Associate Professor Blake McLean shares what sports scientists do, where they work and the skills it takes to help athletes perform at their best.
When you think of sports science, you might picture elite athletes competing on the biggest stages. But there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into preparing athletes for those moments.
Associate Professor Blake McLean, sports scientist and Director of the High Performance Sport program at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), shares what the job really involves – from the day-to-day work and career opportunities to the skills it takes to succeed.
What does a sports scientist do?
A sports scientist applies scientific thinking to help athletes prepare and perform. They combine information about the athlete with the best available evidence to help guide training and competition.
A sports scientist’s day-to-day work can vary considerably depending on their role and organisation. In a traditional sports science role, much of the job involves understanding what athletes are doing, how they’re responding, and using that information to help shape and improve each athlete’s training program.
A sports scientist’s work can include:
- Developing and monitoring athlete training programs
- Collecting and analysing performance data
- Using data to inform decisions
- Working with athletes, coaches and other performance professionals
- Applying scientific principles to improve performance
What do you need to study to become a sports scientist?
McLean says the most traditional pathway into sports science is to start with a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science.
From there, students can build their expertise through postgraduate study, such as a Master of High Performance Sport. Those interested in research may choose to complete a research master’s degree or PhD.
There isn’t necessarily one pathway into the profession. Some people enter sports science from other fields by undertaking further training and developing specialist skills in sports performance.
There are also a range of career paths within sports science and sports performance. Alongside roles specifically titled Sports Scientist, there are opportunities in strength and conditioning, performance and data analysis, and coaching.
Where do sports scientists work?
Sports scientists can work across professional and Olympic sport, schools, private performance facilities and other sporting organisations, supporting athletes from amateur through to elite levels.
There can also be opportunities overseas. In the United States, for example, college sport provides another setting for sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches and other sports performance professionals.
“It’s not just the professional team sports, not just the Olympic sports, but goes right across the spectrum from amateur athletes to the elite,” McLean says.
The skills that matter
Technical knowledge is fundamental. Sports scientists need to understand how to train the body so it responds effectively and supports performance.
Data skills are also important, as the role can involve processing, interpreting and reporting on large amounts of information.
But technical expertise is only part of the equation.
At higher levels of the profession, critical thinking becomes increasingly valuable, particularly when applying scientific concepts in real-world sporting environments.
Sports scientists also work with athletes, physiotherapists, doctors, coaches and administration staff from a range of backgrounds, making communication a key part of the job.
Really developing your ability to communicate with all sorts of different groups is key to your work having an impact as a sports scientist.
What to be mindful of
Working in sport can be exciting, but it doesn’t always fit neatly into a traditional working week.
“It’s certainly not a 9-to-5 job,” McLean says. Travel and unusual working hours can become challenging over a long career, particularly when combined with the pressure of high-performance sport.
The pursuit of better performance can create a demanding environment for athletes and the professionals supporting them. And while big game days and major sporting events might be the most visible part of the industry, McLean says they represent only a small part of the work.
Most of it happens behind the scenes, supporting athletes through the consistent work required over long periods of time.
What makes sports science rewarding?
For McLean, one of the most rewarding parts of sports science is seeing people benefit from the work.
In a sports performance setting, that can mean being part of a team supporting athletes to work towards their goals. In research, the impact can be broader, with research helping coaches and other sports scientists develop better programs that can ultimately benefit athletes.
“I really enjoy seeing people get benefit out of the work that we’re doing, working towards their own goals and achieving better performance,” McLean says.
McLean’s biggest piece of advice for anyone considering a career in sports science is simple: get involved.
The great thing about sport is that it exists at many different levels, creating opportunities to start learning about the industry early. Coaching and getting involved in club or community sport can help you build experience and understand how the industry works.
“The more you can get involved and then support that with your education, that’d be my biggest piece of advice,” McLean says.
He also encourages aspiring sports scientists to develop their communication skills. It’s something he wishes he had understood earlier in his own career.
Rather than being something you either naturally have or don’t, McLean sees communication as a skill that can be developed – and one that can make your work more impactful throughout your career.
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