Student-athletes commonly report balancing sport and education as one of their greatest challenges (Stambulova et al., 2015). The Professional Footballers’ Association has repeatedly highlighted that the vast majority of academy players are released before reaching the professional game — and injury can remove sport from an athlete’s life without warning.

The European Commission promotes the “dual career” approach, encouraging talented athletes to pursue education alongside elite sport because combining the two improves long-term wellbeing and career prospects. NCAA and IOC guidance similarly stress the importance of balancing education and sporting commitments. Our programmes are built on that principle.