Martyn Rothwell

Dr Martyn Rothwell MA, BA (Hons), UKCC Level 4

Senior Lecturer


Summary

I am currently a member of the teaching staff for the BSc in Sport Coaching, and a researcher in the Sport and Human Performance research group. My research interests are in the fields of skill acquisition, coaching pedagogy and talent development, where an international research profile has been developed. My current research involves exploring the influence of socio-cultural-historical constraints on expertise acquisition. Prior to joining Sheffield Hallam I held various coaching roles and managed talent development programmes in the sport of rugby league.

About

I have worked in the fields of coaching and talent development since 2003. During this time I managed the inaugural Midlands Rugby League Academy, overseeing the development and transition of talented teenagers into professional rugby league settings. Prior to working at Sheffield Hallam I strategically managed the conceptualisation and national implementation of a new rugby league playing format for primary aged children (6 to 11 years old). I am a practicing coach with experience of working across the participant continuum, more recently this has been with Coventry Bears RLFC and the England Wheelchair Rugby League team.

Within the Sport and Human Performance Research Group, I work with internal and external colleagues to conduct research that identifies key constraints on skill acquisition, sport expertise, and talent development. Where an evidence-based platform for the application of theory and research has been developed to establish how contemporary methodologies can support athlete development and preparation in applied settings. These experiences have led to a sustained track record of supporting a research and innovation culture, evidenced through a portfolio of internationally recognised peer reviewed outputs.

I am a Winston Churchill Fellow, where a grant was received to visit the Southern Hemisphere to investigate alternative coaching methods and competition structures. I have also consulted widely in the UK, where work has been carried for the Premier League, Basketball England, Sheffield Diving, and the Rugby Football League.

Teaching

Courses

Sport Coaching

Modules

Level 6 - Performance Analysis

Level 6 - Talent Development

Level 5 - Scientific Applications to Coaching

Research

Practice effects on intra-team synergies in Wheelchair Rugby League

Exploring representative co-design with elite athletes: A case study

The lived experiences of athletes working in an inquiry focused performance framework

Link 1 - https://www.shu.ac.uk/research/in-action/projects/sports-coaching

Link 2 - https://www.shu.ac.uk/news/all-articles/latest-news/hallam-lecturer-becomes-england-wheelchair-rugby-coach

Publications

Journal articles

Otte, F., Davids, K., Rothwell, M., Wood, M.A., & De-Mountfort, J. (2024). Coach to learn and learn to coach: synergising performance and development in the athlete-coach-environment learning system. Sports Coaching Review. http://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2024.2330195

Diouf, M., Miller, J., & Rothwell, M. (2024). Professional soccer players perceptions of the English Football Association 4 corner model in supporting first team transitions. Journal of sports sciences, 1-6. http://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2024.2335583

Davids, K., Rothwell, M., & Rudd, J. (2023). Enriching lives across the lifescourse: adopting an ecological perspective to foster the person-environment relationship throughout development. Universidade do Algarve - Escola Superior de Educação e Comunicação, 21-28. https://sapientia.ualg.pt/handle/10400.1/18478

Davids, K., Rothwell, M., & Rudd, J. (2023). Enriching lives across the lifescourse: adopting an ecological perspective to foster the person-environment relationship throughout development. Universidade do Algarve - Escola Superior de Educação e Comunicação, 21-28. https://sapientia.ualg.pt/handle/10400.1/18478

Rothwell, M., Strafford, B., Cragg, S., Ribeiro, J., & Davids, K. (2023). Reconceptualising knowledge in the athlete-coach learning system: A mixed method case study of harnessing bi-directional self-organising tendencies with a national wheelchair rugby league team. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5. http://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1196985

Davids, K., Rothwell, M., Hydes, S., Robinson, T., & Davids, C. (2023). Enriching Athlete—Environment Interactions in Youth Sport: The Role of a Department of Methodology. Children, 10 (4). http://doi.org/10.3390/children10040752

Otte, F., Rothwell, M., & Davids, K. (2022). Big picture transdisciplinary practice - extending key ideas of a Department of Methodology towards a wider ecological view of practitioner-scientist integration. Sports Coaching Review, 1-24. http://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2022.2124001

Hydes, S., & Rothwell, M. (2022). Exploring the feasibility of a constraints-based curriculum with British diving coaches. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. http://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221106382

