From Papers to Practice

: Exploring Culture and Practising Pluralism in Sports Organisations

Abstract

This thesis details and presents the work of a trainee sport and exercise psychologist enrolled on the Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Portsmouth from October 2020 to September 2024. In this thesis, I provide a collection of reflections that show the scientist-practitioner’s journey throughout the professional doctorate. After this reflective diary, I present four case studies that outline the professional competencies required to register as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). These case studies outline (a) the mental health support and referral process of a trainee sport psychologist working in private practice, (b) the use of Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a brief intervention when working with a 66-year-old motorsports competitor, (c) the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with an adolescent Premier League academy football player to support their transition during the scholarship decision process, and (d) the approach taken and challenges faced by a trainee sport psychologist as they attempted to provide systems-led support to a Premier League academy over the course of a season. The two qualitative empirical research papers included in this thesis are an ethnography that explores organisational culture within a Premier League academy system and details how culture is made sense of by its members. In the second empirical research paper, we present an Ethnodrama that centres on showing the readership how culture can be made sense of through the shared, different, and ambiguous interpretations by cultural members using creative analytical practice in the presentation of a documentary episode. Both papers have implications for theory and practice for understanding culture within sporting organisations. Finally, a reflective epilogue provides an overview of the critical moments contributing to the scientist-practitioners development before presenting a logbook of applied consultancy, continuous professional development, and research hours conducted.

Date of Award	14 Jan 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Portsmouth
Supervisor	Chris Wagstaff (Supervisor) & Elizabeth Grace Clarkson (Supervisor)