SERL is a multi-disciplinary lab that focuses on research and development in and around sport and exercise with strong international leadership from co-directors, Professor Richard Light and Professor Nick Draper who have extensive international experience.
Our work on sport includes coaching and physical education pedagogy, sport sociology and anthropology. Within this area of research Professor Light is a leading international researcher working on athlete-centred and inquiry-based approaches to sport coaching with PhDs and other staff also working in this area. SERL aims to produce relevant, high quality, high impact output that has an influence upon research, thinking and practice in studies on sport and exercise at a national and international level. The lab鈥檚 research activity includes cutting edge research conducted on athlete-centred and holistic approaches to sport coaching pedagogy that is used in a research-led approach teaching in the sports coaching program. This work is conducted across a diverse range of sports and levels from children鈥檚 sport in schools and clubs to the highest levels of elite level international sport and on physical education teaching. The hub produces high quality articles and books that are used in our research led teaching courses in the sport coaching and physical education programs.
The primary focus of sport and exercise science focus for SERL is on research in the areas of health and sports performance.听 It looks at sport, coaching and physical education that promotes improved and sustains health in general and special populations and interventions that support improved sporting performance from junior to Olympic levels across a range of sports including cricket, rugby, judo, croquet and rock climbing. Research in the sport performance arena revolves around the development of valid and reliable sport-specific measures and the development of and/or measurement and evaluation of interventions.听 Research in this field includes projects on rock climbing focused on uncovering the role of psycho-physiological differences that enable elite performers to lock-down the anxiety associated with the inherent possibility of falling and the development of sport-specific performance measures.听 This work is very closely associated with the听, which was established by the 91制片厂 in 2011.听 Co-director, Professor Nick Draper is currently Chair of the Association and is leading the international multi-centre trial being undertaken by it between 2014 and 2018. The increasing significance of this research is being reflected in the increasing volume of research and the inclusion of sport climbing in the schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
听While many studies are conducted in New Zealand and are focused on issues of importance for New Zealand the lab has a global outlook and profile with a numbers of staff enjoying strong international recognition and experience. It also includes researchers based outside New Zealand who collaborate with campus-based members.
Directors
Research Associates (at UC):
- Professor Richard L. Light
- Professor Nick Draper
- Dr Jenny Clarke
- Dr Carl Petersen
- Dr Brad Miles
- Chris North
- Piet van Hasselt
- Phillip Borrell
International Affiliated Researchers
- Associate professor Mike Hamlin (Lincoln University, NZ)
- Professor John Evans, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
- Dr Shane Pill, Flinders University, Australia
- Associate Professor Naoki Suzuki, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan
- Professor Wataru Yasaki, Tokyo University of Science, Japan
- Associate Professor Stephen Harvey, West Virginia University, USA
- Professor Carlos Gonclaves, Coimbra University, Portugal
- Professor Alain Mouchet, Universit茅 Paris est Creteil,France
- Dr Kendall Jarrett, Deakin University Australia
- Dr R茅my Hassanin, Federation University Australia
- Dr Kass Gibson, University of St Johns and St Marks, UK.
- Dr. Tetsuya Tsubakihara (Tokyo City University, Japan)
- Dr. Ji艡铆 Bal谩拧, Charles University, Czech Republic
- Professor Gareth Stratton, Swansea University, UK.
- Professor Vanesa Espana Romero, University of Cadiz, Spain
- Professor Tino Fuss, Swinburne University, Australia
- Professor Phil Watts, Northern Michigan University, USA
- Professor Zeevi Dvir, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel
- Dr Simon Fryer, University of Gloucestershire, UK
- Dr Andi Schweizer, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Associate Professor Ludovic Seifert, University of Rouen, France
- Associate Professor Pierre Legreneur, University of Lyon, France
- Associate Professor Mike Hamlin (Lincoln University, NZ)
Current Full Time PhD Students听
- Ricardo Pimenta (on campus, Portugal)
- Bianca Aguiar (on campus, Portugal)
- Mohammad Rasak (on campus, Singapore)
- Sibi Walter (on campus, India)
- Chris Bacon (on campus, UK)
- David Giles (off campus, UK)
- Luke Gibson (off campus, UK)
- Mark Cheetham off campus, (UK)
- Charles Spring (off campus, UK)
- William Neill (off campus, UK)
- Peter Gilliver (off campus, UK)
The Sport and Exercise Lab hosts high profile international researchers for short visits and longer stays under the Canterbury Fellowship and Erskine Fellowship schemes or as visiting scholars. Visiting researchers typically conduct research seminars and collaborate in relevant research with members of the lab. We presently have strong and productive relationships with researchers and institutions in Japan, the USA, The UK, Australia and Chile and welcome international researchers.
