Work Experience on Ice

Second year students studying BSc Sports Therapy at University College Birmingham have been given the opportunity to get hands on experience thanks to a link with an English Premier League (EPL) ice hockey team.

Six students work in rotation with the Basingstoke Bison team on match night's alongside the club's medical staff, including UCB lecturer Hannah Boardman and Chartered Physiotherapist Amy Williams.

This provides the students with the chance to gain a deeper understanding of Sports Therapy in action and helps students to stand out from the rest of the field in an increasingly competitive job market.

Hannah says "This is a brilliant opportunity and I am very proud of the students for the work ethic they haveshowed at the games. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to work on athletes at that level and in such a demanding sport.There has been no end of jobs for them to do, and they have been kept very busy."

Bison Director of Operations, John Neville said "I am delighted with the link that we have with UCB's Sports Therapy department. The qualities and professionalism that the students have brought to the club is tremendous and have reflected extremely positive on UCB as a whole. I am proud to have them as part of the Bison club."

Ice Hockey is one of the world's fastest team sports but is also one of the toughest as the physical nature can lead to a wide variety of injuries and range of treatments that a therapist may have to deal with during the course of a game.

The Bison are currently in their first season in the EPL and look set to make the end of season play-offs with a finish in the top four positions. The club have been in existence since 1988 and regularly attract crowds of over 1,000 making it the leading sport in Basingstoke.

Basingstoke Bison are proud of the link that they have with University College of Birmingham and hope it can continue for many years to come.

For more information on the Sports Therapy course at University College of Birmingham visit the course pages.

For more information on the please visit the Basingstoke Bison Ice Hockey Team website .