Psychological Development in Professional Youth Football: An

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN PROFESSIONAL YOUTH FOOTBALL: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE FRANCESCA CHAMP A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Liverpool John Moores University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July, 2017 This research was supervised by members of the academic staff but is essentially the work of the author. Views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of any other member of the Research Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences. Copyright in the text of this thesis rests with the author. The ownership of any intellectual property rights that may be described in the thesis is vested in Liverpool John Moores University and may not be available for use by any third parties without the written permission of the University. 2 Declaration Some of the work conducted has been presented at national/international conferences as listed below: Conferences Psychological Development in Professional Youth Football: An Ethnography of Sports psychology Practice; The Football Collective, Manchester – December 2016 Challenges of Confidentiality: Reflections from within Elite Level Professional Football; BASES Annual Conference, Nottingham – November 2016 Reflections from a Female Sports psychology Practitioner Working in Elite Level Professional Football: Practitioner Identity and Development; ECSS Annual Conference, Vienna – July 2016 Delivering a Caring Profession in an Uncaring World: Practical Implications, LJMU RISES PGR Conference, Liverpool – June 2016 Challenges of Confidentiality: Reflections from within Elite Level Professional Football; BASES Student Conference, Bangor – March 2016 The use of Ethnography in Applied Sports psychology: Moral and Ethical Dilemmas; LJMU RISES PGR Conference, Liverpool – July 2015 Practitioner Identity and Development within Elite Level Professional Football: A Tale of 12 Months; BASES Student Conference, Liverpool – March 2015 3 Abstract The introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) by the Premier League in 2012, and the subsequent formalization of sports psychology support, has resulted in increased opportunities for sports psychology practitioners to deliver their work within football academies (Nesti, 2012). The recognition of psychological support by the EPPP adds a new importance for us to better understand the impact of the lived experiences of applied practitioners within professional football clubs on their professional development and identity formation (Mitchell et al., 2016). The data on which this thesis is based has been drawn from research collected during a 3-year period from 2014 to 2017, where I (the researcher) occupied a dual role as a practitioner-researcher within the organisation of study. More specifically, I was responsible for the delivery of a psychological development program to academy players, support staff, and parents, and for the collection of data using ethnographic research methods. The first empirical chapter explored the use of practitioner-researcher ethnography as a research approach in sports psychology. Critical reflections highlighted some of the challenges that I faced whilst engaging in this dual role. Findings from this chapter highlighted the value of ethnography in encouraging the development of critical thinking skills, and self-awareness. However, a number of moral and ethical dilemmas arose because of the research demands. Therefore, it is suggested that a variety of support mechanisms (peer support, ethnography club) may help ethnographer’s better deal with challenging research situations that they may face. Following on from this, chapter 3 of the thesis used creative narratives to illuminate the impact of my experiences of delivering psychological support within one professional football club on my professional development, and identity as a sports psychology practitioner. My development journey aligned to the ICM (Côté, 2016), and was not smooth, or without challenge. In contrast, it was a rocky road (Collins & MacNamara, 2012), signified by a number of critical moments (Littlewood & Nesti, 2011). The challenges that I faced within the professional football club occurred as a function of the organisational culture (Roper, 2008), and ran parallel with the experiences of the youth players within this particular social context. The findings from this chapter suggest that identity is not a distinct end-point that sports psychology practitioners reach at the conclusion of their professional training. In contrast, identity is argued to be a fluid concept, continually evolving based upon the experiences that we have. Chapter 4 of the thesis followed the same structure as chapter 3, and presented the lived experiences of academy footballers over a longitudinal time frame. The findings that emerged within the chapter suggest that despite considerable changes in professional football over recent years the traditional masculine culture of this particular social context has remained reluctant to change (Nesti, 2012), and may be detrimental to the healthy psychological development of players who exist within it. Finally, chapter 5 of the thesis used action research principles to document the design, delivery, and evaluation of the psychological development program that was implemented within the professional football club. More specifically, interviews, focus groups, and evaluation sheets were used to attain the perspectives of key stakeholders (players, support staff, parents). The findings from this chapter demonstrated the complexities of psychological development, especially within the professional football culture. A level of confusion was present between stakeholders regarding the efficacy of the program. Although all individuals agreed that the program was beneficial in facilitating communication, and creating a supportive environment, there were discrepancies regarding its impact, and the nature of delivery. 4 Acknowledgements Martin Littlewood – Thank you for the encouragement, support, and guidance that you have provided throughout this journey. Your input has been invaluable. Mark Nesti – Thanks for the insight and knowledge that you have provided as an applied practitioner, especially with regards to the delivery of psychological support in professional football. David Tod – Thank you for your insightful comments, and willingness to support with any aspect of my work throughout the PhD process. The football club, players, and staff – For without access to the organisation this project would not have been possible. Thank you for facilitating my development as a person, researcher, and practitioner in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Mum, Dad, and Nick – You have been there since day one, supporting me in everything I do. Nick, for always making me laugh and seeing the positive in things. Mum, you have dedicated your life to our family and for that, I will be forever indebted. Thank you for always offering your support, guidance, and the best brew’s (my Tuesday afternoons won’t be the same anymore). Dad, words could not do this justice. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope that I have made you as proud as you make me. You are an extraordinary man, and if it was not for you, I would not be where I am today. We did it! Giles – You have supported me every step of the way. Thank you for teaching me the importance of the simple things in life. For making me laugh, making me smile, and inspiring me to be the best person I can be. 5 Biographical Positioning When conducting ethnographic research methods, experts have suggested that it is important for the author to make the reader aware of their biographic positioning in relation to the research process (Bowles, 2014; Foley, 2002; Littlewood, 2005; Maitland, 2012). This is due to the researcher’s relationship with, and influence on the social world that is being studied. I chose to position this piece prior to chapter 1, as I believe that my positioning shaped and influenced the nature of the thesis, and the way in which the research was conducted. Since an early age, sport has always been my passion, but beyond anything else, I loved football. My family lived, and breathed the game. My dad is a failed footballer, my cousin was a youth international and academy scholar, and my brother was signed to a professional football academy. When I was 10 years old, I joined a local boys’ team. Being the only female never crossed my mind, and I thrived when given the opportunity to play competitive games. My family, and my friends always supported my interest in football, and every day the ‘lads’ at school would put my name down for the lunchtime footie match. When I was with these individuals being a girl did not mean I was different, or any less capable, I was just another person. However, a couple of years later, rules were introduced that meant I was no longer able to play in the same team as my male counterparts, so I signed for a Girls Centre of Excellence. In the early 2000’s there were limited opportunities in the UK for women to make a professional career in the game, however I believed that things would change. On my 16th birthday, I signed for one of the best Women’s teams in the country, and it is no exaggeration to say that I was thrown in at the deep end. I was introduced straight into the 1st team, and had to learn how to cope with not only the transition from youth to senior football, but also the significant jump up in playing level. I relished in the challenge, and was determined to succeed. Determination and dedication were two words that I became very 6 familiar with during my childhood. They were values that my Dad placed a great emphasis on, and I grew to share his belief. Determination and dedication became the foundation of my identity. Alongside football, I studied for my A-levels. The lack of growth in the Women’s game meant that I needed to seriously consider other career pathways; I applied for a place to study Sport and Exercise Science at University. I knew at this point that sports psychology was the discipline that I was most interested in.

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