Currently undertaking an industry-funded PhD looking at re-engaging teen girls in organised sport, James Kay is on a mission to remind people that sport is about more than just wins or losses. We caught up with him to ask about his favourite spot on campus, and how, unsurprisingly, sport plays a major role in all aspects of his life.
What is your role here at Flinders?
I am currently studying an industry-funded PhD in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. I also teach in multiple Sport, Health and Physical Activity subjects, including Exercise Physiology for Physical Educators (HLPE2532) and Physical Activity and Health (HLPE2530).
Tell us a little about your work.
My PhD is in the field of youth sport participation, specifically looking at trying to re-engage 15-19-year-old female adolescents in organised sport. This is a really exciting area of research and aligns with the priorities of my industry partner, the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.
How did you get here?
Well, that one’s a long story, but I’ll try and keep it brief! I grew up on the South Coast of England and studied my undergraduate degree (Sport & Exercise Science) at the University of Bath. As an undergrad I completed a year placement with the South Australian Sports Institute and quickly realised that I preferred the South Australian lifestyle to the English one! Fast forward a few years of working in a range of jobs (including as a commercial beekeeper in the Adelaide Hills), I met Associate Professor Sam Elliott by chance at a small conference in Adelaide, and then saw a LinkedIn post from him a few months later about a PhD scholarship that sounded really interesting. At the time I was working for Adelaide University Sport and Fitness, so was heavily invested in the world of recreational sport and sport participation. I was fortunate enough to succeed in that interview process and now I’m rapidly approaching the third year of my PhD here at Flinders!
What do you love most about your work?
I love to write and communicate my ideas with others. I find it challenging but enjoyable to translate the ideas from my head onto a screen, whether that’s in the form of words, diagrams, or conceptual models.
Where is your favourite place on campus?
The Tavern? To be honest I love anywhere on campus where I can see the ocean. Bedford Park is beautiful campus with so many nice spots to walk or sit.
What is something you want people to know about your field?
There is so much more to sport than wins and losses! The whole team at the SHAPE research initiative look at different aspects of sport and physical activity and how we can reduce the risks and enhance the benefits. Sam Elliott and I are currently on a mission to get people to re-think sport dropout and consider it as a turning point in a sporting journey rather than an end point, and create effective re-engagement strategies to allow people to come back to sport when they are ready.
How do you spend your spare time?
Unsurprisingly my weekends and evenings are typically consumed by sport! I play C and B Grade soccer for St Peter’s Old Collegians and coach the B Grade team. I have recently rekindled my childhood love of golf and you’ll find me hacking around West Beach or North Adelaide most weekends – if you see me teeing off just stand in the middle of the fairway and you’ll have zero chance of being hit! I am also a keen runner and try to run a marathon once a year, my times are getting slower but I’m learning to actually enjoy the process more as I get older. Outside of sport I am working towards a B2 DELF French Diploma after passing my B1 last year, and try to sneak in a holiday to a French-speaking country each year to practice! Occasionally I will actually relax with a good book or Netflix series, anything dystopian that leaves you somewhat concerned for the future of humanity at the end of it tends to interest me.