Job Description: Head of Strength & Conditioning
September 18, 2025
Diploma in Sporting Excellence
Unlock your potential with a Diploma
in Sporting Excellence
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Class Trailer
Class Sample
Class Trailer
Class Sample
Browse Lesson Plan
The APEC Diploma in Sporting Excellence is geared towards supporting talented sports performers who wish to be part of a training and competition programme in order to compete at the highest level.
The purpose of the qualification is to build competence in elite sporting environments, specifically the training environment. Within this environment, particular focus is placed on the practical and theoretical elements that support performance. It is underpinned by a range of competency-based evidence learning.
The APEC Diploma in Sporting Excellence, therefore, meets the needs of young elite, amateur, semi-professional and professional male and female athletes who have the potential to achieve excellence in their chosen sport.
The APEC Diploma in Sporting Excellence provides the infrastructure required by athletes to build and learn the preparation skills they need to compete within elite sports. The knowledge, skills and behaviours learned along the way will support the athlete either in the transition to competitive/professional sports or working as part of a multidisciplinary team that supports competitive/professional sports.
Our Training Facilities:
- Dublin
- Cork
- Galway
- Belfast
77 video lessons (30h 30m)
Pricing & Plans
Diploma in Sporting Excellence
- Diploma in Sporting Excellence
- Certificate in Strength & Conditioning
- Certificate in Performance Nutrition
- CPD Professional Practice
- CPD Communication & Reflective Practice
- CPD Leadership & Management
From:
€ 1,800
Sign up with Humm for as little as €51 euro a month
Request More Information
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Diploma in Sporting Excellence & Nutrition Course Package
- Level 5 Diploma in Nutrition
- Level 4 Diploma in Personal Training
- Level 3 Certificate in Fitness Instructing
- Certificate in Nutrition For Health
- Certificate in Nutrition For Physical Activity & Sport
- Certificate in Communication
- Certificate in Behaviour Change
- Free online programming software
From:
€ 2,398
Sign up with Humm for as little as €51 euro a month
- Digitalised and animated videos
- Interactive learning process
- Case study & MCQ based assessment
- Watch on your desktop, phone, or TV
- Study at your own time and pace
- New courses added every month
Frequently Asked Questions.
Course Information
The diploma in Sporting Excellence is a great avenue for learners to undertake formal training to enhance their knowledge, skills and behaviours in a sporting environment. Athletes are provided with an opportunity to attain formal qualifications by combining theoretical learning with on the job development. The diploma in Sporting Excellence will typically be 12 months in duration. The delivery of the learning will be a mix of on the job development, classroom-based learning, and online sessions.
The aim of the sporting excellence programme is to produce graduates who are competent to perform consistently and effectively in training environments and competition. As such, learners will be part of a playing team supported and managed by a wider multi-disciplinary team including a manager/coach, skills coaches, physiotherapist, psychologist, nutritionist, strength and conditioning expert, and educational staff.
Learners have a high level of autonomy, in terms of responsibility for what happens on the field of play and need to be able to cope with extreme pressure.
The majority of learning will take place during the day to day work of the athlete. APEC will provide guidance and structure to shape learning, reflection, and development through the necessary knowledge skills and behaviours needed to graduate. Alongside sport-specific development, learners will also receive external training in essential disciplines related to sporting performance. Learners will receive professional qualifications in nutrition, strength & conditioning, training science, and coaching science to enhance their applied skills and ability to work outside of professional sport.
The APEC diploma in Sporting Excellence has been designed by industry-leading coaches providing the essential skills knowledge and behaviours needed to work in sport.
Course Length: The course is designed with flexibility in mind so that it can be complete in conjunction with your playing environment. While it takes an average of 6-12 months to complete the diploma in Sporting Excellence, the program is normally run inline with your sporting season.
Entry Requirements: Anyone who is 16 years or older can enrol.
Cost: €1800. No extra fee for certification or exams.
Offer & Payment Options: APEC offers flexible payment plans from as low as €51 a month to make payments manageable.
Completion of your diploma in Sporting Excellence will require you to complete both theory and practical assessments.
- 70% score required on the multiple-choice paper on training anatomy and physiology
- 70% score required on the multiple-choice paper on the principles of exercise and health
- 100% completion of the online interactive quizzes and assignments after each module
- Practical assessment on technical refection
- Practical assessment on tactical refection
- Completion of practical observation
- Completion of panel interview
APEC offers a blended learning approach to education allowing you to complete your qualifications at your own time and pace depending on your personal circumstances and lifestyle. You can now complete 80% of all diplomas online with our award-winning online e-learning platform.
Once you have compleated your online theory work we will arrange your practical assessment at one of our many performance centres throughout the country.
Online Learning
APEC provides 80% of the theory-based learning associated with the course online. This enables you to start learning the same day you enrol and begin working through the course modules at a pace suitable to you. APEC’s team of dedicated tutors provide you with support and guidance, all 7 days a week via phone or email.
