Dr. Mike Ashford

Biography

Mike Ashford is a lecturer in Sports Coaching at the University of Edinburgh's Moray House School of Education and Sport. He holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD in Sports Coaching from Leeds Beckett University. His research interests encompass skill acquisition, pedagogy, decision making, team coordination, performance psychology, and coaching leadership. Mike's career has been focused on bridging the gap between theory and practice in the coaching discipline, where he has worked as an active practitioner applying evidence-informed principles in various settings. He has previously held positions as Head Coach Development for Wasps Rugby and as a head coach for Harrogate Rugby Club's Leeds University 1st XV. His academic role includes undergraduate teaching in Applied Sports Science and postgraduate courses in Performance Psychology and Performance Coaching Development. Currently, Mike is engaged in several research projects including player decision making in team sports, talent identification, emotional disturbances in player development, and the development of shared mental models in performance contexts. His work aims to enhance the understanding of coaching practices and player experiences in Olympic sports. He has a strong commitment to applying his research findings to support coaching development.

Research Interests