With the SANFL season kicking off Friday, we caught up with all-rounder Dr Sam Elliott to talk about his new podcast, and how he spends his spare time as a development coach for the South Adelaide Football Club.
What is your role and what does your work focus on?
I’m a senior lecturer in sport psychology and coaching, and a member of the SHAPE Research Centre at Flinders. My research focuses on optimising parental involvement and behaviour in youth sport, which is a rewarding field of study because parenting in any achievement domain can be a challenge. My work aims to make the sporting journey less bumpy, more enjoyable and more rewarding for the family unit, and it helps keep kids in sport for the long-haul.
What journey brought you to this point in your career?
In 2006, I moved from Mount Gambier to Adelaide to undertake a teaching degree in Physical Education. I therefore consider myself a bit of an accidental academic because I was always passionate about teaching sport. I encountered my first real fork-in-the-road moment at the end of 2009: Should I go out and earn some money as a qualified teacher, or undertake further study? I decided to enrol in an Honours degree for 2010, which turned out to be a life-changing decision. I began to cultivate an interest in parents’ involvement in youth sport, which led to a successful Honours year (achieving First Class Honours), admission into the HDR program at Flinders, and an APA scholarship offer, which I accepted.
From there, I graduated with my PhD in 2014 – the same year I started as an academic as a very young and inexperienced 27-year old lecturer. Eight years later, I’ve forged a rewarding research and teaching career, and am proud to be a product of Flinders University.
What do you love most about your work?
There are three things I love most about my work – the people I work with, the freedom to pursue all things sport, and the inherent opportunities to progress my career and the career of others. Flinders has changed a lot since I began in 2014 but one constant is the amazing people I get to work with each day. From my academic colleagues to my wonderful PhD and Honours students, the professional staff and my undergrad students – they all continue to inspire and energise me and my work.
I also love the freedom to pursue sport research and teaching. It’s a career that allows me to push intellectual and political boundaries, connect across diverse industries and pivot with changing government and local council policies to improve sport outcomes.
I’ve also grown to love and appreciate the opportunities to progress my career and the career of others. I received a lot of support at the beginning of my career and would not have had successes along the way without it. I’m now in a phase of my career where I find meaning and purpose in supporting other colleagues, HDR and undergrad students to find their way.
What would you like people to know about your role?
In addition to being committed to my teaching and research activities, I’m also a passionate science communicator. My passion for communicating research to the masses flourished after representing Flinders at Falling Walls Lab Australia 2019.
What many people may not know is that a part of my current research responsibilities includes delivering the podcast Beyond the Club, of which I am creator and co-host. Beyond the Club aims to communicate sport research that will make sporting clubs more skilled, knowledgeable and agile. It’s a fun, challenging, but also a very rewarding endeavour.
What is something you are most proud of?
My wife and children. My wife Emily moved to Australia in 2008 and has been a constant support since my undergraduate days. She is the most amazing mother of our two children (four and two years old, respectively). While I’m fulfilled by my work each day, I’m most proud of my family – always.
What does a normal day look like for you?
At the moment, it’s grant writing season – which is my way of describing the phenomenon where every grant application relevant to my field seems to fall due! So a typical day involves some writing in the morning, followed by HDR supervision and or teaching undergraduates, followed by HDR coordination (Education) administration, more grant writing, and some research administration.
How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?
I’m lucky to be able to unplug each Tuesday and Thursday evening as a development coach at South Adelaide Football Club. For years, I facilitated opportunities for students to gain valuable industry experience with the Panthers and, for the past four seasons, I too have benefited from being able to develop my coaching skills in a high-performance environment. Hands down, football has always been and continues to be my relaxation method.