London City Lionesses secure partnership with UEL

The University of East London has formed an education partnership with the London City Lionesses Football Club.

The agreement aims to promote collaboration between the two organisations and will give the club’s top professional players and coaches access to high quality sports science and rehabilitative services to enhance performance levels.

Lionesses staff and players can now benefit from working with UEL staff and students across a whole range of disciplines including video performance analysis, sport psychology, strength and conditioning, sport nutrition, sport physiology, sport biomechanics, while the club will also collaborate and provide placements to students as well as supporting research projects around coaching/PE, physical activity for those with specific health conditions and sport rehabilitation.

Diane Culligan, London City Lionesses chair, said “We are absolutely delighted to agree this collaboration with University of East London.

“The partnership will focus on a several key areas that are important to us as a club while providing students with practical first experience of working within an elite sporting environment. We hope this will be the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

“Our players will be able to access Bachelor, Master’s degree and PhD programmes and we look forward to supporting and welcoming talented student athletes into our squads.”

Richard Hunt, interim head of department for Applied Sport and Exercise Science Head at UEL, said “This partnership with the Lionesses is excellent news for us and our students. Working with a strong, professional club fits so well with UEL’s commitment to become the premier careers-first University while opening up invaluable opportunities for industry-focused experience for staff and students.”

London City Lionesses’ head of performance Dr Ali Monajati said, “Creating the optimum environment for our players to train and play is so important. I’m excited that we have now formalised this relationship so that we can maximise the opportunities for us as a club and for UEL’s students.”