Morris, C., Otte, F., Rothwell, M., & Davids, K. (2022). ‘Embracing turbulent waters’: Enhancing athlete self-regulation using the ‘PoST’ framework for performance preparation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2 (1), 8-17. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2022.03.001

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., Woods, C., Otte, F., Rudd, J., & Stone, J. (2022). Principles to guide talent development practices in sport: the exemplar case of British Rugby League Football. Journal of Expertise, 5 (1), 28-37. https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume5_issue1/JoE_5_1_Rothwell_etal.html

Rothwell, M., Stone, J., & Davids, K. (2021). Exploring niche construction in sport coaching: an ecological dynamics analysis. Sports Coaching Review. http://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2021.1974692

McCosker, C., Otte, F., Rothwell, M., & Davids, K. (2021). Principles for technology use in athlete support across the skill level continuum. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. http://doi.org/10.1177/17479541211033471

Davids, K., Otte, F., & Rothwell, M. (2021). Adopting an ecological perspective on skill performance and learning in sport. European Journal of Human Movement, 46. http://doi.org/10.21134/eurjhm.2021.46.667

Davids, K., Otte, F., & Rothwell, M. (2021). Adopting an ecological perspective on skill performance and learning in sport. European Journal of Human Movement, 46, 1-3. http://doi.org/10.21134/eurjhm.2021.46.1

Otte, F.W., Rothwell, M., Woods, C., & Davids, K. (2020). Specialist Coaching Integrated into a Department of Methodology in Team Sports Organisations. Sports Medicine - Open, 6 (1), 55. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-020-00284-5

Woods, C.T., Rothwell, M., Rudd, J., Robertson, S., & Davids, K. (2020). Representative co-design: Utilising a source of experiential knowledge for athlete development and performance preparation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 101804. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101804

Rothwell, M., Stone, J., & Davids, K. (2020). Investigating the athlete-environment relationship in a form of life: An ethnographic study. Sport, Education and Society. http://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2020.1815690

O’Sullivan, M., Davids, K., Woods, C.T., Rothwell, M., & Rudd, J. (2020). Conceptualizing Physical Literacy within an Ecological Dynamics Framework. Quest. http://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2020.1799828

Nicholls, A., Morley, D., Thompson, M., Huang, C., Abt, G., Rothwell, M., ... Ntoumanis, N. (2020). The effects of the iPlayClean Education Programme on doping attitudes and susceptibility to use banned substances among high-level adolescent athletes from the UK: A cluster-randomised control trial. International Journal of Drug Policy, 82, 102820. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102820

Stone, J., Rothwell, M., Shuttleworth, R., & Davids, K. (2020). Exploring sport coaches’ experiences of using a contemporary pedagogical approach to coaching: An international perspective. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. http://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2020.1765194

Woods, C.T., McKeown, I., Rothwell, M., Araújo, D., Robertson, S., & Davids, K. (2020). Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers: How Ecological Dynamics Has Progressively Changed Perceptions of Skill “Acquisition” in the Sporting Habitat. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00654

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., Stone, J., O'Sullivan, M., Vaughan, J., Newcombe, D., & Shuttleworth, R. (2020). A department of methodology can coordinate transdisciplinary sport science support. Journal of Expertise, 3 (1), 55-65. https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume3_issue1/JoE_3_1_Rothwell.html

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., & Stone, J. (2019). Exploring forms of life in player development pathways-the case of British rugby league. Journal of motor learning and development, 7 (2). http://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2018-0020

Rothwell, M., Rumbold, J., & Stone, J. (2018). Exploring British adolescent rugby league players' experiences of professional academies and dropout. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2018.1549579

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., & Stone, J. (2018). Harnessing socio-cultural constraints on athlete development to create a form of life. Journal of Expertise, 1 (1). https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume1_issue1/JoE_2018_1_1_Rothwell_Davids_Stone.html

Rothwell, M., Stone, J., Davids, K., & Wright, C. (2017). Development of expertise in elite and sub elite British Rugby League players: a comparison of practice experiences. European Journal of Sport Science, 17 (10), 1252-1260. http://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2017.1380708

Morley, D., Ogilvie, P., Till, K., Rothwell, M., O'Connor, D., & McKenna, J. (2016). Does modifying competition affect the frequency of technical skills in junior rugby league? International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 11 (6), 810-818. http://doi.org/10.1177/1747954116676107

Conference papers

Rothwell, M. (2021). Sociocultural Constraints and the Athlete-Environment Relationship in a Form of Life. In Movement, Learning and Pedagogy - A contemporary perspective, Oslo, Norway, 21 October 2021 - 22 October 2021.

