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Funding provider: Swansea City Football Club and Swansea University
Subject areas: Sport Psychology
Project start date:
- 1 July 2023 (Enrolment open from mid-June)
Project description:
The aim of this project will be two-fold: firstly, to develop, implement, and evaluate a sport psychology programme for coaches; secondly, to evaluate the long-term impact of this programme on the psychological development of academy footballers. This project will utilise an action research methodology to first identify the specific psychological needs of the academy footballers and their coaches and subsequently implement a program, delivered to coaches, to address these needs. The initial identification of need will occur through a series of interviews and focus groups with players, coaches, and support staff within and beyond the academy set-up. Subsequently, the psychological skills programme (the intervention) will be developed and implemented using a combination of on-pitch and classroom-based activities and workshop. The programme will go through an ongoing process of evaluation through a series of qualitative, quantitative, and reflective methods. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, a revised programme will be implemented in the subsequent season (intervention two) and will again be evaluated using a number of different methods. Specifically, the evaluation will track to psychological skills and strategies used by players throughout their time at the academy to identify any change associated with the implementation of the coach programme. r
Please note that due to the applied nature of this PhD, the student will be largely embedded within an academy setting and preference will be given to individuals who are enrolled in or have completed their BPS Stage 2 or SEPAR training.
Eligibility
Candidates must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Sports Science or similar relevant science discipline.
Please note that due to the applied nature of this PhD, the student will be largely embedded within an academy setting and preference will be given to individuals who are enrolled in or have completed their BPS Stage 2 or SEPAR training.
English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 5.5 in each individual component) or Swansea recognised equivalent.
Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations.
