Our performance sport coaches are experienced and skilled in working with talented athletes within national pathways.  Each of our performance sports are supported by a head coach and multidisciplinary team (MDT) specialising in strength and conditioning, performance analysis, lifestyle support, sports therapy, sport science and physiotherapy.

Our coaching and MDT team provide an elite daily training environment, encompassing individual and team training sessions both on and off the court/pitch.  Our mission to provide an athlete centred model allows for individual growth as well as accomplishing a shared vision and goal within our performance programmes.

Essex boasts modern sports facilities equipped with the latest technology to support your training and development, including;

• Essex Sports Arena – home of our Essex Rebels basketball and volleyball teams, the £12 million Arena is built to international sporting standards with seating for 1,655 spectators, new men’s and women’s locker rooms, state-of-the-art Performance Analysis Conference Room, and includes 23 courts for basketball, netball, volleyball, badminton and futsal.
• Essex Sports Centre - home to our spacious Essex Sport gym, fitness studios, squash courts, climbing wall, and large sports hall housing a full-size basketball court, badminton, volleyball, netball and other court space. The centre is also headquarters for our Performance Sport Department.
• Outdoor facilities - Renowned for our research on the benefits of Green Exercise, we use 40 acres of university grounds dedicated to outdoor sports activities. Colchester campus includes 2 rugby pitches, also marked out for American Football, 5 full-size 11 a-side football pitches, junior football and lacrosse pitches, cricket pitch and batting nets, a sand-based artificial pitch for hockey and football, 3 undulating parkland jogging routes ranging from 1.2 miles to 3.2 miles long, an 18-hole disc golf course and 4 hard court tennis courts with floodlighting for evening use, covered by a bubble during winter allowing year-round play.

We understand the unique challenges of balancing academics and sports. Our dedicated support staff will assist you in managing your commitments and maintaining a healthy balance, plus you will have access to a comprehensive support system designed to help you reach your peak performance. Individualised training plans with goal setting, monitoring and video analysis all aim to improve skill development, within the following performance sports programme offering:

• Athlete Workshops - we believe in holistic development. Throughout the year, we offer workshops on topics such as nutrition, leadership, teamwork, sport psychology, sports ethics, mental resilience, time management, and more. These workshops are aimed at enhancing not only your athletic skills but also your overall well-being and academic success. These resources are also available to refresh on Moodle. 
• Lifestyle Practitioner - our dedicated Lifestyle Practitioner is here to provide guidance on balancing your academic responsibilities with your athletic pursuits. They can help you develop strategies and techniques for managing stress, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, supporting mental health and wellbeing, and optimising your performance.
• Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Coaching - our S&C coaches are committed to helping you build strength, endurance, and agility tailored to your specific sport. They will work with you to develop personalised training plans and injury reduction programs that align with your athletic goals. Read a bit more about our S&C coach Jemma Pemberton.
• Sports Therapy - we understand the physical demands of high-performance sports. Our onsite Sports Therapy Clinic, as well as our partnership with an external physiotherapy provider, ensures that you receive the best care for injury prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation.
• XPS Performance Tracking App - we are rolling out a cutting-edge XPS Performance Tracking App. This powerful tool will centralise your daily training schedules, S&C training programs, performance analysis, RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scores, and injury monitoring all in one place. Moreover, it features a messaging function for seamless communication within your team and with your coaches. This innovative app is designed to streamline your training and enhance your overall performance.
• Academic Flexibility - we understand balancing the demands of your sport and academics can sometimes lead to challenges, such as coursework deadlines or exam clashes, as a sports scholar within our Performance Sport program, you benefit from this policy, which has been designed to ensure you have the flexibility needed to excel both in the classroom and on the court / field.

• We are proud to be part of the Clean Sport Higher Education Partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), promoting a culture of fair play, integrity, and clean competition across all levels of sport. All scholar-athletes complete the UKAD e-learning course during onboarding, and we provide wider education for staff, students and future sports professionals through our academic programmes.

You'll have the chance to compete at various levels, from university leagues to national and international tournaments, subject to selection. Most recent successes:

Women's Basketball

• 2024 BUCS National Champions
• 2024 BUCS Premier League South Champions
• 2023 WBBL Betty Codona Trophy Finalists
• 2023 BUCS National Championship Finalists   
• 2022 & 2023 BUCS Premier South League Champions 
• WBBL 9-3 League Record 
• 2021 University of Essex Team of the Year 

Men's Basketball

• 2023 Basketball England National Cup Semi-Finalists
• 2023 BUCS Premier South League Champions
• 2023 BUCS National Championship Semi Finalists 
• 2023 BUCS 2nd Team promoted to Tier 1
• 2023 D3 Team unbeaten all season, National Playoff Champions

Women's Volleyball

• 2024 BUCS National Champions
• 2024 BUCS Premier League South Champions
• 2023 Volleyball England Super League Final 4 
• 2023 BUCS National Championship Finalists
• 2023 BUCS Premier South League Champions
• 2023 University of Essex Team of the Year 
• 2022 BUCS National Championship Quarter Finalists

Men's Volleyball

• 2024 BUCS National Champions
• 2024 Volleyball England Cup Champions
• 2024 Super League Champions
• 2024 Super League final 4 runners-up
• 2023 Volleyball England Super League Final 4 - bronze medallists
• 2023 BUCS National Championship Semi Finalists
• 2023 BUCS Premier South League Champions
• 2022 BUCS National Championship Finalists
• 2022 Volleyball England National Cup Finalists 

Women's Football

• 2023 BUCS Premier South League Runners-Up
• 2023 BUCS National Championship Quarter Finalists
• 2022 University of Essex Team of the Year

Men's Football

• 2024 BUCS South Eastern Tier 2 Champions, promotion to Tier 1
• 2022 BUCS South Eastern Tier 1 Runners-Up
• 2022 BUCS National Trophy Quarter Finalists

Women's Tennis

• 2024 BUCS Premier League South runners-up
• 2023 BUCS South Eastern Tier 1 League Champions 
• 2023 Playoff success to Premier South
• 2022 BUCS South Eastern Tier 1 Runners Up
• 2022 & 2023 Abby Fung competed in  BUCS Individual National Championships

Men's Tennis

• 2023 BUCS South Eastern Tier 1 League Champions 
• 2022 BUCS South Eastern Tier 1 Third Place
• 2023 Carlos Corser competed in BUCS Individual National Championships
• 2023 Carlos Corser University of Essex Newcomer of the Year
• 2022 Rittik Anand competed in BUCS Individual National Championships
• 2023 PCU Games in Rome – Rittik Anand crowned Champion

Join a vibrant community of student-athletes who share your passion for sports. We encourage connection and friendship, we send end of term highlights and shout outs, we share what's happening within our performance sports community across all programmes and want to learn from you, grow and achieve together.   

We take great pride in fostering a strong sense of community and support, not only among our student-athletes but also with our dedicated supporters. The Tribe is a prime example of this commitment. As the proudest, loudest, and most inclusive supporters club in the UK, The Tribe was launched just last academic year and has already garnered significant recognition, winning the prestigious CUBO (College and University Business Officers) award in the 'Innovation in Student Experience' category.

This growing community, added to a progressive desire to make our Essex Rebels game day experiences memorable for all, has resulted in back to back wins for 'Best Gameday Experience' by the National Basketball League. Last year the ‘Best Gameday Experience Award’ came off the back of the incredible International Women’s Day WBBL event.