How can I help?
How can I help?

Dr Ffion Thompson

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ffion, a dual research practitioner, combines her roles as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Youth Athletic Development and Strength and Conditioning Coach to enhance holistic and dual career development for youth athletes.

Orcid Logo 0000-0002-5515-7633 Elsevier Logo Scopus ID: 57480335700
Ffion Thompson staff profile image

About

Ffion, a dual research practitioner, combines her roles as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Youth Athletic Development and Strength and Conditioning Coach to enhance holistic and dual career development for youth athletes.

Ffion, a dual research practitioner, combines her roles as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Youth Athletic Development and Strength and Conditioning Coach to enhance holistic and dual career development for youth athletes.

Prior to coming to Leeds Beckett University, Ffion completed her undergraduate degree in sport and exercise science at Loughborough University (UK), before heading to North America to complete her master's in Kinesiology at Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. After returning to England, she completed her PhD at Leeds Beckett University, aiming to understand 'What it is like to be a sport school student-athlete' specifically focusing on holistic and dual career development.

Now, Ffion is a post-doctoral researcher in youth athletic development, a module lead on the Science of Sport Performance course, as well as taking a leadership role within the Centre for Child and Adolescent Physical Literacy. Within this leadership role, she is responsible in supporting the work that supports children and adolescents 'In' their movement and physical activity by developing and evaluating interventions to improve these competences.

Ffion also has several years of practical experience working with athletes in development and elite sport. She has worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Wasps Superleague Netball and Warwick University. She now works as the Head Strength and Conditioning coach at Queen Ethelburga's school, Pathway Strength and Conditioning Coach at Leeds Rhinos Netball and Women's Head of Athletic and Physical Development at Wales Lacrosse.

As a dual research practitioner, Ffion aims to bridge the gap between research and practice to co-create better experiences and opportunities for all children and adolescents and those who support them.

Research interests

  • Youth athletic development - This research considers the health and performance continuum of youth sport, specifically holistic and dual career development

Publications (11)

Sort By:

Journal article
A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Case Study Investigation of the Academic, Athletic, Psychosocial and Psychological Impacts of Being of a Sport School Student Athlete
Featured 18 April 2024 Sports Medicine54(9):1-29 Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Background Sport schools are popular environments for simultaneously delivering education and sport to young people. Previous research suggests sport school involvement to have impact (i.e. the positive/negative, intended/unintended and long/short-term outcomes, results and effects) on student athlete’s holistic (i.e. academic, athletic, psychosocial and psychological) development. However, previous research is limited by (1) cross-sectional methods, (2) limited multidimensional assessments, (3) lack of consideration for athlete characteristics (e.g. sex) and (4) failure to evaluate how sport school features affect student-athlete impacts. Objectives The study, using a mixed methods case study approach, aims to (1) longitudinally evaluate the impact of sport school involvement on the holistic development of student athletes, (2) evaluate the impact on holistic development by student-athlete characteristics and (3) explore the features and processes of the sport–school programme that drive/facilitate holistic impacts. Methods A longitudinal mixed methods design was employed across one full academic school year (33 weeks). Six data-collection methods (i.e. online questionnaire, physical fitness testing battery, academic assessment grades, log diaries, field notes/observation and timeline diagram/illustration) were used to assess the academic, athletic, psychosocial and psychological impacts for 72 student athletes from one sport school in the United Kingdom (UK). Results Student athletes developed positive long-term holistic overall impacts (i.e. academically, athletically and personally), including maintaining stable and relatively high levels of sport confidence, academic motivation, general recovery, life skills, resilience and friends, family and free time scores. Despite positive impacts, juggling academic and sport workload posed challenges for student athletes, having the potential to lead to negative holistic impacts (e.g. fatigue, stress and injury). Positive and negative impacts were linked to many potential features and processes of the sport school (e.g. academic and athletic support services versus insufficient training load build-up, communication, coordination, flexibility and planning). Furthermore, when considering student-athlete characteristics, females had lower sport confidence, higher general stress and body image concerns and less general recovery than males and student athletes who played sport outside the school had lower general recovery. Conclusions This mixed method, longitudinal study demonstrated sport school involvement resulted in many positive academic (e.g. good grades), athletic (e.g. fitness development), psychosocial (e.g. enhanced confidence) and psychological (e.g. improved resilience) impacts attributed to the academic and athletic support services provided. However, juggling heavy academic and athletic workloads posed challenges leading to negative impacts including fatigue, pressure, stress and injury. Furthermore, holistic impacts may be sex dependent and further support may be required for female student athletes in sport school environments. Overall, these findings demonstrate the complex nature of combining education and sport commitments and how sport schools should manage, monitor and evaluate the features of their programme to maximise the holistic impacts of sport–school student athletes.

