High Performance Sports

Our Head of Elite Sport, Phil Godman runs our High Performance Sports Programme (HPSP) designed to develop and nurture our high performance athletes, to enable them to reach their full potential.

What is the High Performance Sports Programme?

We are very fortunate at the High School of Dundee to have a number of pupils performing at a high level in a variety of different sports and this provides the platform to take these athletes to the next level in their chosen sport. The HPSDP is designed to accommodate any type of elite athlete, no matter what their given sport.

The programme is offered as an option within the subject preference process undertaken for F3, F5 and F6 making it possible for pupils who have the ambition to follow in the footsteps of former pupils like double Olympian Eilish McColgan, and Scotland rugby internationalists Zander Fagerson and Alasdair Dickinson.

Support for high performance athletes is also available for those pupils unable to opt for HPSP as part of their timetable.

What does it involve?

The HPSP focusses on how to improve sports performance and the athlete's overall sport/life balance. The pressure of juggling academic work and sporting commitments can at times feel unmanageable. Bespoke timetabled plans will be put in place for each athlete to ensure they are getting the right mix of training, academic work and rest time.

In addition, a partnership with Abertay University allows pupils access to state of the art facilities and assistance from their expert staff.  

All members of the HPSP will have access to:

• Strength and Conditioning individual programmes
• Specialist training sessions
• Physiotherapy and rehab
• Use of state of the art gym facilities
• Access to latest sports science/fitness testing
• Video Analysis/Highlight Reels
• One on one Mentoring
• Sports Psychology
• Guest Speakers 

Fitness testing

Pupils who are part of the Programme have the opportunity to take advantage of high-tech fitness testing which provides invaluable feedback for improving their physical performance.

Elite Coaching

Our Head of Hockey, Linda Anderson, runs specialist skills sessions with the HPSP hockey players. Linda was capped an incredible 242 times for her country, as well as representing Great Britain. She is supported by a number of top class coaches, including another former internationalist and GB player Louise Baxter.

Head of Rugby, Phil Godman, former Scotland stand-off, will run specialist skills sessions for the HPSP Rugby players. Colin Sangster, who is one of only a handful of coaches in Scotland to have a Level 4 coaching qualification, will be supporting him.

We also have access to a number of high-end coaches across different sports. In tennis, for example, we have elite coaching sessions at David Lloyd before school, taken by a Level 3 professional coach.

Guest Speakers

Guest speakers are invited to the school to speak to the HPSP athletes. This provides an excellent opportunity to show the young athletes what it takes to achieve success at this level and the inevitable obstacles along the way.

Sports Psychology

We are delighted to have a full time sports psychologist within the programme. Our Sports Psychologist helps with the mental well-being of our athletes, as well as looking at the mental and emotional factors that can affect sports performance. Sports Psychology is a huge factor in the success of top athletes around the world, in individual and team sports. We are really excited to see the impact it will have on our athletes.

Strength and Conditioning

Physically, top athletes are continually evolving and getting fitter, faster and stronger. We have a strength and conditioning (S&C) coach available to all our athletes to ensure we are preparing them physically, as well as mentally to perform at the top of their game. We will also be looking at nutrition, core strength, flexibility and injury prevention exercises, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of excellence. Our S&C coach develops programmes that work for each individual and will be specific to their own sport.

Joining the programme

To be eligible you must have played your sport at national or district level, or have the potential to do so. Other factors will be taken into account such as the individual’s attitude, willingness to learn and feedback from other coaches, both within the school and outside of the school.