A wide range of activities for clients, launching commercial diagnostics for sports clubs, conducting contract research, or creating a so-called medical zone as a non-state medical facility. These are just some of the results of the BALUO Application Centre team efforts over the past few months and a proof that it is not just any regular sports centre, as it may seem.
The science and technology park of the Faculty of Physical Culture combines health and lifestyle research with practice and since last spring, it has been under the leadership of Martin Sigmund, who has rich managerial experience from large industrial companies.
"I guess it's not for me to evaluate, but I think we have done quite a bit of work and that BALUO has entered 2018 with the best conditions for further development, whether it is about meeting the grant requirements, establishing cooperation with sports associations, or improving the services and activities for our clients – researcher participants," Sigmund said.
"I would compare it to a racing horse that is walking, picking up speed, but it is not yet ready to jump over the Taxis Ditch. The project is extremely demanding. We also keep explaining that we are not a regular sports centre. Some clients will, of course, be frightened to participate in our research but this research is in no way limiting. On the contrary, they can go out to practice and the research gives them the possibility of diagnostics and some other benefits," the director added.
Modern technology as the main attraction
About two thousand clients are currently using the services of the centre. Roughly fifteen hundred of them are research participants, others attend various courses in the movement studios, on the climbing wall or in the testing swimming pool, and in cooperation with the Olomouc City Hall, there is a programme for the elderly.
Within the contract research, the Centre has been used by athletes, such as a swimming representation, regional football academy, but also a Tempish company, which is testing new sports equipment here. Also, the downhill skier Jan Hudec was training here before the Winter Olympic Games in Korea.
"They come to us for the modern technologies such as the geolocation system in the testing hall or the underwater cameras in the pools and their goal is to get new data for their further training, performance evaluation, or to create better methodology. But what is equally important for contract research, besides the scientific expertise, is our café which adds a touch of comfort," Sigmund said.
The range and the quality of services in the Centre is expanding and improving. One of the latest developments is the creation of a so-called medical zone. "We created conditions for the a non-state medical facility that will provide services in the field of physical education. This means that our clients from sports clubs and associations will be able to undergo a comprehensive stress and medical diagnosis and afterwards, they will receive a fitness certificate. At the same time, we will perform scientific and research activities in the field of sports and physical education, "the head of the Centre explained, adding that a physiotherapeutic department is included.
Physical activity courses as well as discussions
But the news does not end there. A wide range of physical activities has been recently extended by a team of Beata Brošová, a graduate of the Faculty of Physical Culture and an employee of the Faculty of Medicine, who offers exercises for all ages. And it will not take long and what is now a table tennis hall will turn into a top-class studio focused on functional training. "Without exaggeration, we will have the best functional training zone in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I cannot reveal the name of our partner, but in this area of activity, it is a very important market player, and everyone who is dedicated to functional training certainly knows who I am talking about," Sigmund explained.
In addition, the BALUO Application Centre will also become the venue for lectures and workshops within the recently launched University for Sports project. All the up-to-date information about the events, courses offered and others, can be found at www.acbaluo.cz.