Journal article
A case study of the features and holistic athlete impacts of a UK sports-friendly school: Student-athlete, coach and teacher perspectives.
Featured 30 November 2022 PLoS One17(11):1-25 Public Library of Science
AuthorsAuthors: Thompson F, Rongen F, Cowburn I, Till K, Editors: Muazu Musa R

In order to understand the features of sport schools and their impacts on the holistic development of student-athletes, it is important to take into account the voice of multiple stakeholders central to the programmes (student-athletes, coaches, teachers). Through a case-study approach, using five focus groups, with 19 student-athletes, and six semi-structured interviews with three coaches and three dual coach and teachers, this study explored the perceived impacts of one sport-friendly school (pseudonym-"Salkeld High") on holistic athlete development and the features that drove these impacts. Using a critical realist approach to thematic analysis, findings indicated a multitude of immediate, intermediate and long-term positive and negative impacts associated with academic/vocational (e.g., academic security vs. second/third choice university), athletic/physical (e.g., performance development vs. injuries), psychosocial (e.g., social skills vs. social scarifies) and psychological (e.g., sport confidence vs. performance pressure) development of "Salkeld High" student-athletes. Overall, "Salkeld High" was viewed as an integrated school environment for sport, academics, and boarding, where academic (e.g., extra-tutoring), athletic (e.g., high volume/frequency of training), and psychosocial/psychological (e.g., pastoral services) features are all in one location. The student-athletes tended to get a well-rounded, balanced holistic experience. However, the intensified and challenging nature of involvement did present some negative impacts that stakeholders should be aware of when designing, implementing, and evaluating sport-friendly school programmes. Furthermore, although "Salkeld High" was seen as an integrated environment within the school, it could do better at collaborating with wider sporting structures.

Journal article
The Impacts of Sports Schools on Holistic Athlete Development: A Mixed Method Systematic Review
Featured 09 March 2022 Sports Medicine52(8):1879-1917 Springer

Background To understand the multiple and wide-ranging impacts of intensified youth sport, the need for a holistic approach to athlete development has recently been advocated. Sports schools are an increasingly popular operationalisation of intensified youth sport, aiming to offer an optimal environment for holistic development by combining sport and education. Yet, no study has systematically explored the impacts associated with sports schools. Objectives The aims of this mixed method systematic review were to (1) determine the characteristics and features of sports schools; (2) identify the methods used to evaluate sports school impacts, and (3) evaluate the positive and negative holistic athlete development impacts associated with sports school programme involvement. Methods Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, eight electronic databases were searched until the final return in February 2021. Forty-six articles satisfied the inclusion criteria, were analysed thematically, and synthesised using a narrative approach. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results Findings indicated (1) sports school student-athletes receive considerable support in terms of academic and athletic services, more intensified training and competition schedules with high-level training partners, but regularly miss school; (2) multiple methods have been used to evaluate student-athlete impacts, making comparison across studies and developing consensus on the impacts of sports schools difficult; and (3) there are a multitude of immediate, short- and long-term positive and negative impacts associated with the academic/vocational, athletic/physical, psychosocial and psychological development of sports school student-athletes. Conclusions This study is the first to systematically review the research literature to understand the impacts associated with sports schools in terms of holistic athlete development. Practitioners should be aware that they can promote (positive) and negate (negative) health impacts through the design of an appropriate learning environment that simultaneously balances multiple training, academic, psychosocial and psychological factors that can be challenging for youth athletes. We recommend that practitioners aim to design and implement monitoring and evaluation tools that assess the holistic development of student-athletes within their sports schools to ensure they are promoting all-round and healthy youth athlete development.

Other

International Sports Coaching Journal - Digest, VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1

Featured 01 January 2022 Human Kinetics
AuthorsCowburn I, Mitchell T, Thompson F, Sargent-Megicks B, Burton A, Proctor N
Other

International Sports Coaching Journal - Digest, VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3

Featured 01 September 2021 Human Kinetics
AuthorsMitchell T, Cowburn I, Holmshaw S, Thompson F, Sargent-Megicks B, Burton A, Proctor N
Other

International Sport Coaching Journal - DIGEST VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2

Featured 15 April 2021 Human Kinetics
AuthorsCowburn I, Mitchell T, Holmshaw S, Thompson F, Sargent-Megicks B, Burton A, Proctor N
Journal article
What is it like to be a sport school student-athlete? A mixed method evaluation of holistic impacts and experiences
Featured 30 November 2023 PLOS ONE18(11):e0289265 Public Library of Science (PLoS)
AuthorsAuthors: Thompson F, Rongen F, Cowburn I, Till K, Editors: Senel E

