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1 The State of Sport Science Around the World: A Roundtable Discussion

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24 Abstract

25 While sport science as a profession has become advanced in some countries, there are other

26 countries where it is still in its infancy. This roundtable was designed to identify the perceived

27 state of sport science in different countries around the world, including common themes that may

28 be used to help further advance an emerging profession. Several international panelists discussed

29 the sports that most commonly use sport science services, their opinions about the sport scientist

30 job task and responsibilities, the role of education in preparing sport scientists for the field, and

31 sport science career opportunities around the world. Further, the panelists shared their opinions

32 about the current state of sport science, and their hopes for a brighter future of sport science.

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34 Introduction

35 The state of sport science may be a matter of individual affiliations, perspectives, and ever-

36 changing global influences. For example, several authors have previously outlined the

37 shortcomings of sport science and coach education, job opportunities in sport science, and

38 difficulties performing sport science research in the United States (20). However, with an increase

39 in the number of sport scientist job postings (7, 10, 11, 13-17) and athlete monitoring programs (2,

40 5), as well as the introduction of a new sport science certification (e.g., Certified Performance and

41 Sport Scientist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association) in the United States, the

42 use of technology during practice and competitions in collegiate, professional, and international

43 sports continues to expand (9, 10). In contrast, despite having an Exercise and Sport Science

44 Australia (ESSA) sport scientist accreditation in Australia, there has been a significant shift

45 towards exercise science and the implication of exercise as medicine in allied health care. Much

46 of this shift may be the result of highly variable work hours, the notion of job insecurity due to
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47 fixed-term contracts, and income disparity between positions (4). Furthermore, this shift is often

48 seen with the titled profession of accredited exercise physiologist or something similar with these

49 individuals working in hospital and occupational rehabilitation settings. Although sport science as

50 a profession is still in its infancy in some countries, other concepts such as strength and

51 conditioning may be more advanced. However, the opposite may also be true in other countries

52 where sport science may be more advanced while strength and conditioning practices may be

53 underdeveloped. With the potential differences in how sport science is viewed throughout the

54 world, the purpose of this roundtable was to ask expert panelists working within the field to provide

55 their opinions about the state of sport science within their countries so that common themes may

56 be identified that could potentially promote the growth of the profession. It should be noted that

57 the selection of the panelists was not randomized; therefore, although the panelists work in

58 different countries around the world, their views and opinions may not represent those of other

59 individuals working in similar roles within the same country.

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61 Question 1: What are the most common sports that integrate sport science services in your

62 area of the world?

63 Cardinale: The sport that integrates sport science the most in this part of the world is for sure

64 soccer, but this is because it is the sport with the most financial support and its relevance because

65 of the hosting rights Qatar gained for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Therefore, soccer development

66 has been prominent over the last 15 years. In general, sports science services are provided by the

67 Aspire Academy or the Aspetar Hospital to the national governing bodies of sport or to Sports

68 Clubs; there are very few sports clubs in Qatar that directly employ sport scientists.

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70 Chapman: In Australia, we have a strong history of sport science service integration across the

71 major Olympic and Paralympic summer sports of athletics, cycling, swimming, rowing, canoe-

72 kayak, triathlon, and the team sports of field hockey, water polo, basketball, soccer and to a lesser

73 extent volleyball and the various combat sports. Furthermore, since the early 2000s sport scientists

74 have had an important presence working across the winter Olympic and Paralympic disciplines

75 that Australia competes in. Other sports with a strong sport science integration include surfing,

76 netball, Australian rules football, rugby union and rugby league. Nonetheless, in recent years, the

77 Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) as a primary driver for integrated elite sport science athlete and

78 coach support to national sport programs has shifted with responsibility for providing sport science

79 support across the Olympic and Paralympic sports now resting with the national sporting

80 organization. This change in delivery model has given greater ownership for the employment of

81 the sport scientist and thus which cognate area of expertise is sought by the sport (and coach) but

82 has not realistically diluted the level of support involved. However, this new model has reduced

83 the level of multi-disciplinary and the growth in trans-disciplinary research which Australia was

84 renowned. It will be interesting to see how sport science services continue to be integrated as we

85 approach another home Olympic games, as this event is substantial driver of growth and change.

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87 Chiang: Sport science is the newest profession in Taiwan, which means the development of sport

88 science (service and research) is still in its infancy. However, some globally competitive combat

89 sports training at National Taiwan Sports Training Center, such as Taekwondo, Judo, and karate,

90 might receive performance testing services based on their needs. Still, other sports might be unable

91 to access sport science resources due to the shortage of professional personnel. While professional
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92 and semi-professional sports teams (basketball and baseball) are starting to hire strength and

93 conditioning coaches, implementing sport science services is still in its exploratory stage.