Our award-winning e-learning platform is completely custom built and is tailored to your learning needs. The platform provides learning in the form of digitalised and animated video-led content. Online training tools such as online programming software, excel files and assessment sheets are also provided to help you with your learning. Finally, APEC has one of the most extensive digital exercise libraries to help you with your understanding of movement skill.
Progression Route
We at APEC take pride in our further education approach. After the completion of your diploma, further education diplomas in Personal Training Strength & Condition, Nutrition and Health Coaching at level 5 and 6 will become available to you.
Choose Your Fitness Education Course.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recently completed my Personal Trainer Diploma with APEC and couldn’t be happier with the experience. The course was well-structured, practical, and delivered by knowledgeable tutors who genuinely care about... read more
Sidhartha Prakash
June 26, 2025Amazing course & I have learnt so much. The knowledge & experience both Shane's & Jack have is next level. Their support & guidance is fantastic. Highly recommend APEC.
Catherine Gallagher
June 26, 2025Excellent Personal Trainer course! Shane, Shane and Jack did a fantastic job in the on-site workshop. They were very thorough on movement assessment, technique and programming (we spent 2 hours... read more
Bartłomiej Paszek
June 19, 2025 -
Excellent! Great course, really enjoyable in person workshops and all of the staff were really helpful especially our tutor Shane O Rourke!
Andrew Kilcullen
June 19, 2025Best out there
Hippie Soldier
June 19, 2025From start to finish with APEC they are always by your side for any questions you have online or about practical workshops , very supportive team and are more then... read more
Kevin Fuller
June 19, 2025 -
I thought the course was very informative. Everyone was so helpful and I found the workshops enjoyable. I recommend
Jade Quirke
June 19, 2025Great course!! Learned a huge amount, the lads there were absolute gents with an abundance of knowledge, not only in basic lifts but high performance too!!
Michael Healy
June 19, 2025APEC offered a great course allowing you to work at your own pace online through informative videos and additional course material. The onsite days were very helpful and allowed us... read more
Niamh Finnegan
June 19, 2025 -
Really enjoyed the APEC personal training course. The online content was easy to follow, and the workshops were super practical and well run. Big thanks to Shane O’Rourke who was... read more
Renata Pereira
June 19, 2025Just decided to take the leap and signed up for APECs elite bundle course. From the moment I messaged the WhatsApp they have been very informative and communicative. Especially Krista, she... read more
Tammy N
June 12, 2025so far i am loving the structure of the information and the learning is enjoyable and the website is very excellent
patrick Sweeney
June 3, 2025 -
Only at the start of the course but I’m finding it very flexible & gathering a lot of information from the opening modules
Dwayne Dunning
May 3, 2025I have done the Diploma in personal training online with APEC and I can’t recommend it enough , everything is explained so well and delivery of information makes it easier... read more
Nadine O'Connor
May 3, 2025One of the best e-learning courses I have done. I am now a certified Health Coach and feel that I have earned this qualification. The underpinning knowledge was well presented... read more
Deborah Lewis
May 3, 2025 -
I researched a lot on which fitness course to take on as part of my own personal development .. I searched high and low and I am now mid way... read more
Laura O reilly
May 3, 2025I had a great experience carrying out the APEC diploma in personal training. The flexibility to work through the content at my own pace was perfect for my schedule. The... read more
Adam Byrne
April 3, 2025Very nice and complete course. Did not finish yet, but liking so far! Thanks
Talita Zica
April 3, 2025 -
Great team of educators, although waiting times for the final exam took about 2 months, it was worth the wait
Dawid Kaczor
April 3, 2025great informative course. It will provide you with the base knowledge to start helping people attain their fitness goals
Charles Fromentin
April 3, 2025Really enjoying the course so far, very easy to fit in to every day life and work around my schedule. 👏🏼
Yasmin Culleton
April 3, 2025 -
Amazing coaching with a hard-working environment
Rielly Kirk
April 3, 2025I eally enjoyed studying with APEC courses. Found the information really easy to comprehend, allowing me to fully understand everything that Personal Training involves! The course goes over and above to... read more
Julie O Sullivan
February 3, 2025Just finished an exciting 2-day week of workshops for the Personal Training course. Great group of people and very knowledgeable trainers. Well organised workshops and highly effective. Thanks APEC
Jochem Schrijvers
January 28, 2025 -
I eally enjoyed studying with APEC courses. Found the information really easy to comprehend, allowing me to fully understand everything that Personal Training involves! The course goes over and above... read more
January 28, 2025very responsive tutors and an easy to follow layout and plenty of information and resources
Ryan Fogarty
January 21, 2025I highly recommend apec courses!!
Pheobe Bingham
December 18, 2024 -
Very nice
Jhonnatan Torres
December 8, 2024Recently completed the APEC PT workshop, the tutors were very knowledgeable, explained and demonstrated all aspects of the course thoroughly and were really easy to follow. Both tutors were approachable... read more
Sharon McNamara
December 8, 2024Great experience! Online and in person. Would recommend it.
Fabrizio Baldani
December 8, 2024
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