Dr Sam Elliott

Senior Lecturer

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

+61 8 82013495

sam.elliott@flinders.edu.au

Education (5.19)

GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Sam is an award-winning researcher and senior lecturer at Flinders University. He is a leading authority in the field of sport parenting, participation and retention, and psychosocial outcomes in youth sport. Sam has presented his work internationally in Australia, China, the UK, Canada and the US, published 41 research outputs, and attained >$600k in combined external grants, tenders and consultancies. Sam is an active member of the Sport, Health, Activity, Performance and Exercise (SHAPE) Research Centre and invited a reviewer for 19 international journals.

He is a versatile research leader, representing Flinders at the Australian Academy of Science Falling Walls Lab Australia and in the global award-winning series, Raising the Bar. Sam has received a number of prestigious awards including the VC Award for Early Career Research, the World Congress on Science and Football Best Research Paper by Code (AFL) Award, the Inclusion and Diversity in Sport Conference Champion of Inclusion Award, and the Universities Australia Award for the Pitch it clever competition. Sam is also creator and co-host of Beyond the Club – a podcast for making community sport more knowledgeable, agile and responsive.

At the postgraduate level, Sam is the coordinator of Higher Degree Research (HDR) in Education and the Graduate Diploma of Research Methods (GDRM). He is also supervisor of six PhD students and one Honours student 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. Sam has received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Teaching and consecutive College Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Sam is a highly sought-after speaker and consultant and has worked with Sport Australia, Football Federation Australia, the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (SA) as well as state sporting organisations SANFL, Netball SA, Swimming SA, and Tennis SA.

Qualifications

2014 PhD
2011 Bachelor of Education Honours (1A)
2010 Bachelor of Health Science/Bachelor of Education (Middle & Secondary)

Honours, awards and grants

Research Awards

2019

Finalist, Falling Walls Lab Australia (Canberra)
Winner: College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Excellence in Teaching Award $3000
Winner: World Congress on Science and Football Best Research Paper by code (AFL) $250
Winner: Universities Australia Award Pitch It Clever Competition $1000

2018

Winner: Flinders University's Vice Chancellor's Award for Early Career Researchers $2500
Winner: 6th International Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise Conference 5 minute challenge
Winner: inaugural Inclusion and Diversity in Sport Conference Champion of Inclusion Award $500

Teaching Awards

2020

Winner: Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation in Teaching Awards
Winner: College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Teaching Excellence Award

2019

Winner College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Teaching Excellence Award

External grants and consultancies

2020-21

ORSR Partnership Grant Scheme. The sport research podcast ($122,700)
ORSR-Flinders Innovative Partnership Seed Grant. The sport parent project ($50,000)
Freemason’s Centre for Men’s Health and Wellbeing Grant. Masculinity and mental health: shaping the attitudes, behaviours and education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men through sport ($120,000)
Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation-Órama Institute Seed Funding Grant. "It takes a village to raise a child”: Developing mental health fitness in contemporary youth through community sport using a whole club – village – approach ($30,000)

2017-19

Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation Health Seed Grant. Level Playing Field: Young Males, Masculinity and Mental Wellbeing through Sport ($21,376)
Netball SA/ORSR Grant: The Promotion and Engagement of Contemporary Sports for Girls and Young Women: Implications for Participation ($57,000)
Football Federation Australia's ALDI MiniRoos sport parenting project ($18,775)
Inclusive Sport South Australia Tender. LGBTIQ+ and South Australian sport ($40,000)
ORSR Grant. Pathways to Participation for Girls and Women in Sport ($55,000)

Key responsibilities

Higher Degree Research Coordinator (Education) (2021-present)
Graduate Diploma of Research Methods Coordinator (2021-present)
Invited committee member, Sammy D Foundation (2020-present)
BLISS Science and Innovation Committee (South Australia) (2020)
BSHPA Academic Programs Committee CEPSW representative (2018-2020)
Invited member of the ACHPER National Academic Reference Group (2017-present)
Invited member of the Australian Sports Commission's PGAG Advisory Group (2016-17)

Topic coordinator

HLPE2300 Foundations of Sport Psychology

HLPE3534 Introduction to Sport Coaching, Management and Administration

HLPE1531 Inclusive and Adaptive Practices in Sport and Physical Education

Supervisory interests

Athlete development

Australian football

Community sport

Parental behaviour in youth sport

Psychology of sport participation and performance

Qualitative research methods

Social issues in youth sport

Sport coaching

Think Aloud methods

Youth sport

Higher degree by research supervision

Current

Principal supervisor: Injury and social support in female Australian football (1), Sporting clubs of the future (1), Veteran families and sport (1)

Associate supervisor: Sport and physical activity in low SES communities (1), Assessment in Physical Education (1), Sport and mental health

Higher degree by research student achievements

Reuben Smith

Society of Medical and Biological Engineering Award SA - OCT 2018

Professional engagement

Journal Editor

Grants reviewer

Marsden Fund Council, New Zealand Government (2017-ongoing)
Children's Research Foundation (2019-ongoing)

Invited reviewer

Journals

Professional associations

International Society for Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise
Sport Australia (Parent and Guardian Advisory Group)
Football Research Collective, Aus
The football collective, UK
Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Inc (ACHPER) (Academic Reference Group)
Sammy D Foundation

Community engagement

SA Government Youth Action Plan, 2019
Raising the Bar event, Norwood, 2019
South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women's Football State Talent Search, 2016
South Adelaide Football Club U16 Elite Development Academy program, 2014-19
South Adelaide Football Club U16 Assistant and U14 Head Coach

Expert for media contact

Children/Youth

Parenting

Sport

Optimal athlete development

Parental behaviour in youth sport

Social issues in sport

Youth sport participation and engagement

Available for contact via

+61 8 82013495

sam.elliott@flinders.edu.au

Or contact the media team