Customized education @Papendal

Being a professional athlete and studying at the same time. That is not an obvious and simple combination! It takes a lot of dedication and flexibility of the athlete as well as the educational institution. That is why we work closely together with various educational institutions. In order to adjust the educational program as much as possible to the sports program, to facilitate special arrangements for athletes. The elite sports customized courses of the HAN University of Applied Sciences and RijnIJssel @papendal, are a great result of that intensive cooperation.

In 2011 the HAN University of Applied Sciences started their first elite sports customized physiotherapy course @Papendal. With a schedule that is adjusted to a training program that consists of two training sessions a day. And with e-learning, making it possible for athletes to study while on training camps for example. This provides a great opportunity for professional athletes, with an NOC*NSF elite sports status, to successfully complete a physiotherapy course in 4 to 6 years. Since most lessons take place @Papendal, our CTO athletes benefit from a reduction in travel time. That means more time for training, study and recovery.

Meanwhile elite athletes have successfully completed the customized physiotherapy course in four and a half – five years. Every single one of them got very good reviews. A nice result!

Besides the physiotherapy course, an elite sports customized course in Sports, Health and Management is given @Papendal since school year 2014-2015. One school year later RijnIJssel added the CIOS talent course.

For some athletes it is nearly impossible to take a regular course in a regular class. For example the athletes of the winter programs that spent a lot of time abroad during the winter season. For them the customized courses are a good option. We hope that in the future more elite sports customized courses will be given @Papendal.

Jochem Schellens, Director High Performance Centre Papendal: “We are very happy with the elite sports customized courses @Papendal. It offers that opportunity for elite athletes to take a course right next to their training facilities. Adjusted to their training schedule. In addition the teachers have a lot of understanding for the situation of the athlete. These elite sports customized courses cost the educational institutions a lot of money, we are very grateful for all the work and money the institutions put into the courses.

Shooter Jelle Wind: “At the CIOS talent course of RijnIJssel it is easier to get exemptions for training sessions and competitions. My school days are less full, I have less physical sessions and therefor I have a better focus on my sport.”

Wheelchair basketball player Bo Kramer, in 2016 actively on the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, about the customized physiotherapy course: “This customized course is the perfect way for me to combine my sport with education. I can go to all my training sessions, without missing any class at school. It doesn’t get any better than this.”