On October 26 in Lausanne (Switzerland) will be awarded the European athletics prize to the Catholic University of Murcia to the ‘Innovation’, which is allowing high level athletes to combine their studies with their training and competitions
The Olympic champions Mireia Belmonte (swimming) and Joel González (taekwondo), the world champions Miguel Ángel López (athletics) and Ana Carrasco (motorcycling), the medalist in world and European Paco Cubelos (canoeing) are some of the almost one hundred athletes Olympic and elite students who study at the UCAM (degree, masters or doctorate) thanks to their model that allows them to combine their academic life with their sports career. This work began with the start-up of the University, when José Luis Mendoza, president of the UCAM, inspired by the Anglo-Saxon model of American universities, but with his own seal, helped the walker Juanma Molina so that he could adapt his itinerary academic with their trainings and competitions. Today, Molina holds a PhD in Physical Activity and Sports Science, and a professor at the University, without forsaking his sporting dreams that culminated with European and World medals and two Olympic Games.
This model has grown over the years becoming one of the hallmarks of the UCAM to the point that the European Union funded a project to study and implement it in universities in the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece and Malta. ‘ESTPORT’ was the name of the project, promoted from its Faculty of Sport and from the International Projects Office, and was developed between 2015 and 2017. Tutoring to athletes, flexibility in the academic calendar, the use of new technologies and the enormous effort on the part of professors and athletes were the points of analysis during those months of study and exchange between the participating institutions. As a result of this work, numerous universities around the world, mainly from Asia and Latin America, have visited the UCAM to learn about this successful model.
As a result of that work and thanks to the results that have been obtained, the UCAM has increased its presence in the European institutions, being already a reference when it comes to the dual career of athletes (sports career and academic career). Now, ‘European Athletics’ (Association of European Athletes) has decided to award the San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia in the category of’ Innovation ‘for its model of support for athletes so that they can study a university career and for the project’ ESTPORT ‘that turned out to be a success.
Antonio Sánchez Pato, dean of the School of Sports and ESTPORT’s principal researcher, will collect the prize at the gala that ‘European Athletics’ organizes in Lausanne (Switzerland) on October 26: «It is a new endorsement of the work we are doing. We are known only in Spain for the results in the university championships or by our professional and sponsored teams.The European institutions understand that we are doing a great job from the academic point of view and that is an enormous support for the model of the UCAM «.
At the gala the best athletes, coaches and clubs in Europe will be awarded and the UCAM will be present: «Europe is a great power in world athletics and being there with the best athletes and coaches of the continent will position us as one of the institutions that work the most in innovation practice in the field of sports «.
Athletes and students
Great athletes are trained at the UCAM without giving up their studies: Miguel Ángel López (champion of Europe and the World of March Degree in Science of Physical Activity and Sport); María Pérez (champion of Europe of march Degree in Infantile Education); Borja Vivas (runner-up in Europe for the launch of the Master’s in Business Management); Fernando Carro (runner-up in Europe of 3,000 obstacles in CAFD) are just some of the most outstanding examples.