In 2018 we have our third consecutive visiting scholar here for a full year. Professor Jong Eun Lim from the Chinju national University of Education, Korea follows our two previous visiting scholars from Japan and will be conducting research over 2018. Last year Professor David Lavallee visited us as a Canterbury Fellow. Professor Lavallee is a sport psychologist and a world-leading figure in research on athlete transition who worked with our sport psychology staff and with local sport organizations such as the Canterbury Crusaders as well as delivering our 2017 UC Sport Seminar presentation. He has since been appointed as a UC Adjunct Professor.
The lab is working to raise the international profile of its research and to enrich its research culture through links with established researchers from overseas. This varies from a single research seminar to hosting conferences such as the 2015听Game Sense for Coaching and Teaching International Conference听(November 17th-18th) from which we published peer reviewed conference proceedings available听here.听
In 2016 and 2017 we produced two high quality research books, which were: Light, R. L. (2016)听Children, young people and sport: Studies in experience and meaning. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Press and Light, R. L. (2017)听Positive Pedagogy for sport coaching: Athlete-centred coaching for individual sports.听London & New York: Routledge. (November, 2016).
This year will see the launch of听Stories of indigenous success in Australian sport: Journeys to the AFL and NRL听at NRL headquarters in Australia and was written by Professor Richard Light and Professor John Evans (UTS).
Professor Nick Draper edited a new research book with a colleague that released in 2017. It is Draper, N. & Statton, G. (Eds) (2018)听Physical Activity. Routledge, London: UK.
1. Professor Richard Light is joint Chief Investigator on the project,听Identifying pedagogical factors enabling success in elite level team sport for Indigenous Australians: Lessons for Closing the Gap.听The $350,000 project is funded by the Australian Research Council and is being conducted through collaboration with Professor John Evans from the University of Technology Sydney who is an Indigenous Australian.
2. Professor Richard Light is also lead researcher on a study on changes in rugby coaching in Japan since professionalization in 1995 (2018-2019). Conducted in collaboration with Professor Wataru Yasaki (Tokyo University of Science). Professor Hitoshi Ebishima and Associate Professor Tetsuya Tsubakihara (Tokyo City University) the study inquires into the development of rugby coaching in Japan.
3. Professor Nick Draper is currently leading the research and evaluation for a $3M multi-disciplinary project, based in the UK, which takes a citywide approach to increasing physical activity levels. 听
4. Professor Draper is also leading a multi-centre trial on behalf of the International Rock Climbing Research Association (IRCRA).听 In 2014 the IRCRA agreed to develop a multi-centre trial as an investigation into sport-specific measurement and evaluation tools for the sport of rock climbing. 听A battery of 10 tests were developed for validation and reliability assessment. 听Seven research centres, in Austria, Chile, Czech Republic, France, New Zealand, Spain and United Kingdom are involved in the study. 听The initial results for the study were presented at the 2016 IRCRA Congress in telluride, CO, USA. 听Details of the research can be found at听.
5. Associate Professor Steven Gieseg鈥檚 research team has developed robust cost effective biochemical methods using urine and salvia samples to measure muscle trauma and stress in Rugby players and Cage Fighters. They are now applying this technology to other sports and investigating the trauma of knee surgery under a Lottery Health grant. The lead researchers in the team are PhD student Greg Parker (91制片厂), Prof Garry Cooper (Dept Orthopaedic Surgery & Musculoskeletal Medicine, Uni Otago, Christchurch) and A/Prof Michael Hamlin (Sports Science, Lincoln University).
6. Associate Professor Gieseg, Dr Carl Peterson and Dr Angus Lindsay have been investigating the role of inflammation in sports injury using controlled exercise tests. Their analysis allows the inflammatory and oxidative response of affected tissue to be directly measured. This research is backup by ongoing laboratory studies by PhD students Hannah Prebble and Greg Parker using immune cell culture to characterise the underlying biochemical processes.
7. Associate Professor Mike Hamlin鈥檚 research team have been involved in investigating the use of intermittent hypoxic training on repetitive sprint ability in team sport athletes. This large study had a number of specific focus areas including the performance effects of such training (A/Prof Mike Hamlin, Lincoln University, Dr Peter Olsen and Dr Helen Marshall, Ara Institute of Canterbury), the stress responses to such training using heart rate variability and biochemical markers in the urine (A/Prof Steven Gieseg, Greg Parker 91制片厂), and the psychological and training stress involved with such training (A/Prof Mike Hamlin, A/Prof Steven Gieseg).
