Academy of Sport enabling athletes to be scholars

For Oceania badminton champion Edward Lau, who graduated in May with a Bachelor of Sports Management, the Academy of Sport supported him throughout the three years of his degree.

“When I had overseas tournaments, the Academy of Sport helped me to either reschedule my exams and tests or arrange an extension to complete my work,” Edward says.

“I also utilised the Academy of Sport by attending seminars where experienced guest speakers gave advice and information about what it takes to become an elite athlete.”

The programme gave Edward access to the gym so that he could complete a workout before, in between, or after classes. 

Edward says it was difficult to juggle badminton with his study, especially in his first year as he adjusted to university life and weekly commitments.

“The hardest thing about studying, training and competing was that I had to make sacrifices by missing social events, and sometimes I had to prioritise study over badminton and vice versa.

“When I had assignments due during weekends that my tournaments were held on, I had to make sure that I was well prepared by finishing my work ahead of time.”

Things became easier in the second and third year of his studies as COVID-19 cancelled regional and international tournaments, giving Edward the time to prioritise his academic work. This hard work paid off as Edward was a recipient of the Dean’s List award for 2021.

Edward was named Campus Sportsman of the Year at the Massey Blues Awards in 2021, adding to the Auckland Campus Sportsman of the Year titles he won in 2019 and 2020.

While managing study and pursuing a career in sport was challenging, it was important to Edward to complete tertiary study.

“Having a degree means that I am qualified to apply for jobs that I would like. I also knew that once I graduated, I would have more time to focus on badminton,” he says.

With his tertiary study now completed, Edward’s next goals are to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games 2026 and Olympics in 2024 or 2028. He is currently training fulltime in Denmark. Beyond badminton, he hopes to work in the sport industry and experience what it’s like on the other side of the court.

Find out more about the Massey Academy of Sport here.