Assessing the holistic impact of student-athletes within sport schools is important due to the increasing popularity of sport school programmes, the likelihood that most youth athletes do not ultimately succeed in their sport and the multiple and wide ranging positive and negative impacts associated with intensified youth sport. Therefore, this study, using a mixed method design, aimed to evaluate the ‘in-time’ holistic impacts and experiences of being a sport school student-athlete. Five data collection methods (i.e., online questionnaire, physical fitness testing battery, academic assessments grades, injury data and log diaries) were used to assess athletic, academic, psychological and psychosocial holistic impacts and experiences of 83 student-athletes from one sport school in the United Kingdom (UK). Due to the mixed method approach, a triangulation design was used whereby quantitative and qualitative data were firstly analysed separately and then integrated and presented together. Overall, the findings demonstrated there were a multitude of positive impacts and experiences associated with being a sport school student-athlete. These included: high average academic attainment, satisfaction with academic support, sport competence, all-round sport development, higher general and sport specific recovery than stress, inter- and intra-personal development, social support, positive peer and parent relationships and dual career motivation. However, impacts and experiences of concern were also apparent including: participation in sport external to the school context, difficulty balancing education and sport, academic lessons missed, injury, fatigue, lack of free time, extra-curricular and social sacrifice, social intensity and body image concerns. Large inter-individual variability was demonstrated across all data analyses highlighting the variable nature of the impacts and experiences of being a sports school student-athlete. Overall, sport schools have the potential to promote many positive holistic impacts, however stakeholders need to be aware, monitor and mitigate the potential negative impacts. Flexible development programmes, individualised support and student-athlete monitoring are essential features required of sport schools to ensure healthy and holistic development for all sport school student-athletes.

Journal article
Associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness, and psychosocial characteristics in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Featured 05 August 2023 Sports Medicine1-66 Springer
AuthorsBurton A, Cowburn IHJ, Thompson F, Eisenmann J, Nicholson B, Till K

Background Motor competence is an integral component of the health and performance of youth. Numerous studies support the hypothesis that motor competence interacts with perceived motor competence and physical fitness during childhood to induce positive (e.g. healthy weight status) or negative (e.g. reduced physical activity engagement) trajectories. Yet, while adolescence is a key period of rapid growth and maturation, no systematic reviews and meta-analyses have examined the association between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics solely within adolescents. Objectives This study aimed to (1) analyse the scientific literature evaluating associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; (2) evaluate the associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness characteristics and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; and (3) investigate the impact of moderator variables (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment) on the associations. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, followed by a qualitative synthesis of study methods. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to establish the magnitude and orientation of pooled correlation coefficients between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents, whilst considering potential moderators (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment). Results Sixty-one studies were included, totalling 22,256 adolescents. Twenty-seven different assessments of motor competence were used, with 31 studies utilising product-orientated (i.e. outcome) motor competence assessments. Meta-analyses of 43 studies showed that motor competence was positively associated with physical activity (r = 0.20 to 0.26), some physical fitness characteristics (e.g. muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance; r = 0.03 to 0.60) and psychosocial characteristics (r = 0.07 to 0.34), and inversely associated with weight status (r =  − 0.36 to − 0.10), speed (r =  − 0.31) and agility (r =  − 0.37 to 0.41). Associations with flexibility were unclear. Conclusions The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the hypothesised interactions of motor competence with physical activity (positive), physical fitness (positive except for weight status, speed and agility) and psychosocial characteristics (positive) in adolescence. However, methodological approaches vary considerably (e.g. variety of motor competence assessments utilised), with limitations of the current literature including an inadequate assessment of motor competence, a lack of longitudinal observations and a failure to account for biological maturation. Future research assessing associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents should include longitudinal observations of a combined motor competence assessment (i.e. process and product) and account for biological maturation. Improved evaluation using these recommendations could provide more accurate data, leading to more targeted interventions to improve adolescents’ physical and psychosocial outcomes.