8. Associate Professor Mike Hamlin(Lincoln University) along with Dr. Sohei Takamori (Visiting Research Fellow from Yokohama Hospital Sports Medicine Centre, Japan), A/Prof Steven Gieseg (91制片厂) and other colleagues from Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ) will investigate concussive and sub-concussive impacts on rugby players. The research will involve the use of small devices placed behind the ear that can record details such as liner and rotational forces during impacts.
Publications by UC-based members between 2014 and 2016
听
Books
Draper, N. & Stratton, G. (Eds) (2017)听Physical Activity. Routledge, London: UK
Light, R. L. (2017)听Positive pedagogy for sport coaching: Athlete centred coaching for individual sports.听London & New York: Routledge.
Light, R. L. (2016)听Children, young people and sport: Studies on experience and meaning.听Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Light, R. L., Evans, J. R., Harvey, S., & Hassanin, R. (2015)听Advances in rugby coaching: An holistic approach,听London & New York: Routledge.
听
Peer-reviewed journal articles
2017
Light, R. L., Evans, J. R. & Lavellee, D. (2017) The transition of Indigenous Australian athletes into professional sport.听Sport, Education and Society. Published ahead of print, 19 October,听
Light, R. L. &听 Evans, J. R. (2017) Socialisation, culture and the foundations of expertise in elite level Indigenous Australian sportsmen.听Sport, Education and Society, 22(7), 852-863.听
Jarrett. K & Light, R. (2017). In-service teachers鈥 experiences of using game based approaches to teach games: Implications for physical education teacher educators.听International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health听4(2), 73-81.
Light, R. L., Yasaki, W. (2017). Adolescent girls鈥 experiences of being in Australian and Japanese basketball clubs.听Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education, 8(2), 147-160.
Light, R. L. & Harvey, S. (2017) Positive Pedagogy for sport coaching,听Sport, Education and Society, 22(2), 271-287.
2016
Bal谩拧, J., Giles, D., Chrastinov谩, L., K谩rn铆kov谩, K., Kodej拧ka, J., Hlav谩膷kov谩, A., Vom谩膷ko, L. & Draper, N. The effect of potential fall distance on hormonal response in rock climbing.听Journal of Sports Sciences听doi. 10.1080/02640414.2016.1206667.
Draper, N., Giles, D.,听Sch枚ffl, V., Fuss, F. K., Watts, P. B., Wolf, P., Bal谩拧, J., Romero, V. E., Gonzalez, G. B., Fryer, S., 听Fanchini, M., Vigouroux, L., Seifert, L., Donath, L., Spoerri, M., Bonetti, K., Phillips, K. C., St枚cker, U., Bourassa-Moreau, F., Garrido, I., Drum, S., Beekmeyer, S., Ziltener, J-L., Taylor, N., Beeretz, I., Mally, F., Amca, A. M., Linhart, C., and Abreu, E. (2016).听听Comparative grading scales, statistical analyses, climber descriptors and ability grouping: International Rock Climbing Research Association position statement.听听Journal of Sports Technology听doi:10.1080/19346182.2015.1107081.
Giles, D., Draper, N. & Neil, W. (2016). Validation of the Polar V800 heart rate monitor to measure RR intervals at rest.听European Journal of Applied Physiology.听doi:10.1007/s00421-015-3303-9.
Giles, D., Kelly, J. & Draper, N. (2016). Alterations in autonomic cardiac modulation in response to normobaric hypoxia. European Journal of Sport Science, 16, 8, 1023-1031.
L茅monie, Y., Light, R. L., & Sarremejane, P. (2015)The nature of teacher-student interaction and their influence on learning in swimming lessons.听Sport, Education and Society,听21(8), 1249-1268.听Doi: 10.1080/13573322.2015.1005068
Light, R. L., & Yasaki, W. (2016) The nature of experience and learning for Japanese girls in a high school basketball club. In O. Vors, and D. Kirk (Eds.) special issue听on听L鈥櫭ヽologie de la classe: approches contextualis茅es en 茅ducation physique et en sport [The ecology of the class: Contextualised approaches in physical education and sport].听Recherches & Educations,听15, 47-64.
Lindsay, A., Othman MI, Prebble H., Davies, S., and听Gieseg, S.P., (2016) Repetitive cryotherapy attenuates the听in vitro听and听in vivo听mononuclear cell activation response, Experimental Physiology,101(7), 851-65
听
2015
Bal谩拧, J., Mrsko膷, J., Pan谩膷kov谩, M. and Draper, N. (2015). Sport-specific finger flexor strength assessment using electronic scales in sport climbers.听Sports Technology. doi: 10.1080/19346182.2015.1012082.
