UoB Sport Performance host Paris Olympic Preparation Camp for Hockey Umpires.
Earlier this month our Performance Centre team collaborated with the National Programme Umpiring Association to host an Olympic Preparation Camp for four Hockey Umpires who have been selected to officiate the Paris Olympics this summer.
Among the Umpires selected for the Games is UoB Alumna Hannah Harrison (formerly Hannah Sanders), who graduated from the University back in 2006 from the School of Economics.
Hannah reflects on how it feels to be selected for the prestigious Olympic Games:
‘It really is a dream come true for me, it’s something I’ve worked really hard for the past 15 years to achieve’.
Watch the full interview here
During the camp, our Performance Team delivered content across a number of key areas:
Dr Sue Jones (Sports Psychologist) covered the psychological pressures of officiating under the scrutiny of elite teams, crowds and the media.
Mike Gosling (Physiokinetic) showcased physical movement screening and biomechanical interventions.
David Sheldon (SportExR/UBSport Exercise Physiologist) presented heat acclimatisation and cooling strategies.
Luke Gunn, Head of Performance who helped to deliver the camp says:
‘We were delighted to be able to assist the NPUA and the wonderful four GB Umpires who will officiate in Paris this summer.
Just as the athletes need to be at peak performance at the Olympics, as do all the officials for whom this is also the pinnacle of their sport. We were honoured to be able to share our expertise to aid their preparations.’
The Camp aimed to cover the physical, mental and nutrition aspects required of umpires to ensure they are on optimum form for the Games. Hannah found the content extremely valuable, saying:
‘I feel incredibly lucky that the family of the University of Birmingham have welcomed me back, and that I’ve been able to access such great facilities and some real experts’.
