High-performance Sport Structures in the United Kingdom and their Impact on Athlete Development

Since the environments that athletes train and compete in can negatively impact their performance, their mental wellbeing, and their personal development, it is important to understand how these environments may be designed to more positively influence the athletes involved. It is also important for researchers to learn from the experiences of more than just athletes. While understanding the perspective of athletes is valuable, there are other individuals that play a role in shaping how sport organizations operate, and understanding the perspectives of those who work in and run the organizations may shed additional insight into the organization of these training environments. Therefore, the purpose of this project will be to explore key stakeholders’ perceptions of how the structure of high-performance sport organizations in the UK support the personal development of athletes. In order to do this, I will conduct interviews with various stakeholders (athletes, coaches, policy makers, etc.) involved in the UK sport system. The knowledge gained from this project can be used to inform a set of ‘best practices’ for personal athlete development in high-performance sport settings […]

Faculty Supervisor:

Katherine Tamminen

Student:

Partner:

University of Portsmouth

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: