What will I study during this BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy course?

During this programme, you will learn to assess, treat and where appropriate refer athletes for specialist advice and intervention. You will learn to provide immediate care of injuries and basic life support in a recreational, training and competitive sporting environment. You will learn to plan and implement a unique rehabilitation programme for each athlete you treat. The practical techniques you will acquire, include sport and remedial massage for injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3

Professional Skills and Development – 30 Credits
Module Description

This module supports the content of other first year modules and prepares students for the second year. The key focus of this module is to develop students’ fundamental academic skills, including but not limited to scientific writing literature searching, the scientific paper format, research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation. This module introduces learners to the concepts that are fundamental to academic scholarship.

This module will also enhance personal development in preparation for future employment opportunities in your future career through the development of key transferable skills (e.g., communication, presentation and collaboration). Students will create a skills portfolio which evidences and reflects on key skills acquired across all modules, together with a CV, personal statement and reflective practice exercise.

This module is delivered by a mixture of teaching methods including lectures, practicals, PC labs and seminars.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Apply knowledge about major principles and concepts or research design.
2. Demonstrate confidence in academic writing and referencing other people’s work in a systematic way.
3. Demonstrate ability to source and interpret information and statistical data (exam)
4. Demonstrate ability to communicate by structuring and presenting information effectively (presentation, portfolio)
5. Reflect constructively on learning and professional experiences and examine their values and skills to enhance their professional identity.
Applied Biomechanics – 15 Credits
Module Description

This module explores the physical and mechanical principles that determine human movement in sports and exercise settings. Learners will learn the meaning of concepts such as force, mass, speed, velocity, acceleration, momentum and will explore how they enable us to describe and understand movement in sport and exercise. The exploration of human movement principles, load and force will provide learners with an understanding of injury mechanics and rehabilitation requirements and progression in relation to sports therapy and sports therapy modalities.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Describe how the basic principles of mechanics can be applied to describe and explain movements of the human body and injury mechanism in sport
2. Describe how applications of Newton’s laws of motion can explain the causes of linear and rotational motions in sport and exercise
3. Demonstrate an ability to perform simple calculations associated with analyses of movements in sport and exercise
4. Describe categories of human movement and understand the anatomical basis for the production of movement
5. Demonstrate basic competence in data presentation, analysis and interpretation, numeracy, information retrieval and written communication.
Introduction to Sport Therapy – 30 credits
Module Description

This module introduces learners to sports therapy, placing it within the context of healthcare in Ireland and the UK and within other health care delivery systems. The module provides the learners with the necessary underpinning knowledge and fundamental skills to become a sports therapist. Assessments focus on the learners being able to demonstrate the required knowledge base to become a sports therapist. Learners complete First Aid training and certification as part of this module. Certification in first aid is completed through Avalon First Aid training and complies with The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. Course and Assessment must be completed every 2 years as per industry best practice.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Describe the development of sports therapy and its place in the delivery of healthcare
2. Explore the concept of professionalism and reflective practice within sports therapy
3. Use appropriate communication skills to undertake a subjective assessment and record it appropriately
4. Select and demonstrate a range of massage techniques
5. Describe the theory and implementation of thermal modalities in sports therapy
6. Deliver first aid in a sporting environment having obtained a recognised first aid qualification
Sport and Exercise Psychology – 15 Credits
Module Description

This module explores the key theories in sport psychology, covering a wide range of sport psychology topics and the mental skills used within those topics. Psychological issues relating to individual behaviour patterns will be studied in detail. The impact of psychological factors on sports participation and performance will be explored with particular emphasis on consider the impact of injury and rehabilitation on psychological wellbeing of the athlete. The concepts of motivation, behaviour change, goal setting and identity.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the main branches of psychology and their application to sports therapy
2. Describe how psychology may be used to improve sports performance
3. Describe how sports psychology concepts can be used to improve sports therapy and rehabilitation processes
4. Formulate and present ideas and arguments, using scientific evidence including findings from academic resources for example books and journal papers to support claims
5. Use the key skills of retrieval of information, communication identifying and solving problems
Applied Anatomy and Pathophysiology for Sports Therapy – 30 Credits
Module Description

This module introduces learners to the anatomy and physiology of the human body with direct reference to sports therapy. The module will cover appendicular and axial anatomy, cardio-vascular-pulmonary anatomy and physiology, integumentary, peripheral, and central nervous system anatomy, and physiology. Common pathophysiological sporting disorders associated with the systems will be considered.