Conference Contribution
Associations Between Motor Competence and Physical Activity, Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Characteristics in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Featured 05 August 2023 National Strength and Conditioning Association National Conference 2022 Sports Medicine New Orleans, LA Springer
AuthorsBurton A, Cowburn I, Thompson F, Eisenmann JC, Nicholson B, Till K

Background Motor competence is an integral component of the health and performance of youth. Numerous studies support the hypothesis that motor competence interacts with perceived motor competence and physical fitness during childhood to induce positive (e.g. healthy weight status) or negative (e.g. reduced physical activity engagement) trajectories. Yet, while adolescence is a key period of rapid growth and maturation, no systematic reviews and meta-analyses have examined the association between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics solely within adolescents. Objectives This study aimed to (1) analyse the scientific literature evaluating associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; (2) evaluate the associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness characteristics and/or psychosocial characteristics amongst adolescents; and (3) investigate the impact of moderator variables (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment) on the associations. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, followed by a qualitative synthesis of study methods. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to establish the magnitude and orientation of pooled correlation coefficients between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents, whilst considering potential moderators (i.e., age, sex, type of motor competence assessment). Results Sixty-one studies were included, totalling 22,256 adolescents. Twenty-seven different assessments of motor competence were used, with 31 studies utilising product-orientated (i.e. outcome) motor competence assessments. Meta-analyses of 43 studies showed that motor competence was positively associated with physical activity (r = 0.20 to 0.26), some physical fitness characteristics (e.g. muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance; r = 0.03 to 0.60) and psychosocial characteristics (r = 0.07 to 0.34), and inversely associated with weight status (r =  − 0.36 to − 0.10), speed (r =  − 0.31) and agility (r =  − 0.37 to 0.41). Associations with flexibility were unclear. Conclusions The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the hypothesised interactions of motor competence with physical activity (positive), physical fitness (positive except for weight status, speed and agility) and psychosocial characteristics (positive) in adolescence. However, methodological approaches vary considerably (e.g. variety of motor competence assessments utilised), with limitations of the current literature including an inadequate assessment of motor competence, a lack of longitudinal observations and a failure to account for biological maturation. Future research assessing associations between motor competence and physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial characteristics of adolescents should include longitudinal observations of a combined motor competence assessment (i.e. process and product) and account for biological maturation. Improved evaluation using these recommendations could provide more accurate data, leading to more targeted interventions to improve adolescents’ physical and psychosocial outcomes.

Other

International Sports Coaching Journal - Digest, VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3.

Featured 01 September 2022
AuthorsCowburn I, Mitchell T, Thompson F, Hafeez N, Burton A, McCarthy L
Other

International Sports Coaching Journal - Digest, VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2

Featured 18 March 2022 Human Kinetics
AuthorsMitchell T, Cowburn I, Thompson F, Hafeez N, Sargent-Megicks B, Burton A, McCarthy L

Current teaching

  • Module Leader: Level 4 Young Athlete Development Module

{"nodes": [{"id": "24700","name": "Dr Ffion Thompson","jobtitle": "Postdoctoral Research Fellow","profileimage": "/-/media/images/staff/ffion-thompson.jpg","profilelink": "/staff/dr-ffion-thompson/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "11","numberofcollaborations": "11"},{"id": "14388","name": "Professor Kevin Till","jobtitle": "Professor","profileimage": "/-/media/images/staff/professor-kevin-till.jpg","profilelink": "/staff/professor-kevin-till/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "454","numberofcollaborations": "6"},{"id": "21346","name": "Dr Ian Cowburn","jobtitle": "Senior Lecturer","profileimage": "/-/media/images/staff/dr-ian-cowburn.jpg","profilelink": "/staff/dr-ian-cowburn/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "71","numberofcollaborations": "11"},{"id": "24735","name": "Alan Burton","jobtitle": "Postgraduate researcher","profileimage": "https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk","profilelink": "https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/pgr-students/alan-burton/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "23","numberofcollaborations": "7"},{"id": "21041","name": "Dr Tom Mitchell","jobtitle": "Senior Lecturer","profileimage": "/-/media/images/staff/dr-tom-mitchell.jpg","profilelink": "/staff/dr-tom-mitchell/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "70","numberofcollaborations": "5"},{"id": "22663","name": "Ben Nicholson","jobtitle": "Senior Lecturer","profileimage": "/-/media/images/staff/ben-nicholson.jpg","profilelink": "/staff/ben-nicholson/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "10","numberofcollaborations": "2"},{"id": "19196","name": "Dr Liam McCarthy","jobtitle": "Reader","profileimage": "/-/media/images/staff/dr-liam-mccarthy.jpg","profilelink": "/staff/dr-liam-mccarthy/","department": "Carnegie School of Sport","numberofpublications": "36","numberofcollaborations": "2"}],"links": [{"source": "24700","target": "14388"},{"source": "24700","target": "21346"},{"source": "24700","target": "24735"},{"source": "24700","target": "21041"},{"source": "24700","target": "22663"},{"source": "24700","target": "19196"}]}
Dr Ffion Thompson
24700