Women in Applied Sport Psychology: Making your way as a Neophyte Practitioner - Dr Francesca Champ (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

Neophyte sport psychology practitioners face many challenges, such as misconceptions about what sport psychology is and doubts about its effectiveness. Moreover, when a young female practitioner enters a professional football club, she is likely to face gender- and age-based prejudice. In this episode, Dr Francesca Champ shares her story of entering and working in a men's professional football environment over three seasons, providing psychology support to academy players and working with staff and parents. We also discuss women in sport psychology more broadly and the ways that working in an applied context has been meaningful for Fran, despite the challenges associated with the work. 

Dr Francesca Champ is a lecturer in Psychology in Football at Liverpool John Moores University (UK) and an applied sport psychology practitioner, who has explored these questions in her research and practice. Her doctoral research was a practitioner-researcher ethnography in a professional football environment in the UK where she delivered applied sport psychology support over three seasons. 

Francesca's research more broadly has explored psycho-social development and identity in professional football, organisational and cultural sport psychology, applied sport psychology consultancy and mental health in sport.

You can find out more about Fran's work in this area from these publications: 

A tale of three seasons: a cultural sport psychology and gender performativity approach to practitioner identity and development in professional football

'Through the lens of ethnography': Perceptions, challenges, and experiences of an early career practitioner-researcher in professional football

And remember to follow Fran on Twitter: @fchamp1