Aims

The module aims to provide the learners with an understanding of the basic human anatomy and physiology. The learners will learn the coupling of structure with function through a series of lectures, tutorials, and practicals.
Problem based learning will allow learners to explore the presentations of common sports injuries that can affect the body systems covered.
Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Describe the processes associated with inflammation, healing, and repair of body tissues
2. Demonstrate anatomical knowledge of the human body, with particular focus on the musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems
3. Demonstrate understanding of systems physiology with particular focus on muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems
4. Relate knowledge of anatomy and physiology to exercise and fitness
5. Describe and palpate anatomical structures associated with common sports injuries

Research Methods 2 (20 Credits)

Module Aim

The aim of this module is to introduce the fundamental concepts of research
methods, along with covering the basic application and interpretation of various data
analysis techniques.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the module the student should be able to:
1 Describe and identify various aspects of the different types of research design
2 Apply, interpret and report a variety of analysis techniques.
Exercise Physiology – 15 Credits
Module Description

In this module we will focus on the acute and chronic adaptations to exercise and training of the cardiovascular, pulmonary and muscular systems and consider how each system contributes to limitations of human performance. We will explore how the nervous and endocrine systems integrate the response to exercise and training. We will also explore differences in response and adaptation between adult and paediatric participants in exercise.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Describe the structure and function of the cardiovascular, pulmonary, muscular and endocrine systems
2. Discuss the responses of the cardiovascular, pulmonary and muscular systems to an acute exercise bout
3. Evaluate the roles of the cardiovascular, pulmonary and muscular systems in the limitation of human exercise performance
4. Discuss the responses of the cardiovascular, pulmonary and muscular systems to an exercise training programme
5. Explain how the nervous and endocrine systems co-ordinate the acute and chronic responses to exercise
6. Show competence in collection, collation and analysis of data from various physiological practicals.
Assessment and Evaluation of Sport and Exercise Injuries – 30 Credits
Module Description

Building on Introduction to Sports Therapy, this module develops learners’ skills in assessment, evaluation and diagnosis of sports and exercise injuries.
The module will consist of taught sessions to introduce key concepts of examination, assessment and diagnosis of sports and exercise injuries. It will develop the skills of clinical examination and assessment of peripheral and spinal regions. Problem based learning will allow learners to explore the presentations and treatment of common sports related injuries acknowledging the process and timings of healing and repair.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Plan and carry out a relevant and justified subjective and objective assessment of a patient / client with a given sport and exercise related injury and subjective presentation.
2. Make a reasoned clinical diagnosis based on subjective and objective findings while considering differential diagnoses
3. Discuss the role of the Sports Therapist in the assessment and management of sport and exercise related injury as part of a multi-disciplinary team
4. Clinically assess and evaluate function of peripheral joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
5. Clinically assess and evaluate function of spinal movements and joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons
Injury Management and Rehabilitation – 30 Credits
Module Description

This module focuses on functional rehabilitation within the practice of sports therapy. Learners will gain the underpinning knowledge and practical ability to screen for injuries, interpret the findings and implement a pre-habilitation programme to help reduce the risk of injury. Learners will be able to plan, implement and deliver rehabilitation and remedial programmes suitable for the early, intermediate, late and pre-discharge stages of any common sports injury.

Learners will develop their abilities to prescribe and deliver progressive exercise programmes. They will be able to make reasoned decisions in the selection of exercise focused on: flexibility, endurance, strength, power / speed, skill and co-ordination. Return to sport, warm-up and cool down will be explored. Within this module learners will explore the participation of specific populations in exercise and sport, including: the elderly, children and those with disabilities.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Demonstrate, justify and critique the use of exercise for injury prevention, progressive return to function, rehabilitation and performance enhancement.
2. Design, implement and evaluate appropriate individual and group rehabilitation programmes for a given patient(s) / client(s).
3. Outline the key components of fitness / functional capacity and discuss how these may be improved with exercise.
4. Prescribe, evaluate and analyse exercise performance to provide effective feedback to the performer.
Treatment of Sport and Exercise Injuries – 30 Credits
Module Description