Chappell, G. & Light, R. L. (2015). Back to the future: Developing batting talent through Game Sense. Special issue of听Active +Healthy Magazine,听23(2/3), 31-34.
Light,听R. L. & Kentel,听J. A. (2015).听Mushin:听 Learning in technique-intensive sport as uniting mind and body through complex learning theory.听Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy,听20(4), 381-396.听DOI:10.1080/17408989.2013.868873
Light, R. L. &听 Evans, J. R. (2015) Socialisation, culture and the foundations of expertise in elite level Indigenous Australian sportsmen. Published ahead of print November 18. DOI:10.1080/13573322.2015.1105208
Harvey, S. & Light, R. L. (2015). Questioning for learning in games-based approaches to teaching and coaching.听Asia Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education, 6(2), 175-190.* Most read article on physical education published by Taylor & Francis in 2015.
Light, R. L. & Harvey, S. (2015) Positive Pedagogy for sport coaching. Published ahead of print (4 March, 2015),听Sport, Education and Society. Doi 10.1080/13573322.2015.1015977 available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13573322.2015.1015977#abstract
Lindsay, A., Bernard, A., Davidson S.M., Redmond D.P., Chiew, Y.S., Pretty, C., Chase, J.G., Shaw, G.M., Gieseg, S.P., Draper, N. (2015) Lung injury and respiratory mechanics in rugby union, J Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 56(4), 450-457.听听听听听
Lindsay, A., Carr, S., Draper, N., and Gieseg, S. P. (2015). Urinary myoglobin quantification by HPLC; an alternative measurement for exercise induced muscle damage. Analytical Biochemistry: Methods in the Biological Sciences. doi10.1016/j.ab.2015.09.001.
Lindsay, A., Carr, A., Othmana, M.I. Marks, E., Davies, S., Petersen, C., Draper, N. and听听Gieseg, S.P.,听(2015) The physiological and mononuclear cell activation response to cryotherapy following a mixed martial arts contest: a pilot study,听Pteridines,听26(4) 143鈥151.
Lindsay, A., Draper, N., Lewis, Gieseg, S.P. and Gill, N., (2015) Positional demands of profession rugby,听European Journal of Sports Science, 15(6), 480-487.听
Lindsay, A., Healy, J, Mills, W., Lewis, J, Gill, N., Draper, N., and听Gieseg, S.P.听(2015) Impact induced muscle damage and urinary pterins in professional rugby: 7,8-dihydroneopterin听 oxidation by myoglobin,听Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports,听26(3), 329-337, DOI: 10.1111/sms.12436
Lindsay, A., Lewis, Gill, N., Gieseg, S.P. and Draper, N., (2015) Effect of varied recovery interventions on markers of psychophysiological stress in professional rugby union, European Journal of Sports Science, 15(6), 543-549
Lindsay, A., Lewis, J, Scarrott, C., Gill, N., Gieseg, S.P. and Draper, N.,(2015) Assessment of acute stress in professional rugby Assessment of acute stress in professional rugby,听International Journal of Sports Medicine, 36(6), 446-454.
North, C. (2015) Rain and Romanticism: the environment in outdoor education.听Asia Pacific Journal of Health, Sport & Physical Education听6(3): 287-298.听
听
Book chapters
In press
Aguiar, C. B. & Light, R. L. (in press). Gymnastics. In R. Light (Ed.), Positive Pedagogy for Sport Coaching: Athlete-centred Coaching for Individual Sports. London and New York: Routledge.
Clarke, J., & Light, R. L. (in press). Croquet. In R. Light (Ed.), Positive Pedagogy for Sport Coaching: Athlete-centred Coaching for Individual Sports. London and New York: Routledge.
Draper, N. & Stratton, G. Introduction to physical activity. In N. Draper and G. Stratton, (in press). Physical Activity. Routledge, London: UK
Draper, N. & Stratton, G. Schools, physical education and physical activity. In N. Draper and G. Stratton, (in press). Physical Activity. Routledge, London: UK
Draper, N. & Lines, T. Multi-disciplinary approaches to physical activity. In N. Draper and G. Stratton, (in press). Physical Activity. Routledge, London: UK
Light, R. L. Athlete-centred coaching for individual sports (2018). In S. Pill (Ed.)听Perspectives on Athlete Centred Coaching.听London & New York: Routledge.
Light, R. L. (2018) Positive Pedagogy for sport coaching: The influence of Positive Psychology. In A. Brady, & B. Grenville-Cleave (Eds.)听Positive Psychology in Sport and Physical Activity: An Introduction听(pp. 193-203).听Oxford: Routledge.
