Associate Professor Sam Elliott

Associate Professor Sam Elliott specialises in the fields of sport parenting, participation and retention, and psychosocial outcomes in youth sport. His work spans sport sociology, sport psychology, and sport coaching. He has presented his work internationally in Australia, China, the UK, Canada, and the US.

His research covers three main areas: (1) research on parental involvement on youth sport psychosocial outcomes (including psychological abuse, the impact of parental education, and parent-club interactions); (2) Research on mental health and youth sport, and; (3) research on participation, retention, dropout, and reengagement (including the psychological, environmental, and social factors which impact sport continuation behaviour).

Sam is the Co-Deputy Director of the Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing, HDR advisor for Active Communities and Social Impact, and coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Sports Coaching. He is also an active member of the Sport, Health, Activity, Performance and Exercise (SHAPE) Research Centre.

Sam’s honours and awards include the prestigious Australian Institute of Policy & Science SA Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2022), the 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.

Sam is the creator and co-host of Beyond the Club, Australia’s leading science communication podcast for community sport. He is also the convenor of the 2023 National Youth Sport Conference to be held in Adelaide, Australia.