This module develops the learners’ knowledge, understanding and skills in treatments available to sports therapists in their practice. Maitland’s and Mulligan’s philosophies of manual therapy will be explored. Therapeutic modalities will include soft tissue techniques and other manual techniques, including spinal and peripheral joint mobilisations. The use of taping will also be considered. Learners will learn to undertake a reasoned approach in their practice of sport and exercise injuries closely based on typical healing times and recovery.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the [learner] will be able to:
1. Select and demonstrate the application of a range of therapeutic techniques. Discuss the physiological and biomechanical effects of manual therapy on the musculoskeletal system.
2. nterpret findings to formulate and develop a manual therapy treatment plan Provide a clinically reasoned argument for the selection of a range of therapeutic techniques
3. Demonstrate ability to administer peripheral joint mobilisations and an awareness of precautions and contraindications when administering peripheral joint mobilisations.
4. Demonstrate ability to administer spinal joint mobilisations and an awareness of precautions and contraindications when administering spinal joint mobilisations.

Research Project – 30 Credits
Module Description

This module offers learners the opportunity to undertake an in- depth piece of work focused on a Sports Therapy topic of their choice. The Research Project may take various forms of empirical research, employing different kinds of methods and methodologies such as surveys, interviewing or processing secondary data. The project provides an opportunity to apply the research methods covered during their course.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Formulate a problem relevant to Sports Therapy.
2. Review relevant literature (this may be theory, research studies, official statistics, policy documents etc.)
3. Follow through an investigation which will involve designing a piece of empirical research (considering the key methodological issues, risks and ethical issues)
4. Incorporate relevant knowledge and skills from other parts of their degree including theoretical, methodological, analytical or substantive elements
5. Using available evidence, develop an argument, and write up their material in a coherent and well-presented dissertation and produce a conference quality poster.
Electrotherapy Modalities – 15 Credits
Module Description

Building on Sports Therapy modules in years 1 & 2 this module introduces learners to advanced therapeutic modalities including electrical (neuromuscular electrical stimulation, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, interferential), mechanical (ultrasound), electromagnetic (laser). The focus is on learners developing their use of clinical reasoning to ensure they can justify their approach to treatment using the appropriate evidence base.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Understand and critically analyse the main philosophies of practice in electrotherapy modalities
2. Understand the principles and practice of maintaining electrical safety in relation to the usage of electro-medical apparatus.
3. Apply the mediums of ultrasound, interferential, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapies safely and effectively to traumatised tissues.
Strength & Conditioning – 15 Credits
Module Description

Building on Sports Therapy modules in years 1 & 2 this module introduces learners to advanced therapeutic modalities including electrical (neuromuscular electrical stimulation, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, interferential), mechanical (ultrasound), electromagnetic (laser). The focus is on learners developing their use of clinical reasoning to ensure they can justify their approach to treatment using the appropriate evidence base.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Understand and critically analyse the main philosophies of practice in electrotherapy modalities
2. Understand the principles and practice of maintaining electrical safety in relation to the usage of electro-medical apparatus.
3. Apply the mediums of ultrasound, interferential, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapies safely and effectively to traumatised tissues.
Academic and Practical Sports Therapy – 15 Credits
Module Description

This module is delivered in the final year of the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy degree alongside.
A case-based approach to assessment and management of sports injuries will be used to explore the evidence behind both assessment and management strategies currently employed. This module will explore the evidence base for the management of sports injuries using a regional, case-based approach. Learners will have opportunities to further refine their clinical skills. They will build on their initial learning in relation to first aid and consider more advanced emergency and trauma management.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Justify and demonstrate critical understanding of appropriate assessments for a range of sports specific injuries with a thorough understanding of the best current literature;
2. Plan, carry out and evaluate critically sports specific pre- screening assessment;
3. Plan sports specific pre-habilitation strategies with critical evaluation of published material;
4. Justify critically and outline specific rehabilitation programmes for a range of sports injuries;
5. Justify and demonstrate critical understanding of appropriate interventions for a range of sports specific injuries with a thorough understanding of the best current literature.
Sports Therapy Placement – 30 Credits
Module Description

Learners will undertake 200 hours of supervised clinical placement in a sport and/or exercise related environment. At least 50 of these hours will take place in the Learner Sports clinic. 10% of placement hours can be acquired during first and second years following successful completion of Level 4 modules. Learners will be supported in obtaining and undertaking further supervised placement activities outside of the Institute. Portobello Institute understand the importance of securing placements for learners so that they can compound their academic learning with hands on practical experiences. Portobello Institute have an arrangement with several organisations that accommodate our learners during their placement. Theses placements are assigned to learners based on their geographical home address and individual needs. Programme managers will support them through this aspect of learning and assessment. Placement Supervisors are nominated by each placement and mentor the learners whilst on placement. They also complete a report on the placement and return to the Programme manager on completion of the placement.

