Exploring Diversity and Equality in Sport
Achieving inclusivity and diversity in and through sport
Are you interested in finding out more about this research area or getting involved in our research projects? Please email Dr Suzie Everley on s.everley@chi.ac.uk or Dr Jordan Matthews on jordan.matthews@chi.ac.uk.
Our Researchers
Dr Suzanne Everley
Reader in the Sociology of Physical Education, Activity and Health, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Deputy Director South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership, Chair of the Association of Child Protection Professionals’ Special Interest Group Safeguarding in Sport, Development Lead for the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy
Daniel Potter
Programme Leader Football Coaching & Performance, Senior Lecturer in Sport Development and Management
Research Projects
Gender Equity in Sports Leadership
Exploring gender balance in sport
The (lack of) gender balance within sports leadership has gained increasing traction in the UK. Globally, varying efforts are being attempted by significant sporting organisations. At the University of Chichester, we are particularly interested in the experiences and development of women leaders in sport, sport for development, eSports and how this can contribute to gender equity in sports leadership.
We have explored the topic of women leaders in sport nationally (Piggott et al., 2019), globally (Fasting et al., 2018) and over time (Matthews, 2018). We have a track record of doctoral student completions and are also home to the globally-recognised Women’s Sport Leadership Academy (WSLA).
Are you interested in finding out more about this research area or getting involved in our research projects? Please email Dr Suzie Everley on s.everley@chi.ac.uk or Dr Jordan Matthews on jordan.matthews@chi.ac.uk.
Our Researchers
Dr Suzanne Everley
Reader in the Sociology of Physical Education, Activity and Health, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Deputy Director South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership, Chair of the Association of Child Protection Professionals’ Special Interest Group Safeguarding in Sport, Development Lead for the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy
The Science of Women’s Football
Researching women’s football performance
There has been huge growth in the popularity of women’s football from both a research and participation perspective in recent years. The University of Chichester has always had a strong tradition in the women’s game and we were one of the first Universities to be awarded an FA Women’s High-Performance Centre in 2017.
Our research in women’s football has focused on the physical (e.g., Datson et al., 2017) and technical (e.g., Harkness-Armstrong et al., 2020) demands of match performance, fitness test performance (e.g., Bishop et al., 2019) and how testing can inform talent identification processes (e.g., Datson et al., 2019), injury prevention training (e.g., De Ste Croix et al., 2018) and the development activities of elite players (e.g., Ford et al., 2020). In addition to our numerous projects with female players, we have recently undertaken a multi-disciplinary project on the training and development of elite female referees (Datson et al., 2020).
We aim to research topical areas relating to football match performance, as demonstrated by one of our students currently undertaking a PhD entitled ‘interventions to reduce heading load in women’s football.’
Are you interested in finding out more about this research area or getting involved in our research projects? Please email Naomi Datson on n.datson@chi.ac.uk.
Children’s Experiences of Health and Wellbeing
Promoting health and wellbeing through sport and physical education
Sport and physical activity has long been considered to be a powerful factor in promoting childhood health and well-being. Our researchers are interested in how and when physical activity, sport and physical education experiences can promote such well-being changes and how we can better promote health and well-being through physical activity.
Two key strands can be seen in our research activity. First, we examine the factors that influence a child’s experience of physical activity (whether through formal coaching, teaching or play). In particular we examine how sociocultural factors (class, power dynamics, culture) shape the experience and impact of being physical active. In this line of research, we are particularly keen on exploring research methods (e.g., drawing, photography) that allow us to more fully access the child’s voice and subjective experiences. Second, our research examines the potential short and long-term health benefits of physical activity in children. In this strand, we have explored the efficacy of schemes such as the daily mile on physical activity participation, attitudes to physical activity and physical fitness. We have also evaluated exercise schemes designed to promote activity within obese populations.
Are you interested in finding out more about this research area or getting involved in our research projects? Please email Suzanne Everley on s.everley@chi.ac.uk.
Our Researchers
Dr Suzanne Everley
Reader in the Sociology of Physical Education, Activity and Health, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Deputy Director South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership, Chair of the Association of Child Protection Professionals’ Special Interest Group Safeguarding in Sport, Development Lead for the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy