Associate Professor
College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Sam is an Associate Professor and leading authority in the field of sport parenting, participation and retention, and psychosocial outcomes in youth sport. He has been invited to present his work internationally in Australia, China, the UK, Canada, and the US.
He is a multiple-award winning academic including the prestigious SA Young Tall Poppy science award, Flinders VC Award for Early Career Research, the World Congress on Science and Football Best Research Paper by Code (AFL) Award, and the Universities Australia Award for the ‘Pitch it Clever’ competition. He has also received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Teaching and consecutive College Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Sam is a science communication leader, representing Flinders at the Australian Academy of Science Falling Walls Lab Australia and in the global award-winning series, Raising the Bar. He is also the creator and co-host of Beyond the Club – Australia's leading science communication podcast for community sport.
At Flinders, he holds leadership positions as Higher Degree Research (HDR) advisor in Education and Sport, course coordinator of the Graduate Diploma of Research Methods (GDRM), and the Graduate Certificate of Sports Coaching. Sam also supervises 10 PhD students in his Children and Youth Sport Research (CHAYSR) lab. At the undergraduate level, he is the topic coordinator of three topics in sport psychology and sport coaching. He is also a member of the Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the SHAPE Research Centre.
2011 Bachelor of Education Honours (1A)
Research Awards
Teaching Awards
Invited committee member, BLISS Science and Innovation (South Australia) (2020)
Invited committee member, BSHPA Academic Programs CEPSW representative (2018-2020)
Invited member, ACHPER National Academic Reference Group (2017-present)
Invited member, Australian Sports Commission's PGAG Advisory Group (2016-17)
Invited member, Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-present)
Invited member, Sport, Health, Activity, Performance and Exercise (SHAPE) Research Centre (2014-present)
Society of Medical and Biological Engineering Award SA - OCT 2018
Journal Editor
Grants reviewer
Invited reviewer
Journals
Professional associations
Community engagement
Listen now: Beyond the Club Podcast
2022 7News Monkey see, monkey do - PhD enterprise announcement
2019 Radio 2GB Sydney interview_the rising popularity of AFLW
2019 Universities Australia Pitch it Clever video
2018 7News High Performance Program
2018 FFA Aldi Miniroos sport parenting resource_parental feedback
2018 FFA Aldi MiniRoos sport parenting resource_match day behaviour
2018 FFA Aldi MiniRoos sport parenting resource_volunteering
2016 SANFL State Women's Talent Search
2015 9News Elite Development & Combine Testing Program
2015 ABC National report: Kids in sport
2015 TEN News report: Parents in sport
2015 Play By The Rules article
2014 9News report: SHAPE-SAFC Elite Development Academy Program