On completion of this module learners will be able to demonstrate achievement of the Society of Sports Therapists Standards of Proficiency drawing on their learning from the experience undertaking this module and other modules within the course.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the standards of proficiency expected of a sports therapist.
2. Demonstrate the skills required of a sports therapist in practice
3. Use evidence critically to ask and answer appropriate clinical questions to improve their sports therapy practice
4. Evidence plans for their future continuing professional development by reflecting critically upon their current, knowledge, understanding and practice
5. Have undertaken at least 200 hours of supervised practice
Advanced Sports Trauma Management – 15 Credits
Module Description

Building on Sports Therapy modules in years 1 & 2, this module will explore and expand on basic First Aid scenarios for both pitch/courtside and treatment rooms with an emphasis on the management of traumatic sports injuries and Emergency Action Plan for Sports Therapist.
Practical scenarios include, but not limiting to the conscious but unresponsive, unconscious both breathing and non-breathing, spinal injury, AED, recovery positions, choking and varying types of bleeding.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Complete structured, logical assessment and treatment skills essential to the management of traumatic sports injuries.
2. Critically reflect on incident/s that required Sports Trauma intervention.
3. Effectively conduct primary and secondary surveys; Competently manage spinal immobilization, spinal injury, suction devices
4. Competently deal with a range of Sports Trauma scenarios.

Programme Manager

Cathal Brady

Cathal Brady dreamt of being a professional soccer player during his early years. He got pretty close to achieving his dreams too, spending 11 years as a semi-professional player in the League of Ireland.

Understanding that his career wasn’t going to belong fully on the pitch, Cathal found a way to stay involved in sports by becoming a sports therapist.

He has drawn on his experience of playing soccer at a high level throughout his career working as a lecturer, opening his own private clinic and working for elite professional teams.

“I wanted to be involved in sport as much as I could and an occupation that allowed me to be involved with sport as a career. I knew that from a very early age that was what I wanted to do, you’re talking 13/14 that I knew my career was going to be in sport in some shape or form.

I played League of Ireland for 11 seasons…it was high level in a semi-professional capacity…I looked at myself as a semi-pro because I always worked while I was playing.

Playing at the level of sport, in soccer, it not only opened some avenues and that sort of stuff in the soccer side of things, it also opened in GAA and that because people knew I played at a high level…that helped with me having the ability to relate with clients a little bit more. I was in their position, I knew what they were going through, I knew what they wanted to do.”

Cathal could relate to sports people very easily. He also relates to Portobello Institute students very easily, as he was one before he became a lecturer in Sports Therapy.

“I love it, really like it. To be honest I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do. I find it really good. I like having the interaction with the students. I like the whole setup I have to say I really enjoy it.”

Having worked with so many sports teams and having set up the Dunboyne Sports Injury Clinic, Cathal is in prime position to help all of Portobello’s students no matter what type of career they are pursuing in therapy.

Working in smaller classes has allowed him to engage with his students as individuals, generating a level of pride as they work their way towards graduation and enhance their skill sets in sports therapy.

“With small classes and lots of practical interaction time, we get to know each student well over three years. So when a student gets to where they want to be, their perfect job or postgraduate position, I am delighted for them. I’m proud to be part of the team that helped them get there.”

Personal Academic Tutor

Each student is assigned a personal academic tutor to support you throughout your learning journey. They are available to offer you telephone and email support at any time. You can arrange to meet them for further one to one guidance at a time convenient to you.

Many of our past graduates have found it is the opportunity to ask a simple question, seek direction and submit a draft of their assessment that supported them most to successful completion. Emailing your tutor at any stage during your programme to ask a query or submit a draft of your assessment supports you to achieve your personal best throughout your studies with Portobello.

This level of one to one support is a particular benefit to choosing Portobello as your Institute of choice to complete your studies.

Shannon Byrne

Portobello Institute graduate and founder of Rebound Injury Clinic, Shannon Byrne has returned to Portobello as a lecturing assistant on the BSc in Sports Therapy.

