Dr Abbe Brady

Associate Professor

Email: abbe.brady@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 4218

Biography

Abbe is an Associate Professor here at St Mary's University. Prior to this position, Abbe was Head of Department Psychology and Pedagogic Science for five years following roles as an interim Academic Director for Sport Science and a Programme Director for Sports Coaching Science.

Before joining St Mary’s, Abbe was Head of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Gloucestershire. Abbe is an HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and has 20 years of experience as a BASES accredited Sport Scientist. Abbe is also an ICCE International Coach Developer graduating from the Nippon Coach Development Academy in 2019 and having 20 plus years of coach developer experience with and UK Coaching (formerly Sport Coach UK). In the autumn of 2022 Abbe started the ILM Level 7 Coaching and Mentoring award and is presently mentoring managers in HE and is a Mentor for WISEAN (Women in Sport and Exercise Sciences Network).

Abbe is the Director of the SWIFT (Sport, Well-being, Inclusion, and FaiTh) Research Centre launched in 2019 which seeks to initiate and support a wide range of research and development projects with local, national and international partners. Abbe achieved her HEA fellowship in 2012 and is passionate about realising excellent student experience and articulating the value creation associated with the transformative potential of HE for individuals and communities.

Research

Research profile

Abbe's research interests fall broadly into four areas: athlete/coach well-being, mentoring and social learning in coach development, service learning in higher education, and positive psychology interventions in sport and business settings.

Presently Abbe is leading two contracted research projects with the Football Association. The first is a follow-up study of effective coaching in the women’s and girls’ game which draws upon the success of an earlier FA project which has informed an innovative coach and coach developer programme. The second project is a three year evaluation of the FA’s Coaching Excellence Initiative during 2021-2023.

Abbe has 15 years of experience as a guest reviewer for a series of journals, publishers, and funding organisations for work in the areas of sports coaching, sport science & sport psychology and safeguarding in sport. Abbe is presently co-editor of a Frontiers Special Edition 2021-22 for the topic of Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Elite Sports: Towards Evidence-Based Approaches for Psychological Health Promotion and Proactive Support.

PhD students:

Darren Nolan - Life skills development for children through football coaching interventions
Sarrah Case (UoG) Injury rehabilitation and positive psychology interventions
George Jones - Foundation phase coach learning in a professional academy setting
Stuart Carrington - Irrational belief in sports officials

If you are interested in research or consultancy and would value a discussion with Abbe, please contact her directly via email abbe.brady@stmarys.ac.uk

External Examiner and External Reviewer roles:

2021 & 2022 - Victoria University - PhD External Examiner
2020 - Loughborough University - PhD External Examiner
2020 - University of Winchester - PhD External Examiner
2019 - Leeds Beckett University - Revalidation of MSc Sports Coaching - External Reviewer
2019 - Birmingham City University - Validation of MSc Sports Coaching - External Reviewer
2019 - Swansea University - MRes External Examiner
2018 - University of South Wales - Revalidation of BSc Sport & Ex. Science - External Reviewer
2017 - Leeds Beckett University - Revalidation of BSc Sports Coaching - External Reviewer
2015 - University of Glamorgan - Validation of BSc Football Coaching - External Reviewer
2011-2016 - Oxford Brookes - External Examiner BSc PE & Sports Coaching
2003-2006 - University of Wales (Swansea) External Examiner BSc Sports Studies
2001-2005 - University of Wolverhampton. External Examiner and Chief External Examiner.

Recent Publications:

Grenville-Cleave, B. & Brady, A. (in press). Positive psychology and physical activity at work: the benefits for health and performance. In C. Martin-Krumm & C. Tarquinio (Eds). Psychologie positive, activité physique et santé. Hachette.