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95 Having a sport science department or hiring a strength and conditioning coach does not guarantee

96 quality sport science services. In addition, coaches and athletes are often not educated enough to

97 understand the concept of sport science and thus, communicating the meaning of the testing results

98 and how to use them in a practical sense proves difficult. On the other hand, misunderstanding the

99 context of sports might lead to harmful consequences. Coaches and athletes tend to think that sport

100 scientists offer little value because they may lack the knowledge to use the testing data to guide

101 the training process. While this belief is prevalent in Taiwan, personal communications with others

102 in the profession indicate that it is common in other Asian countries as well. Therefore, educational

103 institutions offering sport science/strength and conditioning degrees and working directly with

104 coaches and athletes are crucial to growing sport science in Taiwan (8, 12).

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106 Loturco: Generally, in South America, sport science services are much more concentrated in team

107 sport environments. For example, some countries, such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and

108 Uruguay (among others) have many big and famous soccer clubs, which, in turn, have a great

109 number of fans and supporters. This attracts many sponsors and investors who support the

110 development of clubs, leagues, and competitions. As a result, many of these clubs have at their

111 disposal good training facilities, equipment, and resources, and multidisciplinary technical teams,

112 which usually include sport scientists with different jobs and functions across different areas of

113 the athletes’ preparation, such as data analysis, performance assessment, training load

114 management, resistance training programming, etc. Other team sports, such as volleyball,
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115 basketball, rugby, and handball may also have good (sometimes excellent) structures and resources

116 available, although this varies considerably between regions and sports since, depending on the

117 country, some of these sports still have an amateur or semi-professional status. Therefore,

118 according to the circumstances, these team sports may also offer job positions for sport scientists

119 in their technical staff. Individual sports, including track and field, combat sports, tennis, rowing,

120 swimming, etc. do not necessarily have a “club” or “league” organization and often lack resources

121 and financial support for appropriate professional development. In these disciplines, it is usual for

122 sport scientists either to be hired by the respective sport Federations, Confederations, or

123 Committees (Olympic and Paralympic Committees) to work independently as private

124 practitioners, or to be directly affiliated with profit and nonprofit organizations.

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126 Sinnott-O’Connor: Within high-performance sport in Ireland, sport science support is delivered to

127 a wide range of sports from swimming and cycling to taekwondo and hockey. Within the Institute

128 of Sport, we work with high performance athletes and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) across

129 sports with Olympic and Paralympic programs while also delivering support at major competitions

130 competition including European Championships and World Championships. Support is delivered

131 from the following areas: nutrition, physiotherapy, medicine, physiology, strength and

132 conditioning (S&C), psychology, performance analysis, and life skills.

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134 In Ireland specifically, Gaelic Games (GAA) and rugby integrate sport scientists into their Gaelic

135 football, hurling, camogie, and rugby teams with services ranging from nutrition and S&C to

136 psychology and performance analysis. Sport scientists working in any of these sports are generally

137 contracted to the team or federation and work with athletes from junior to senior panels.
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139 Stone: The sports that have used sport science services has varied in different parts of the world.

140 Mark Osbourne, an Australian sport scientist, describes sport science as “the study and application

141 of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of understanding and providing information

142 that can be used to improve sports performance.” As far back as the 1980s, Football Club (F.C.)

143 Dynamo Kyiv made use of scientific testing and rigorous analysis to accurately assess individual

144 players and their place in the team. Dynamo won domestically and on the continent with opponents

145 in awe of their physical and athletic capacity. Sir Alex Ferguson, the much-acclaimed manager of

146 Manchester United F.C., clearly stated that, “sport science was the biggest and most important

147 change in my lifetime” in the sport of soccer. Manchester United F.C. in 2013 monitored 29

148 variables to decrease the susceptibility of the players to injuries. In fact, players were pulled just

149 before training if something in the data was not right. Likewise, the worth of sport science was

150 recognized in Europe over 20 years ago when AC Milan founded the Milan Lab, which became

151 operational in 2002. The Milan Lab incorporated many different techniques including kinesiology,

152 psychology, and neurology to ensure the enhanced fitness of players. Track and field (athletics)

153 utilized biomechanical and physiological testing to enhance their athletic performance. In Europe,

154 soccer, as well as track and field, led the way by introducing sport science-based services that were

155 designed to enhance performance. In summary, Europe has had a long history of integrating

156 science and sport.