Shannon established and runs Rebound Injury Clinic based in BeDo7 Fitness‘ purpose-built Sports Therapy room.

Throughout her education journey she has achieved an Honors Degree (Bachelor of Science) in Sports Therapy, obtained from London Metropolitan University in 2020 through Portobello Institute.

She is also a member of the Society of Sports Therapists and the Irish Massage Therapy Association.

Shannon brings her previous private practice experience where she treated anyone from athletes to desk workers, young and old, for a wide range of injuries to her role at Portobello.

As well as this, she has worked pitch-side with football teams, volunteered as a therapist at Iron Man events and worked with world championship level dancers with a focus on improving flexibility and injury prevention.

Shannon’s experience and qualification mean she has the knowledge, ability and skills to provide immediate care of injuries through assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.

She brings her past experience as a student at Portobello, her practical pitch-side experience and her academic knowledge to lecturing at Portobello Institute.

After completing her Leaving Certificate, she did a PLC in Coláiste Íde in physiotherapy. Thanks to her superb results, she was able to go straight into the second year of our Sports Therapy degree.

“I got all distinctions in that so I was delighted. That led me to Portobello where I started in the second year. Because of my results, they let me bypass the first year which would have been a foundation year. Did the two years then in order to get the undergrad degree and I finished up in May of last year.”

Before going to Coláiste Íde, Shannon developed a keen interest in sports science and the impact of injury on the body.

“I was a dancer myself in multiple different styles. It always led to injuries here and there.”

However, her sister also helped to develop that interest.

“I have a little sister who has special needs as well, so she underwent an awful lot of physiotherapy and speech and language therapy in her early years.

“We were told she’d never walk or talk and now she’s at stage school singing and dancing and acting. So when you see it first-hand it’s definitely more inspiring to get into it.”

But it was more so the sports side that Shannon wanted to get into and in October of last year, just five short months after finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Portobello, she opened up her own injury clinic.

“Usually you’d go work somewhere first. But what happened for me was that we were in lockdown, and I just had an idea.

“Back in March 2020 when lockdown kicked in, we had one business module, a hypothetical what would you do if you opened your own business and what you needed to know. I said I’d do it on a clinic.

“My sister does digital marketing so I asked her what would I need. She made up a logo. It was kind of boredom. My sister kept saying ‘I made that logo and it’s so nice and it’s not going anywhere’.

“Then I was off on annual leave and a guy I know years who owns a gym, he plays for Dublin GAA, gave me a ring and asked was I qualified yet and I said yes.

“He said he had a room in the back of the gym and he had this idea of opening an injury clinic in the gym and having a person on-site so that if someone in the gym gets injured we can have somebody to send them to.

“Eventually I said why not, let’s go for it. If we can do it in the middle of a pandemic you can do it outside of a pandemic. We painted the room ourselves and we opened.”

Now, in addition to running her own clinic, Shannon will be helping out her former thesis supervisor, Cathal Brady, to lecture on the very degree she gained at Portobello in 2020.

The role allows Shannon to pass on the useful knowledge she has picked up both inside and out of Portobello.

“I’m really excited about going in and passing on what I’ve learned. Cathal was an excellent lecturer when I was there and was really helpful.”

One of the things that Shannon really enjoyed about her time in Portobello was how personable it was and that is something she is looking forward to being part of again.

“I have a twin sister who went to a different college and she was just a number in a class.

“In Portobello I think everyone is much more close-knit which I loved. Putting names to people instead of numbers. So I’m really looking forward to being able to make it a better experience for other students and pass on what I learned,” she said.

Colm Murphy

During the final weeks of the Portobello school year, Colm Murphy is frenetically keeping track of his students and handing out grades. It’s an incredibly busy time of year after which anyone would want to take a long break.

But Colm doesn’t go and sit on a beach somewhere. Instead, he dives straight into summer camps for the children at his local tennis club.

“The youngest ones are five. It’s mostly aimed at primary schools so a few of them are 11 and 12. We split them into smaller groups within that but the smallest ones are really small. They’re very funny.”

You can sense the delight from Colm as he talks through the fun of coaching kids.

Even on this unseasonably stormy summer day where the sessions were disrupted more than once, you can sense his enthusiasm and passion. The energy he radiates personifies that delight that only comes from someone who is fully enjoying his day-to-day activities.

