Dual Career Student-Athlete Project: a new joint venture between Umana Reyer, Unipd, and CUS to promote study and competitive sport achievements
28.04.2023
The Reyer Sport Society, the Umana employment agency, the University of Padua, and the University Sports Centre (CUS) of Padua are pleased to announce a new joint venture for the dual career student-athlete project.
A first of its kind in Italian universities, the initiative welcomes an illustrious panorama of participants in a collaboration to support sports activities in the university context and in particular the student-athlete dual career university project. Focusing on the Cus women’s university basketball team, currently competing in series B tournaments, the goal of the initiative is to strengthen the team towards qualifying for competitions in series A2 tournaments. As of the start of the 2023/2024 season, the all-female team of University of Padua students will take on the name Umana Cus Unipd. The initiative comes from the most successful and well-organised basketball associations in the Veneto Region set up by UMANA Reyer, as part of the Reyer School Cup project, which aims at creating interest in basketball in secondary schools. Their goal is to promote basketball to young people based on the values of teamwork, healthy sportsmanship, and respect for the rules. Other objectives of the initiative include attracting foreign student talent or students from other Italian regions. CUS Padua will oversee the management and organization of the new team. While Umana Reyer will support the University/Cus Padua technical staff in the recruitment of athletes and the under 19 girls OroGranata team, along with staff, and managers.
In addition to carrying out a coaching role, Umana Reyer will act as the main sponsor for each sporting event throughout the renewable two-year agreement season (2023-2025). The University will host a general information event on academic studies and on the dual career student-athlete project with secondary schools involved with the Reyer School Cup tournament. Eligible players of the newly formed Umana Cus Unipd team may qualify for discounts on accommodation thanks to agreements between the University of Padua and the regional ESU Company, along with the financial support specified by the dual career student-athlete project.
A first of its kind for Italian universities, the initiative behind the dual career student-athlete career project combines study and competitive sport achievements. Since 2015, the University of Padua has awarded scholarships to deserving athletes, senior basketball team players, and volleyball teams of CUS.
Entirely comprised of students enrolled at the University of Padua, the team aims to inspire in eventually forming a Serie A1 women's team to the roster of Umana Reyer players. Female student-athletes can take advantage of concessions provided for by the specific call for dual careers. These concessions include scholarships valued at 1,500 euros for those in holding an ISEE certificate of less than 70,000 euros, tutoring services, the possibility of taking online exams or exams on different dates in agreement with teachers and other measures aimed at facilitating the participation of female students in sporting events. The project also aims to create an attraction for foreign student talent or students from other Italian regions. In this regard, the women's training of CUS Padua basketball team has welcomed two Canadian students from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver to its roster this season.
Participation in the national Series B championship represents a new and exciting challenge for Cus Basketball, which, thanks to the dual career project, will face the tournament with other university teams.
University of Padua Rector Daniela Mapelli shares her comments, “The agreement signed with UMANA and Reyer today, whom I thank for their dedication and sincerity, represents further evidence of the importance our institution places in the dual student-athlete career project. The University of Padua was among the first in Italy to recognize the value and close link between a sports and academic career, by encouraging both endeavours. It is important to note that over the last two years our institute has hosted a European champion, 16 Italian champions, and 24 athletes recruited to national teams. I hope this is a good sign for the students of Umana Cus Unipd. I wish them good luck in reaching the goal of qualifying in the A2 tournament series.”