Jones, G., Stone, J., Rothwell, M., Rumbold, J., Davids, K., & Otte, F. (2021). Providing augmented information for learning transitions in football: The transitional learning model for coaches [abstract only]. In Sport Sciences Congress 2021, University of Lisbon, 13 July 2023 - 21 July 2023 (pp. 80). Sports Sciences Congress: https://ssc2021.net/book-of-abstracts/

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., & Stone, J. (2019). Exploring Forms of Life in Athlete Development Pathways: The Case of British Rugby League. In 3rd Conference of Motor Skill Acquisition.

Stone, J., Rothwell, M., & Davids, K. (2019). Exploring sports coaches receptiveness to alternative pedagogical approaches to coaching [abstract only]. In Bunc, V., & Tsolakidis, E. (Eds.) European College of Sport Science Conference, 3 July 2019 - 6 July 2019 (pp. 663). European College of Sport Science: https://www.stk-sport.co.uk/images/sports-science-research-ecss-2019-book-of-abstracts.pdf

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., & Stone, J. (2019). The Influence of a Form of Sport Life on Athletic Experiences: An Ethnographic Study. In Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network 2019, London, England, 14 May 2019 - 15 May 2019.

Rothwell, M., Stone, J., & Davids, K. (2017). Development of expertise in British international and national Rugby League Players: a comparison of practice experiences. In Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network Conference, Coventry, England, 17 May 2017.

Morley, D., Ogilvie, P., & Rothwell, M. (2014). Using competitive engineering to affect skill opportunities within primary rugby league. In Martyn Rothwell, Washington, America, 11 June 2014.

Morley, D., Ogilvie, P., & Rothwell, M. (2014). Using competitive engineering to affect skill opportunities within primary rugby league. In Martyn Rothwell, Washington, America, 11 June 2014.

Morley, D., Ogilvie, P., & Rothwell, M. (2012). How does modifying playing opportunities affect children’s experience of Rugby League? In European College of Sport Science conference, Barcelona, Spain, 1 May 2012.

Morley, D., Ogilvie, P., & Rothwell, M. (2012). How does modifying playing opportunities affect children’s experience of Rugby League? In European College of Sport Science conference, Barcelona, Spain, 1 May 2012.

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., & Stone, J. (2017). Harnessing Socio-Cultural Constraints on Athlete Development to create a Form of Life. In Second scientific conference on motor skill acquisition, Kisakallion Urheiluopisto, Finland, 14 November 2017 - 17 November 2017.

Rothwell, M. (2021). Nonlinear Pedagogy to Enrich Athletic Skills: The Balance between Generality and Specificity of Practice. In International Conference on Motor Learning and Control applied to Motor Skills, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Alicante, Spain, 2021 - 2021.

Book chapters

Roberts, W., Rothwell, M., Morgan, H., Vaughan, J., & Woods, C. (2023). How an ethos of amateurism can support the integration of an ecological approach to learning and development in football academies. In Roberts, W., Whigham, S., Culvin, A., & Parnell, D. (Eds.) Critical issues in football : a sociological analysis of the beautiful game. (pp. 26-37). Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003253990-4

Rothwell, M., Rudd, J., & Davids, K. (2022). Integrating specificity and generality of practice to enrich children's learning in sport. In Toms, M., & Jeanes, R. (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Coaching Children in Sport. (pp. 284-292). New York: Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003199359-31

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., Stone, J., Araujo, D., & Shuttleworth, R. (2020). The talent development process as enhancing athlete functionality: Creating forms of life in an ecological niche. In Baker, J., Cobley, S., & Schorer, J. (Eds.) Talent Identification and Development in Sport. International Perspectives. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003049111

Presentations

Rothwell, M., Davids, K., & Stone, J. (2017). Harnessing Socio-Cultural Constraints on Athlete Development to create a Form of Life. Presented at: Second Scientific Conference on Motor Skill Acquisition, Finland, 2017

Stone, J., Rumbold, J., & Rothwell, M. (2017). Top gun to rugby league drop-out. Presented at: Sport and Medicine conference

Postgraduate supervision

Gerard Jones - Augmented verbal instruction can guide learners' search for performance solutions in football

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