Colm had always wanted to be a PE teacher and a coach of some kind. There’s no doubt that he’s living out his dream but that alone isn’t enough to explain him being so content with life.

That kind of happiness comes from someone who has endured a winding and often disrupted journey to where he wanted to be.

“In school it was all about the sport and not about the study. I came to study very late in the day. At the time the only thing I wanted was to become a PE teacher but the academic requirements for that were way out of my reach.

I certainly didn’t regard myself as any kind of student or certainly not an academic. I was enjoying sport far too much to actually apply myself to my studies.”

Needing to get a proper job, Colm forewent college and went to work straight away.

Instead of PE and coaching, he spent his days in a bank. After working his way up through entry level jobs to land in the finance department, Colm was pushed towards doing accountancy exams. A proper job.

“I was trying to basically hammer a square peg into a round hole. It didn’t want to go…I had to stop at the certificate stage, I couldn’t force myself over the line no matter how valuable it would be. I was just completely sick of it at that point.”

Having not found his fit in the bank, Colm departed to an IT Software company. He was closer to what he wanted to be here, filling a position of leadership in quality control and project management. But it still wasn’t PE or Coaching.

While it didn’t feel like it at the time, Colm was very fortunate to be forced away from that career after a couple of years.

“The dotcom bubble burst in 2002 and the company I was with just shrank and shrank and shrank…eventually [my boss] called me into the room and said ‘I have a new list [to let go] and you’re on it.'”

There were no opportunities in the sector. That forced Colm to look elsewhere, which led him back to the tennis coaching qualification that he had earned in his youth.

“Funnily, I really started to enjoy it hugely, really quickly. And I actually got quite busy really quickly as well…this was an enforced change that I wouldn’t have chosen but it was kind of opportune as well. So what else could I do? What else would I like? What else would fit with this?”

At 35 years of age with two kids and a mortgage, Colm couldn’t go back into a 9-5 college education to become a physiotherapist. He instead found a Blended Learning course that could fit into his established life that allowed him to become a qualified physical therapist.

Despite never being a good student in his youth, Colm impressed so much on his course that the Institute of Physical Therapy and Applied Science offered him an opportunity to become a lecturer.

He carried out that role while still coaching and working as a therapist himself for more than 10 years before Portobello Institute came calling.

Colm has been demystifying the course material for Portobello students for five years now. He’s an energetic lecturer with a positive outlook that helps students to build their confidence and knowledge so they can overcome the challenges they have set for themselves.

But more than just putting on a show and celebrating their development, Colm’s journey allows him to empathise with his students on a professional and personal level. Especially the mature students.

“I find the mature students to be really interesting. I suppose it’s because my pathway has been unconventional and a lot of them are in the same boat…You look back at some crunch times in your journey and you wonder how you managed to get through it.

I often end up having that conversation or conversations like that with mature students.

You say, ‘Look there are gonna be bumps in the road here. You mightn’t know yet what they are but they’re gonna pop up and you need to be prepared for the fact they’re gonna pop up. If it does pop up, come and talk to me because chances are whether it’s me or Cathal [Brady] or Barry [Roe] we’re going to have had a similar experience.’”

When Colm was a mature student, he and his wife were both working and studying while taking care of their two children. They had a third child during those years and each of them felt the heartbreak of losing a parent.

So even though students now get to work with an incredibly enthusiastic and positive lecturer who can put on a show in the classroom, the person behind that lecturer also has all the experience to empathize and understand their needs.

Qualifications

MSc Applied Sport & Exercise Psychology (Waterford IT)
Post Grad Certificate in Third Level Teaching & Learning (DIT)
Diploma in Physical Therapy (IPTAS)
Tennis Ireland Development Coach (Tennis Ireland)

Research / Industry Participation

Anatomy & Analysis Tutor for 11 years with IPTAS (Institute of Physical Therapy & Applied Science). 2006 – 2017
Physical Therapist in private practice since 2006
Tennis Ireland Development Coach since 1994
Sport Performance Coach since 2015

Ian Darragh

Position: Tutor in Exercise Physiology

About Ian Darragh

A (northside) Dublin native, I began my academic career studying an undergraduate degree in Sports Science and Health at DCU. Here, I developed a specific interest in exercise physiology and scientific research through my experience of course material, volunteering for research studies and a completing research-based internship at the University of Cape Town. During my undergraduate studies, I also worked as a fitness instructor and competed internationally in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, representing Ireland at the 2013 and 2014 Junior European Weightlifting Championships. The combination of these experiences was important for me, as I gained a joint appreciation for the mechanisms of acute and chronic responses to exercise, but also the necessity of translating this information into actionable principles that enhance clinical outcomes or sports performance.