Campbell, N. Brady, A. & Tincknell-Smith, A. (2021). Developing and supporting athlete wellbeing: person first, athlete second. London, Routledge.
Brady, A. (2021). Introducing holistic wellbeing throughout the athlete journey, in Campbell, N., Brady, A., & Tincknell-Smith, A. (2021). Developing and supporting athlete wellbeing: person first, athlete second (pp. 1-17). London, Routledge.
Devonport, T.J., Neville, A., Powell, E., & Brady, A. (2020). The Effects of Integrating Children from Lower and Upper Primary School Years during Lunch Times on Physical Activity and Social Behavior. Journal of Sport Behavior, 43(4),
Lundqvist, C., Träff, M. & Brady, A. (2020). “Not everyone gets the opportunity to experience this”: Swedish elite athletes’ perceptions of quality of life. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 51(4).
Callary, B., Brady, A., Kiosoglous, C., Clewer, P., Resende, R., Mehrtens, T., Wilkie, M., Horvath, R., (2020). "Making Sense of Coach Development Worldwide During the COVID-19 Pandemic". International Journal of Sport Communication. Advance online publication. 10.1123/ijsc.2020-0221.
Grenville-Cleave, B. & Brady, A. (2019). Physical Activity and Positive Psychology in I. Boniwell & A. Tunariu, Positive Psychology: Theory, Research and Applications (2^nd ed.) (Chapter 9), London, Open University Press.
Brady, A. & Grenville-Cleave B. (Eds.) (2018). Positive Psychology in Sport and Physical activity: An Introduction. London, Routledge.
Vinson, D., Brady, A., Moreland, B., & Judge, N. (2016). Exploring coach behaviours, session contexts and key stakeholder perceptions of non-linear coaching approaches in youth sport. International Journal of Sport Science & Coaching, 11(1); 54- 68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1747954115624824
Kavanagh, E., Knowles, Z., Brady, A., Rhind, D., Gervis, M., & Miles, A. (2016). The BASES Expert Statement on Safeguarding in the Sport and Exercise Sciences. The Sport and Exercise Scientist 49, 20-21 http://www.bases.org.uk/write/EXPERT_STATEMENT_1_(PAGES).pdf
Brady, A. & Daniels, B. (2016). Coach learning and development. In Navin, A. (Ed.) Youth Netball: A guide for coaches. The Crowood Press, Wiltshire, UK. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coaching-Youth-Netball-Essential-Teachers/dp/1785001167
Brady, A. (2016). Athlete well-being: A case study. In Cotterill, S., Weston, N. & Breslin, G. (Eds). Sport and Exercise Psychology: Practitioner Case Studies (pp. 315-331). Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford. http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118686543.html
Kavanagh, E. & Brady, A. (2014). A framework for understanding humanisation and dehumanisation in sport. In Brackenridge, C.H. & Rhind, D. (Eds.) Athlete Welfare: International Perspectives. Brunel University Press, London. See link to ebook https://www.brunel.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/230300/Elite-Child-Athlete-Welfare-Book.pdf
Oliver, J.L, Brady, A., & Lloyd, R.S. (2013). Well-being of youth athletes. In Oliver, J.L. & Lloyd, R.S. (Eds) Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes: Science and Application (pp.213-235). Routledge, Oxford. https://www.routledge.com/Strength-and-Conditioning-for-Young-Athletes-Science-and-application/Lloyd-Oliver/p/book/9780415694896
Vinson, D., Padley, S., Brady, A., Jeffreys, M., Croad. A., & James, D. V. B. (2013). Penalty corner routines in elite women’s indoor field hockey: prediction of outcomes based on tactical decisions, Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(8),887-893. DOI:10.1080/02640414.2012.757341
Cotterill, S., Lovell, G. P., Parker, J. K., Brady, A., & Howalson, G. (2011). Looking the part: Sport Psychologist’s Body Mass index and dress influences athletes’ perceptions of their potential effectiveness. The Sport Psychologist. 25 (1). pp. 82-93.
Brady, A. & Maynard, I. (2010). At an elite level the role of a sport psychologist is entirely about performance enhancement: A debate. Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, 6, 1; 59-66.
Brady, A. (2010). Understanding athlete well-being: reflections and recommendations based on a review of UK-based national governing bodies of sport websites for information relating to athlete welfare and athlete well-being. In Brackenridge, C.H. & Rhind, D. (Eds.) Elite Child Athlete Welfare: International Perspectives. (pp 109-117) Brunel University Press; London.

Recent Conference Presentations (coaching, sport psychology & positive psychology):

United States Center for Coaching Excellence (Seattle, 2022)
UK Coaching National Performance Foundation Event, Invited Speaker (online, 2021)
Women in Sport and Exercise Network, presenter (Worcester, 2021) - award winner
United States Center for Coaching Excellence – Invited Speaker (Orlando, 2018)
UK Coaching Inaugural Conference – Invited Speaker (Manchester, 2018)
International Council for Coaching Excellence (2013 - South Africa, 2015 Finland, 2017 Liverpool, 2019 Tokyo, 2023 Singapore)
UKCC Level 4 Annual Coaching Conference (UWE 2014: UoG, 2015 (hosted)
British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES: 2009, 2012, 2015, UK)
European Positive Psychology Association (2016, Angers, France)
Association of Applied Sport Psychology Inaugural Student Conference – Invited Speaker (UK, 2015)
British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology (UK, 2013 & 2016).

Media enquiries

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