On Thursday 24 April, over 25 members working in Higher and Further Education joined the UKSCA for a dedicated sector update, chaired by Board Chair Andy Boyd. The meeting marked a renewed commitment to closer engagement between the Association and institutions shaping the next generation of S&C professionals.
Opening the session, Andy reiterated the UKSCA’s commitment to representing the whole profession. While the Association's roots lie in elite sport, the evolving professional landscape calls for expanded influence into sectors such as youth, health and education. HE/FE institutions have a key role in expanding the reach of S&C, generating new knowledge and building clearer career pathways for students.
A key Board priority is to drive strategic alignment across all initiatives and avoid siloed working. Members will ultimately shape the Association's development, and stronger relationships between the Board and sector groups will ensure this happens.
A major development shared was the move of the Professional Strength & Conditioning Journal to a fully digital format. This shift will allow:
All while retaining the core value of a key coaching asset and knowledge sharing tool for our members.
Attendees at the meeting were encouraged to spread the word and consider applying for the new Editor role. The deadline for expressions of interest is 30 April, and the role promises to be a cornerstone of the UKSCA’s future knowledge-sharing efforts.
Once the new Editor is in place, UKSCA will form an Editorial Panel chaired by the Editor, but also bringing together a Board representative, the office/comms team and Panel members representing the sectors our members work in eg, youth, education and elite sport.
Special thanks were extended to Ian Jeffreys for his long-standing contribution and continued support during this transition.
With record attendance in 2024, “UKSCA 2025”, is this year’s Annual Conference (12–14 September, Nottingham) and we are scaling up again. New incentives are in place to drive student and practitioner engagement in both poster and oral presentation slots:
Importantly, members were urged to promote the 15 August submission deadline and ticket discounts available to their students.
The message: this is not only a stepping stone to a bigger stage in the future, it is an opportunity to not just meet future employers but also have meaningful conversations with them!
Momentum continues to build around S&C Trainer, with strong uptake across partners and also employers requiring the standard in job adverts. Key updates included:
Cost-saving measures and peer learning groups are also on the table, as is lobbying for broader funding access (e.g., adult learner loans).
This year’s UKSCA Awards are being reimagined to better reflect the breadth of our profession. Launching 2 May, they will feature:
The awards continue to be an important mechanism for celebrating excellence across education, youth sport, wellbeing, research, and elite settings.
A constructive discussion explored the current accreditation landscape, including:
While the group backed continued emphasis on individual accreditation, a new working group will now explore how UKSCA could better support HE/FE institutions more broadly.
Andy closed the session with a call for collaboration: proposing the UKSCA Board’s desire for the formation of a sector-specific working group to move projects forwards. A provisional follow-up meeting is set for midday on Wednesday 25 June, with further sessions planned in the autumn.
If you’d like to join the upcoming working group, have ideas to share, or want to get more involved, please contact sarah@uksca.org.uk.
