as your personal preferences.
A National Senior Certificate is typically required to enter this learning pathway however it is advisable to check the requirements of the educational institute that you intend to study at.
Sports scientists need to complete a degree that is relevant to this field. One option is to complete a Sports Science degree. A National Diploma in Sport and Exercise technology is another option. A Bachelor of Technology in Sport and Exercise Technology is a third learning pathway that can form a good basis for these types of careers in sports.
It is also possible to enter this field with a degree in physical education or physiology. Other options are Biokinetics or psychology degrees. Once you have decided on your area of specialisation you can complete a postgraduate qualification in this field. Bachelor of Science degrees do not grant you professional status and it is therefore important to study further by developing your knowledge in areas such as nutrition and medicine. If you want to pursue a career in research, you will need to complete masters.
Once you have decided what you want to study, you will need to select an educational institute. There are a variety of educational institutes across South Africa which offer relevant courses. The Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Zululand offer a National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Technology. You can study a National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Technology at the Vaal University of technology.
[iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/97ggPvwGNyk” align=”center” maxwidth=”720″]
Working as a Sports Scientist
The working conditions for these professionals vary according to the different job roles. Sport Scientist jobs may require after-work hours. Professionals within this field may operate from a consultation room or an office. Travel to sports stadiums as well as sports organisations may also be necessary.
Now that you know more about Sports Scientists, you can decide if this is the right career for you. Looking for new and exciting sports jobs? Job Mail is most definitely the place to start. With great jobs listed you are sure to find some great opportunities. Register your CV and sign up for Alerts today!