Upon completion of my undergraduate studies, I enrolled in Trinity College (Dublin) where I successfully completed an MSc in Molecular Medicine – this degree gave me knowledge and experience in basic molecular sciences (biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology) and laid the technical and intellectual foundation for my doctoral studies. After my time at Trinity, I spent a year teaching full-time at the University of Limerick before receiving a Government of Ireland Postgraduate scholarship to return to DCU and begin my PhD studies. My doctoral work is in the discipline of molecular exercise physiology and concerns whether exercise training influences the presence of circulating ‘exercise factors’ and the bioactivity of blood plasma derived from athletes on the proliferation of cancer cells. I aim to complete my PhD in the summer of 2023.

Ian’s Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy revolves around prompting students to learn to think about how the components of problems work and developing principles based on this knowledge that is useful in the solving of real-world problems. In other words, I do not think that there is value in being able to memorise and recite endless lists of materials, reactions or rates. Instead, I believe that gaining a general understanding of how a system functions (e.g. the human body) enables the ability to predict how that system may change in response to different scenarios (like exercise training) and that this combined knowledge can then be aggregated into principles that are actionable and problem-solving in nature (for tasks like designing exercise training programs).

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Sport Science and Health (DCU)
MSc Molecular Medicine (TCD)
PhD candidate in Molecular Exercise Physiology (DCU)

Research / Industry Participation

My publications are openly available on my researchgate profile – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ian-Darragh

I tend to publish articles in the domains of applied sport science research, molecular biology and applied exercise physiology.

Brian Spring

Brian Spring is a tutor for Portobello Institute’s sports department, working across a number of different modules including Human Physiology and Applied Principles of Strength and Conditioning.

Brian grew up in Co. Mayo, developing a strong love for sport and fitness through his playing of soccer and Brazilian jiu jitsu. He carried that love of sport right through his youth and into university.

“I decided to do Sport and Exercise Science in UL. Did my undergrad degree there for four years and loved every second of it. Ended up graduating top of my class.

“Then I went on and did a master’s in Sports Performance in UL also,” he said.

During his time doing his undergraduate, Brian was able to avail of some valuable practical experience many miles from his Mayo home.

“I worked with the West Coast Eagles in Australia for a year during my undergraduate degree.

“During their 2018 Grand Final winning season, I helped out with them on the sports science. Things like GPS, questionnaires, RPE monitoring and also their strength and conditioning side of things. In the gym with the lads every day, helping them with their gym programmes,” Brian said.

Brian’s disciplines cover a wide area of professional sports, but he says there isn’t one specific area he prefers working in.

“I enjoy everything because it all works together in terms of nutrition, psychology, physiology.

“Nothing works by itself; they all complement each other. I like looking at sport in a broader sense, trying to make the puzzle work and make everything fit together,” he says.

While on the field success was always the end goal for him and the team, Brian says there’s much more to enjoy from a backroom perspective than winning on matchday.

“Obviously seeing the team win on game day is great.

“But I also like seeing players return or if they are coming off a bad patch of performance and you’ve helped them do a bit of extra work in the gym. Whether it’s a bad patch of performance or coming back from injury, seeing them have a good game on the day is quite satisfying as well,” Brian said.

Upon returning from Down Under, and completing of his second degree with the university, Brian was offered a role as a teaching assistant with UL, discovering a passion for teaching along the way.

“After my master’s I worked as a teaching assistant in UL for a year. I taught labs and tutorials on nutrition, physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, a bit of everything really, from undergraduate to postgraduate degree.

“I really enjoy seeing the students reach their goals for learning.

“From week one, their knowledge on physiology isn’t that wide and you get them to week 12 and you can have a proper discussion about exercise physiology and strength and conditioning, and they can start critically analysing what I’m saying to them and ask questions. Knowing that they can bring that information into a practical setting is quite rewarding too,” he said.

Like many practitioners who teach alongside their practical work, he likes how one can inform the other, and vice versa.

