I’ve always been fascinated by the human body.’ Even so, Babette initially set that dream aside. By then, she was already a goalkeeper in the Dutch national youth teams and training five times a week. ‘I never thought studying itself was impossible, but Medicine is such a demanding degree that I felt I’d be making life incredibly difficult for myself by trying to combine it with elite sport.’
Yet every time she attended an open day, she found herself drawn back to the Medicine stand. ‘Eventually I thought, there’s nothing I’d rather study than Medicine. I’m just going to give it a go. That way, I’ll never have to regret not trying.’
A University That Takes Elite Sport Seriously
Babette made the decision to ‘give it a go’ at VU Amsterdam (VU) for a reason.
‘I knew several girls from the hockey world who were studying Medicine there. Put simply, I knew VU genuinely wanted to give elite athletes the opportunity to succeed. I thought, if I’m going to try this anywhere, it should be at VU. Their admissions process considers different aspects of your CV and motivation, including your achievements in elite sport.’
Balancing elite sport with a medical degree proved demanding. Lectures, practical classes, exams and training sessions required constant forward planning. Thanks to the university’s elite athlete support scheme, Backers was able to organise her studies more effectively around her sporting commitments.
‘I was allowed to choose which practical group I joined so it fitted around my training schedule. The university also worked with me on resits and practical solutions whenever training camps or competitions clashed with teaching. In the end, you still have to complete exactly the same degree as everyone else. The difference is that they look at how you can organise it in the best possible way.’
A Study Adviser as a Point of Contact
During her degree, Babette occasionally met with her study adviser. Personally, she relied less on this support because she already had strong guidance from people around her who understood both university life and elite sport. At the same time, she recognises how valuable a study adviser can be, particularly for students who do not have that kind of network.
‘For me, the biggest challenge was usually the practical side. Sometimes I wanted to structure my degree differently because of training or international commitments, but that wasn’t always possible. That could be frustrating, although I understood why. At the same time, I think a study adviser can make a real difference for students who don’t have that support network. It’s reassuring to have someone who can help you explore the options available within your degree programme.’
According to Backers, universities should continue looking for ways to help students combine elite sport and higher education as effectively as possible.
‘Ultimately, you still have to meet exactly the same academic standards as every other student. But if there’s flexibility to organise your timetable intelligently, it can make a world of difference for elite athletes.’
