The School of Sport and Exercise Science was strongly represented at the recent British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Student Conference, the leading conference in the UK for student research in sport and exercise science. The 2021 conference was run virtually, hosted by Solent University, and featured presentations about four research projects recently conducted by undergraduate students in the School of Sport and Exercise Science.  

Esther Carter, a recent graduate of the BSc Sport and Exercise Science programme and a current MSc Sport Science student, delivered an oral presentation about her recent study examining the effects of indoor and outdoor exercise on psychological distress in university students. After the presentation, Esther pointed out several benefits to her experience: 

Despite my initial nerves about presenting at a large conference, I enjoyed talking through my findings from my undergraduate dissertation and had fun listening to the research being undertaken by other students. It was a great opportunity to challenge myself and I look forward to using this experience for future conferences and presentations. 

The second oral presentation was by Dona Hall (BSc Health and Exercise Science student), who spoke about her recent research study exploring teamwork in visually impaired and guide runners. Dona highlighted the value of the opportunity to connect with others with similar interests: 

Although I felt very nervous about presenting to such a large audience, I’m so pleased I did, and I felt proud to represent the School. It was great to be a part of such a wide community sharing common interests and learning new things.  

Lauren Bonner, who recently graduated from the School with a BSc Sport and Exercise Science degree, took part in the poster session, showcasing her research project that examined the effects of a novel online intervention on attitudes towards cardiac rehabilitation. Lauren described the event as inspiring:  

Having the opportunity to attend the conference was an amazing experience and it was amazing to see and listen to the other studies conducted by other students, as well as hear some of the inspirational stories from the speakers.  

Finally, Eadie Simons, a current BSc Sport and Exercise Science student, also presented in the poster session, displaying her research on social support, the coach-athlete relationship, and sport wellbeing in NCAA Division 1 athletes. Eadie was grateful for the chance to present her work on the national stage: 

I’m very grateful that my work was accepted. Despite not giving a verbal presentation, the student conference was a great opportunity for me to have my work displayed at an external event. 

As a School, we congratulate all four presenters on this excellent achievement!