“The better understanding you have of the physiology and the strength and conditioning and all the theoretical things, the better you are able to explain these things to the athletes. That increases their buy-in, it makes them more likely to engage in the programme and what you’re telling them to do.

“And vice versa, obviously having a better understanding of how to communicate with athletes, how the theoretical knowledge is used in a practical sense, you can take that information to the students. There are times when there’s a bit of a disconnect between people who are lecturers, and who aren’t practitioners. It’s good to do both,” Brian said.

Brian now works with Portobello Institute across multiple degree programmes. While the UL position was something offered to him, he says that his current role with Portobello that he actually went looking for.

“In UL, it was something that I was approached for. But the Portobello gig is something I sought out and got in contact with Susan about. I love the teaching so it’s definitely something I want to keep on doing going forward.

“Now I’m in Portobello, lecturing on physiology, exercise physiology and strength and conditioning modules.

“I’m loving it so far. As I mentioned, I love working with people and helping them reach their goals. But I think the part I’m enjoying the most, so far, is seeing people’s knowledge grow.

“Having them a bit confused on week one until they’re asking some really great questions come week 12. We’re able to have conversations as a class and have a debate in class on certain topics. Just seeing their understanding and confidence grow is probably my favourite bit,” he said.

While he is exploring his passion for teaching with Portobello, Brian does not rule out a future focus on a return to more practitioner work.

“I definitely would like to keep working in sport in some respect.

“I think before, I always wanted to work at the highest level of sport. I now like the idea of working at the academy levels or with youth athletes a bit more because I feel like their development is nearly more important than the elite athletes’ development, which has nearly peaked.

“You’re maintaining their levels of fitness or skill whereas in a developing age, you can see the growth a lot more.”

Barry Roe

Barry Roe started out his career in what he calls one of the big three (Business, Medicine, Law).

“Nobody ever really entertained the possibility of a real career in sports, even though there were a lot of serious athletes involved, people who were hugely successful in their sporting lives, got scholarships and everything. They never took sport seriously in terms of seeing it as an actual career path.”

He landed that coveted corner office in a tall building managing pension funds. Barry had what most would consider a perk. His office literally overlooked the Leinster training ground. If Leinster scored a try off a set piece move on Friday night, Barry had seen it happen on Tuesday. He knew who the next superstar talent was and got to watch him everyday.

But that’s not what Barry wanted. Instead of a perk, it was only adding to his misery in his office job.

“It was only my wife really who sat me down and said ‘Look you’re obviously miserable.’

Having studied something like business and marketing, it was a great experience…but if I could go back I would definitely have just gone through the sporting route. If I could talk to my teenage self I would say what do you actually really like to do and what would you like to do with the rest of your life as opposed to what do you think you should be doing.

Forget what you think you should be doing, just go do what you like to do and you’ll succeed in it. You’ll make more successful leaps and bounds far quicker than you would slogging it out during a recession in finance.”

With a very understanding wife at his side, Barry gave up his career in finance and became a personal trainer. He earned his MSc Sports Performance from the University of Limerick before becoming a strength and conditioning coach and nutrition advisor for Munster Rugby.

“When you’re sitting there thinking ‘I’m here working in pension funds until I potentially start drawing my own pension.’ Nah, that was not happening. No. Game over.”

Having worked with elite athletes and having set up his own personal training business, Barry then sought out to satiate his desire to educate. That’s how he wound up at Portobello Institute.

“My philosophy is to always be open to new challenges and opportunities. In doing so, I feel that I will maintain a fresh perspective and continue to grow professionally and personally. My goal as an educator in the undergraduate program is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to become professionally competent in their chosen pathways.

My teaching philosophy takes a student-centric approach. I strive to create a collaborative and interactive learning environment; one that allows our diverse student body to share their own unique experiences and perspectives. My overall aim is to equip my students with the skills and confidence to make a seamless transition from their academic studies into their chosen careers.”

Becoming an educator was a natural fit for Barry as he has continually sought out education himself as a student. His initial degree in marketing wasn’t ultimately what he wanted to build his career in but it didn’t mar his passion for education. Since then he has earned his Masters from UL but also completed the National Qualifications in Suspension Training, Pre & Post Natal Exercise, Indoor Cycling and Kettlebell Training and further qualifications with the IRFU, U.K. Anti Doping, ISAK and Les Mills.