TASS students get expert online support for training in lockdown

Athletes on Brockenhurst College’s (@brockcollege) Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) are benefitting from regular online tutorials designed to help them remain focussed on their training during lockdown.

The sessions provide support for maintaining solitary health and training regimes that lack the prospect of competition.

In total, 16 students log in for the tutorials, which cover things like nutrition, motivation and psychology.

For example, last Monday’s session was led by Dr Darren Britton from Solent University.

He talked about sources of uncertainty and invited students to analyse which of those sources could be controlled.

Dr Britton said that while feelings of stress in uncertain situations were unpleasant, they were perfectly natural, adding that relaxation exercises could help combat negative emotions.

He also encouraged the group to set specific personal training goals to help maintain motivation during this difficult period.

Yachtsman and TASS athlete Drew Barnes said: “It is great to talk about how everyone’s getting on with training in lockdown and the effect it is having.

“I liked the strategies Dr Britton gave us to help us focus and move forward,” he added.

Brockenhurst College TASS Lead, Alan Steel, said: “These sessions are particularly helpful for enabling athletes to focus on different aspects of their current training while reminding them it is alright to have time off to avoid overtraining.”

Sailing, football, athletics, golf, volleyball and karate are just some of the sports in which Brock TASS students currently excel.

During a normal year they would all be competing at national or international level.