This term, our Sports Massage students had the pleasure of working with the Welsh Rugby League team.
The Welsh team were provided with post-event sports massage to facilitate recovery from training and to prepare for their forthcoming matches by our Level 3 and 4 Sports Massage students at Afan College.
The session was organised by tutor, Wayne Robson-Brown, in tandem with the first team coach of the Welsh squad.
The management team at Wales Rugby League were very complementary about the students, stating that their professional conduct and provision of sports massage was brilliant. They also added that they would definitely work with the students again as the treatments they provided were exemplary.
The students used multiple techniques, including effleurage, petrissage and tapotement. These were performed on a range of muscles, covering the legs, back, neck and shoulders. Passive stretching of certain muscle groups, such as the hamstring muscles, was also incorporated to restore normal range of movement of joints pre-exercise.
Level 3 student Samuel Johnston and Level 4 student Helen Wilkshire enjoyed the experience:
Samuel said:
“Working with the Welsh Rugby League Team was a great experience; it helped me learn more about Sports Massage Therapy. It allowed me to practice skills that I learnt in college and apply them to sports people who had specific requirements to assist them in their recovery. It was a great opportunity to work with a professional sports team.”
Helen added:
“Studying Sports Massage Level 4 at Afan College provided me with the great opportunity of working with the Welsh Rugby League team. This opportunity enabled me to put to use the knowledge and skills I have acquired to date through the college and proved to be a valuable experience. It also provided me with a broad range of body types and specific issue areas to target amongst the players, which has further developed my skills. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and felt it was of great value to me. It really highlighted how effective and efficient the teaching has been at Afan College.”
Sessions like these provide students with the opportunity to transfer the skills and techniques they have learnt in the classroom into real-world experience with professional athletes. Working with an international rugby team supports the development of the sports massage techniques employed by the students, improving their use in a real-life work setting.
If you are interested in sports massage and would like to learn more about the courses we offer, click the link below.
