Page 10 - Winter Newsletter 2015

2015 AASP Dissertation Award Recipient

Written by Natalie Durand-Bush, PhD, University of Ottawa, on behalf of the AASP Dissertation

Award Committee

Dr. James Rumbold is the 2015 AASP Dissertation Award recipient. Through his innovative doctoral work

entitled, The Design and Delivery of Stress Management in Professional Sport, Dr. Rumbold generated the irst
Natalie
set of studies in applied sport psychology that examined the management of organizational stress processes in

DURAND-BUSH
a professional sport organization. Following is his fascinating journey through sport and academia that led him

to become the exemplary person and scholar that he is today.

James Rumbold’s Journey - A Narrative

I did not follow a linear career path growing up in Bournemouth, not able to enroll right away, so I worked

England. I was artistic and loved music, and was not naturally drawn in the ield of banking in Bournemouth for

to sport as a child. I was actually discouraged by my elementary a couple of years to fund my education.

physical education teachers to participate in sport as they felt I I inally got into the Master’s program at

would not aspire to anything. However, with my parents’ support, Loughborough University in 2006. I was

I set out to prove them wrong. Everything changed when I turned taught by Dr. Stuart Biddle, Dr. David
James
the age of 12, and I had a huge growth spurt. Measuring six feet Fletcher, and Dr. Chris Harwood, all of

tall, my high school physical education teachers saw tremendous whom were inluential in carving out my
RUMBOLD

potential in me. They got me involved in track and ield, and I soon career. I ran into a stumbling block at the

discovered that I could throw discus and shot put. At 16 years of
end of this degree because I could not get into the PhD program

age, I became a national champion and continued throwing through right away. Hence, I took a job as a technical tutor, which allowed

university. These experiences inspired my fascination with sport me to deliver lectures to undergraduate students and feel part of

psychology, and I wanted to understand why athletes who were not a research community. Loughborough University then offered me a

naturally gifted could experience a high level in sport. Unfortunately, position to do my PhD while working there, so I was able to acquire

I eventually had to stop competing due to a knee injury, at which valuable research and teaching experience during this process.

point I focused on my studies.
As a result of having to perform under pressure in not only sport

As an undergraduate student at St. Mary’s University College in but also the banking environment, I was inspired to focus my PhD

London, I majored in psychology and minored in sport sciences. I was work on organizational stress. I hypothesized that athletes and

hoping to pursue post-graduate studies upon graduation, but I was
coaches could experience stress as a result of their organization.

AASP Newsletter // Winter 2015 // 2015 AASP Dissertation Award Recipient

10
IN THIS ISSUE
VISIT US ONLINE:
WWW.APPLIEDSPORTPSYCH.ORG