The University of Melbourne Supporting established programs and providing new and emerging activities: Water Safety Program When Lucy arrived in Melbourne from Beijing to begin her Master of Marketing and Communications, she didn’t know a single person. Everything was unfamiliar, from the language to the lifestyle, and while it was exciting, it was also overwhelming. […]
Competitive sport versus social-cultural clubs in campus life. Research indicates that students’ participation in university-based extracurricular activities contributes to their graduate attributes such as leadership, teamwork, communication and resilience. However, it has yet to be determined which types of extracurricular activities are more impactful. Carmel Foley, Simon Darcy, Anja Hergesell, Barbara Almond, Matthew McDonald, Lan […]
As traditional sport participation stagnates or declines, flexible informal sporting forms are increasingly a focus for those with a vested interest in maximising participation in sport and physical activity. This study critiques existing definitions of informal sport as overly binary, largely unhelpful, and conceptually diffuse. We propose a more nuanced understanding of informal sport that […]
Universities’ higher elite athlete program investment sees student athletes’ Olympic performance soar. By Don Knapp Australian University Sport began tracking the performance of student-athletes at Olympic Games in preparation for its Winning Edge funding submission to the Australian Sports Commission in 2012. At the 2004 Athens Games, 104 student-athletes were selected in the Australian Olympic […]
A report on the support and services provided to elite student-athletes by Australian universities. Research has revealed that elite athletes have the capacity to achieve simultaneous sporting and academic success (Henry, 2013; Wylleman, 2017). The 2008, 2012 and 2016 Australia Olympic team confirmed this with over 50% of medallists being current or former elite student-athletes […]
In 2018 UniSport conducted a research project with Griffith University and the University of the Sunshine Coast examining the elite student-athlete experience with Australian universities. Data was gained from 867 elite student-athletes from 27 universities. A full industry report on the findings is below. Download the full report below. (1MB)
This research investigated the relationship between competence, self-efficacy, enjoyment, and motivation with physical activity behaviour during student’s transition from school to university. Among 558 first-year biology health science students, 80% reported satisfactory or above physical activity index scores, with males scoring significantly higher than females. Enjoyment, self-efficacy, and competence were found to be predictive of […]
Physical activity is associated with improved well-being.The research found that COVID-19-related isolation measures led to a significant decrease in physical activity among Australian university students, with about 30% fewer students meeting sufficient activity levels. Energy intake increased, particularly in females, and snacking frequency and energy density of snacks also rose. These changes persisted even as […]
This research examines how COVID-19-related mobility restrictions affected sleep and physical activity rhythms among young adults. It found that physical activity decreased significantly during lockdown, while sleep patterns remained relatively stable. The study highlights the importance of maintaining physical activity for overall health during periods of restricted mobility Ong, J.L., Lau, T., Massar, S.A.A., Chong, […]
How can universities better support the mental wellbeing of higher degree research students? A study of students’ suggestions. HDR students suggest improved resources such as enhancing supervision, financial support, and peer engagement. Also would like an academic research culture that values the well-being of all staff and students. Read Tracii Ryan’s online article here.
