Enhancing coaching methods and skill acquisition in elite Australian Sports

About this project

Elevate standards in the coaching profession

Are you eager to launch your career in sports science and motivated to improve the coaching profession and athlete performance? The University of South Australia (UniSA) - Australia's University of Enterprise - is offering an applied sport science project-based  PhD, within the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA) research centre, in partnership with the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI).

Traditionally, coaches tended to begin their careers as physical education teachers, with formal training in skill acquisition. Nowadays, coaches more commonly enter the profession as former athletes. While coaches from an athlete pathway tend to have a good understanding of training methodology, sport science and tactics, they may have limited understanding of skill acquisition principles, and this can limit their ability to optimise athlete techniques and performance. 

This knowledge gap is typically not addressed by National Sporting Organisation’s coaching courses, as they generally focus on what to coach rather than address the fundamentals of learning design and how to coach. 

This project seeks to gain a greater understanding of modern coaching methods and develop evidence-based coaching modules, grounded in skill acquisition principles, to support coaches within the Australian sporting system.

You will be situated in the ARENA research centre, UniSA’s flagship centre for exercise and sport science research. You will be based at the new UniSA SASI Campus at Mile End, benefiting from world-class facilities and resources, including access to the brand new ‘SASI Movement Studio’, which aims to optimise athlete skill acquisition using a range of cutting-edge technology and is staffed by world-leading practitioners. 

Collaborating with SASI will provide you with a wealth of real-world experience and knowledge and help you establish a strong professional and industry network in elite sport. 

This unique opportunity may also provide you with an opportunity to undertake on-the-job training and employment (up to 0.2FTE) during the PhD candidature, as a SASI Movement Studio (skill acquisition) practitioner, and be awarded a SASI PhD scholarship top up. 

What you’ll do

In this project-based research degree, through a combination of literature and current practice reviews, co-designing and pilot testing, you will establish what constitutes coaching “best practice” in an elite sport setting. 

You will also determine if the identified aspects of effective coaching are being implemented within the coach development process within national sporting organisations. With support, you will then design and evaluate modules on how to coach (e.g. skill acquisition principles) that can be slotted into national sporting organisations’ existing courses. 

Where you’ll be based

You’ll be based at our new UniSA South Australian Sports Institute Campus at Mile End. 

You will be aligned with the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), which investigates the role of exercise, nutrition and other lifestyle activities in improving clinical and health outcomes. Physical, psychological and sports performance in populations is studied across a wide cross-section of society, ranging from children to elite athletes and people with chronic disease. ARENAS’s research focus "Healthy lives through healthy living" centres around the grand challenge of tackling the growing epidemic of chronic diseases. ARENA focuses on real-world issues and brings bold ideas to create solutions which optimise health, function and wellbeing. ARENAS’s mission is to be the leading Australian voice on a global stage by championing research in exercise, nutrition, preventative health and other lifestyle behaviours across the lifespan. ARENA works with diverse research partners, end-users and our communities to identify and evaluate solutions, and translate these outcomes into products and changes in policy and practice. Financial Support

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $32,500 per annum is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, and permanent residents of Australia, including permanent humanitarian visa holders. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $50,291 per annum. A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information. International applicants are not invited to apply at this time.

Eligibility and Selection 

This project is open to applications from Australian or New Zealand citizens, and Australian permanent residents or permanent humanitarian visa holders. International applicants are not invited to apply at this time.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. Additionally applicants must meet the project selection criteria: 

Essential Criteria:

• Bachelor degree with Honours or a Masters degree in Exercise & Sport Science or Physical Education 
• Able to commence PhD in Q1 of 2025 
• ·Exceptional interpersonal skills
• Experience in creative problem solving

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience teaching or coaching (any discipline, area of expertise or age group)
• Experience designing or delivering curriculums, creating or implementing periodised skill development plans or creating behaviour change 
• Experience delivering instruction and feedback to students or athletes

All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. A merit selection process will be used to determine the successful candidate. The successful applicant is expected to study full-time.

Essential Dates 

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Tuesday, 14 January 2025.