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Coventry University students help elite ice hockey players prepare for new season
The Coventry Blaze squad with students and staff at Coventry University
University news / Life Sciences
Thursday 17 September 2026
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Ice hockey players from Coventry Blaze have been put through their paces by sport science experts and students at Coventry University as they prepare for the new season.
The team, who play in the Elite Ice Hockey League – the UK’s highest level – begun their season at the weekend.
To ensure the players are at peak physical fitness, the squad undertook a series of strength and fitness tests at Coventry University last week, led by university staff and students.
The testing collected data to be analysed by the team, both now and throughout the rest of the campaign. They focused on body composition, strength and power, how easily the athletes could change direction at speed and other aspects of fitness.
For the sport science and sport and exercise therapy students, it was an excellent chance to work with professional athletes.
It’s great to take part in sessions like this, working with the friends you’ve been studying with to help elite athletes is incredible and it’s an amazing opportunity that our lecturers have provided. You can learn all the theory in your studies but having practical experiences like this are vital. It’s really nice to see the players up close and how they interact with each other too, they look in great shape going into the new season.
Sam Summers, third-year Sport and Exercise Science student
This is my first year in the UK and I’m really excited ahead of the season. I feel like the sky is the limit for this group and the sessions here have been really fun. I’m not a sports scientist but the students we’re working with have that expertise so it’s great that we can benefit from that and the facilities here are top tier. It’s a great experience for us.
Coventry Blaze player Carson Musser
Pre-season is really important for the team, sessions like this all help to build that culture of togetherness that we’ve got here. I’m from Coventry and I was fortunate to come here earlier in the year to use the facilities too. I’m playing the sport I’ve trained for since I was a kid, for my home club Coventry Blaze – it’s amazing, I feel like I am living my dream.
Coventry Blaze player Zaine McKenzie
It is not the first time students have had the chance to work with elite sportspeople - earlier this year the Coventry City football squad undertook similar testing.
This type of testing is something we do all year around and it’s a great chance for our students to put theory into practice. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to work with elite athletes - they will be among thousands of graduates when they finish their courses but being able to say you’ve worked with a professional team like Coventry Blaze is amazing from an employability point of view, it can set you apart from other graduates.
Richard Taylor, Course Director for MSc in Strength and Conditioning at Coventry University
Find out more about studying Sport and Exercise Science at Coventry University.
