Summary

Chris is a Professor of Applied Psychology. He divides his time between research, supervision, and practice. He has published over 100 papers, primarily in the area of organisational sport psychology and coordinates the School's doctoral programme in sport and exercise psychology.

Chris’s research has informed policy and practice in elite sport regarding the development of sustainable sport systems that enable people to thrive. Under the banner of organisational sport psychology, Chris leads programmes of research on organisational culture, sensemaking, resilience, and thriving in elite sport, and supports secondary lines of research on systems of care, psychological safety, and voice. This work has been funded by the world class programmes of British Olympic sports, national governing bodies and funding agencies in the UK, Canada, USA, and Sweden, and by the International Olympic Committee.

Chris work has also shaped national policy on organisational culture evaluation processes, board culture in national sport organisations, international qualification processes for the training and development of practitioners, global codes of conduct for professional ethics, and international society positions on mental health in eite sport and scientist-practitioners. Chris has also used this knowledge to serve the British Psychological Society’s Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology’s executive and training committees for over 10 years.

Chris is the Editor for the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology and sits on the editorial board of Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, and a former Associate Editor for International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Journal of Sport Psychology, and Journal of Applied Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Sciences.

As an experienced practitioner psychologist, Chris regularly advises UK Sport and the UK Sports Institute. He was Head of Performance Psychology for the UK Sports Institute in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, managing a team of 33 practitioners. He has worked as a practitioner psychologist at three Olympic Games and with international athletes, coaches, and teams in more than 20 sports.

Research interests

Chris’s research integrates psychological and sociological approaches to advancing knowledge on four complimentary areas relevant to organisational psychology in sport: employee emotions and attitudes, stress and well-being, organisational behaviour, and high performance environments. Collectively, this work has influenced the profession via changes to the training, development and delivery of sport psychology in elite sport environments.  

Teaching responsibilities

Chris is the Course Leader for the Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He previously developed and led the School's BSc and MSc programmes in Sport and Exercise Psychology. His main teaching responsibilities include the supervisision of research and practice for doctoral students and he coordinates a module on Professional Research and Development Project in Sport and Exercise Psychology (Level 8).

Research outputs

2024

A systematic review of professional identity in sport psychology

Martin, D. R. F., Quartiroli, A., Tod, D., Wagstaff, C. R. D.

31 Dec 2024, In: International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 17, 1, p. 264-290

The role of high-performance sport environments in mental health: an international society of sport psychology consensus statement

Bartley, J., Ge, Y., Henriksen, K., Huang, Z., Kenttä, G., Purcell, R., Schinke, R., Si, G., Wagstaff, C. R. D.

23 Dec 2024, In: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

Transitioning from traditional sport to esport: exploring sport psychology practitioners’ experiences

Brain, J., Quartiroli, A., Wagstaff, C. R.

1 Dec 2024, In: The Sport Psychologist. 38, 4, p. 280-291

Navigating athlete development in elite sport: understanding the barriers to the provision of performance lifestyle service in England

Brown, P., Holden, J., Wadey, R., Wagstaff, C. R.

28 Nov 2024, In: Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 77, 10p., 102779

Two confessional tales of trainee sport psychology practitioners’ experiences of operating in Trinidad and Tobago

Brain, J. J., Brown, D. J., Franklin, G. H., Hunter, H., Quartiroli, A., Wagstaff, C.

9 Oct 2024, In: The Sport Psychologist, 9p.

‘Carefree enjoyment - can you tick that box?': A story of thriving following experiences of abusive coaching in gymnastics

Brown, D. J., Cavallerio, F., Cleave, L., Wagstaff, C.

7 Oct 2024, In: Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 16p.

Examining coach psychophysiological stress responses during Association Football matches: a preliminary study

Corbett, J., Miller-Dicks, M., Price, D., Thelwell, R., Wagstaff, C., Young, J.

26 Sep 2024, In: Sport and Exercise Psychology Review

Supporting client transitions out of UK football academies

Brown, D. J., Scandle, M., Wagstaff, C.

5 Aug 2024, In: Journal of Sport Psychology in Action

Telling tales in sport, exercise and performance psychology: the how, what and why of creative analytical practices

Cavallerio, F., Middleton, T. R. F., Sparkes, A. C., Wadey, R., Wagstaff, C.

1 Aug 2024, In: Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

Sport psychology practitioners’ contributions to the drafting process of a professional esports team: a case study

Brain, J. J., Quartiroli, A., Wagstaff, C., Wright, O.

12 Jul 2024, In: Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology. 8, 1, p. 55–65

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