NTU backs Erasmus+ STICK Project

Nottingham Trent University and Beeston Hockey Club have hosted the second consortium meeting of the STICK project, an initiative designed to allow a comprehensive exchange programme for high performance athletes.

Nottingham Trent University and Beeston Hockey Club have hosted the second consortium meeting of the STICK project.

On 18th and 19th June the STICK Project held its second consortium meeting. This meeting was hosted by British partners: Nottingham Trent University and Beeston Hockey Club.

The Erasmus+ STICK project (Sport and Academic Talent Integration through Exchange Programmes in Hockey) is the design of a comprehensive exchange programme that would allow high performance athletes to combine their sport activities at high level, together with the opportunity to take part in an Erasmus+ academic mobility.

This meeting gave the opportunity to all partners (Atlètic Terrassa Hockey Club and Autonomous University of Barcelona, Dragons Hockey Club and University of Antwerp, Rotterdam Hockey Club and Erasmus Rotterdam University, Pembroke Hockey Club, Dublin City University and host institutions; Nottingham Trent University and Beeston Hockey Club) to discuss the results obtained so far.

The purpose of these focus groups are to get to know the difficulties they have encountered when applying for an Erasmus+ scholarship, trying to combine it with sport mobility and specific needs. Focus Groups have also provided some clues on possible divergences between countries’ realities.

The internal discussions at consortium level have allowed the STICK Project to arrive to some important conclusions that will feed into the first important project result: a study on the athlete student’s needs, club’s needs, universities and Erasmus+ exchange programme needs.

This study will be the base for the joint design of a hockey/academic exchange programme, in which the consortium will start working in the next months.

NTU Performance Sport Manager Chris Campbell said: "We have been delighted to host our colleagues from across Europe alongside our partners at Beeston Hockey Club.

"we enjoy a thought provoking couple of days focusing on the results of the focus groups we have been running over the last few months as well as some initial feedback on the role of the project from some of the leading clubs in Europe.

"Following the work we have done in the past couple of days we are excited to get some models in place to improve athlete-mobility across countries as part of our aim to deliver a sector-leading sporting experience to all of our students and to provide them some unique dual-career opportunities.

Next meeting will be held in Rotterdam in the beginning of November 2018.