Students visit Old Trafford

Rochdale Sixth Form College students at Old Trafford

A group of 20 students from Rochdale Sixth Form College recently visited Manchester United’s stadium, Old Trafford to find out how footballers use nutrition and technology to reduce sporting injuries.

The trip supported their Sports Science studies and students were amazed by the amount of science that is involved when taking part in a professional sport.

The group were introduced to the sophisticated technology used in football training, with the club demonstrating how large amounts of data collected using GPOS trackers are used to assist coaches in picking the team.

Students also learnt about the importance of a high protein and carbohydrate diet while training and how it is tailored to each player. They were then treated to a stadium tour which included a trip to the directors’ lounge, dressing rooms and a peek at the new state of the art pitch.

Nichola Morrish, Science Teacher at Rochdale Sixth Form College said: “We are very grateful to Manchester United for allowing us the fantastic opportunity to go behind the scenes. First hand access to real life sports science examples will enhance the students’ studies and allowed them to see how the theory is put into practice.”