North, C. and Light, R. (in press). Teaching kayak rolling through feel and flow. In R. Light (Ed.), Positive Pedagogy for Sport Coaching: Athlete-centred Coaching for Individual Sports. London and New York: Routledge.
Razak, M. S., & Light, R. L. (in press). Rock climbing. In R. Light (Ed.), Positive Pedagogy for Sport Coaching: Athlete-centred Coaching for Individual Sports. London and New York: Routledge.
2016
Borell, P. & Macfarlane, A. (2016). Dual discourses of sport and education: An effectual blend for M膩ori development. In Light, R.L. (Ed.), Children, young people and sport: Studies on experience and meaning: not yet known. Christchurch: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Evans, J. R. & Light, R. L. (2016). The roots of exceptional performance: Indigenous players鈥 early development in Australian football. In M. Drummond and S. Pill (eds)听Advances in Australian football: A sociological and applied science exploration of the game听(pp. 128-135).听Hindmarsh, South Australia: ACHPER.
Draper, N. (2016). Climbing grades 鈥 systems and subjectivity. In P. Wolf, A. Schweizer, & L. Seifert. Science of Climbing and Mountaineering (1st听ed.), Routledge, London; UK.
2015
Borell, P. (2015). Patriotic Games: Boundaries and Masculinity in New Zealand Sport. In R.A. Innes and K. Anderson (Ed.), Indigenous Men and Masculinities: 165-180. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.
Light, R. L. & Evans, J. R. (2014). Putting听habitus听to work in research on experience and coach development. In L. Hunter, W. Smith, & E. Emerald (Eds)鈥ㄢFields of Physical Culture: Encounters with and beyond Pierre Bourdieu.听London & New York: Routledge (pp. 65-73).听听
听
Full length, peer reviewed conference papers
2016
Clarke, J. (2016) Teaching older athletes new tricks coaching croquet through Game Sense. In J. Bruce & C. North (Eds) Proceedings for the 2015 Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching, 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand (pp. 28-39).
Light, R. L., & Light, A. L. (2016) Making the games lesson the 鈥榣aboratory of the possible鈥 through Game Sense. In J. Bruce & C. North (Eds) Proceedings for the 2015 Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching. 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand (pp. 74-85).
North, C. (2016) Changing roles for teacher candidates and teacher educators in outdoor education. In J. Bruce & C. North (Eds) Proceedings for the 2015 Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching, 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand (pp. 99-109)
Pimenta, R. M., & Light, R. L. (2016) High performance coaching: Comparison between a highly successful coach鈥檚 approach and Game Sense. In J. Bruce & C. North (Eds) Proceedings for the 2015 Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching, 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand (pp. 156-107)
Couto de Aguiar, B., & Light, R. L. (2016). A challenge to the idea of an authentic version of a Game Based Approach. In J. Bruce & C. North (Eds) Proceedings for the 2015 Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching, 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand (15-27).
Razak, M.S. (2016). Games Concept Approach (GCA) and Game Sense: A Practitioner鈥檚 Reflections of a Physical Education (PE) Teacher from Singapore. In J. Bruce & C. North (Eds) Proceedings for the 2015 Game Sense for Teaching and Coaching, 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand (168-177).
2015
Aguiar, B. C. & Light. R. L. (2015). Self-taught pre-service and beginning physical education teachers鈥 implementation of TGfU in Portugal. Proceedings for 2015 ACHPER International Conference, (pp. 197-205). Available at https://www.achper.org.au/professionallearning/past-international-conference-proceedings/2015-international-conference-proceedings
Clarke, J.C. (2015) Teaching older athletes new tricks: Coaching croquet through Game Sense. 91制片厂, Christchurch, New Zealand: Game Sense for Coaching and Teaching Conference, 17-18 Nov 2015.
Light, R. L. (2015). Managing practice activities and games in Game Sense coaching: Reflections upon teaching in Asia. Proceedings for 2015 ACHPER International Conference, pp. 246 鈥 254. Available at: https://www.achper.org.au/professionallearning/past-international-conference-proceedings/2015-international-conference-proceedings
Petersen, C. and Clarke, J. (2015) Experiential research inspired sport science pedagogy. Adelaide, Australia: 29th Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation International Conference (ACHPER), 13-15 Apr 2015.
Pimenta, R.M. & Light, R. L. (2015). High-performance adolescent female basketball players鈥 views on parental involvement. Proceedings for 2015 ACHPER International Conference, pp. 225 - 234. Available at: https://www.achper.org.au/professionallearning/past-international-conference-proceedings/2015-international-conference-proceedings