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158 Sport science in the U.S. in the early 2000s was not regarded as a priority in the development of

159 athletic performance. In the past 10 to 15 years, this has changed dramatically. East Tennessee

160 State University in 2009 established the first doctoral program in sport science emphasizing
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161 physiology, coaching, and research as the primary foundations of the program. In recent years, the

162 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) developed a certification specifically

163 aimed at challenging and educating the sport science practitioner. Clearly, with the increase in the

164 use of technology such as GPS tracking instrumentation, accelerometers, etc., the role of the sport

165 scientist has increased. This is somewhat misleading as the role of the sport scientist is much more

166 than someone simply analyzing data from a gadget. American football, men and women’s soccer,

167 baseball, and to some extent basketball lead the way in the U.S. in their support of the use of sport

168 science.

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170 Question 2: How do you view the main roles and responsibilities of sport scientists?

171 Cardinale: In my view, the main roles and responsibilities of a sports scientist within a sport,

172 organization or club are:

173 • Help the coaching staff in determining the performance model and ways to support it

174 • Conduct regular assessments of the athletes involved in that sport

175 • Provide insight into ways to improve the athlete’s performance

176 • Identify and implement procedures and technologies that can help directly improve

177 performance (think about sports where equipment is fundamental like cycling and sailing)

178 • Enhance the effects of training and accelerate learning and recovery

179 The sport scientist is part of a performance team dedicated to optimizing performance but also

180 should help the medical team in implementing the right approach to accelerate recovery from

181 injury. I don’t talk about injury prevention, because in my view if athletes are well prepared with

182 a holistic program by proxy their risk of injury is reduced.

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184 Chapman: Most broadly the role and responsibility of the sport scientist is to work in supporting

185 the short-term goals and long-term objectives of the athlete and coach; we are their performance

186 shadow. It in this context that the specialist disciplines of sport science can be truly applied to

187 determine which big issues limit performance, but it is also the role of the sport scientist to identify

188 those annoyingly small incremental improvements which can be the difference between standing

189 on the podium or not. The role and responsibility of the sport scientist is a juxtaposition of their

190 skills and knowledge against what organizational resources are available, competition level, and

191 other contextual factors, as these help to define the size of the performance issue you’re assisting

192 with overcoming. A small sport or organization with a single accredited sport scientist will take a

193 more generalist view within their skills and knowledge, as you won’t have enough hours in a day,

194 the resources necessary, or the depth of expertise in every discipline to tackle every performance

195 issue large or small from every angle, so you generally seek out and focus on the issue(s) with the

196 largest performance benefit. Alternatively, if you are one sport scientist in a multi-disciplinary

197 team, then your role and responsibilities are much more refined and bespoke based upon your

198 discipline expertise, and the performance issue being dealt with as you have the time (and most

199 likely other necessary resources) to look more closely at those smaller incremental performance

200 improvements.

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202 Chiang: Sport scientists are experts who use scientific methods to solve problems. In other words,

203 the primary roles of sport scientists are to observe, communicate, and identify questions and issues

204 in the sports they work with and then find solutions to help the team win. Sport scientists can wear

205 many hats depending on the size and budget of the sports organization. For example, in the

206 National Sports Training setting, sport scientists might work in a specific discipline (physiology,
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207 biomechanics, psychology), providing their expertise to many sports teams. Although focusing

208 on one specific area seems ideal, lacking communication among other disciplines and coaches

209 could lead to a crisis. Therefore, a high-performance director with excellent communication skills

210 who integrates information and reports to coaches to shape decision-making, which is crucial (3).

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212 In other cases, sport scientists could be strength and conditioning coaches or sports medicine-

213 related professionals (athletic trainers, physiotherapists, etc.). This is due to their long working

214 hours in the team setting in which they gather training load from daily activities, monitor the

215 recovery and rehabilitation process, and implement regular physical assessments in contextual

216 environments. Therefore, an adequate sport scientist must have the background of at least two

217 disciplines (8).

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219 Loturco: In my opinion, the main roles of sport scientists are, in general, related to training load

220 management, injury risk mitigation, and training prescription. Modern sports are typically

221 characterized by the high volume of competitions, training sessions, and journeys, which require

222 coaches to constantly adjust the training content to achieve and maintain optimal levels of

223 technical, tactical, and physical performance. There are no fixed patterns or regularities in physical

224 and physiological responses to training and competition; variations in performance occur on an

225 individual basis, making it impossible to use similar training and recovery strategies for different

226 athletes, especially when they have different roles, characteristics, and competition demands. In

227 this context, the role of sport scientists should be to collect and interpret training and match data

228 to provide practitioners with useful and accurate information to guide their decisions regarding

229 training, testing, recovery, and rehabilitation practices. From a more general perspective, in high-
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230 performance settings, sport scientists and sport science departments should act as connecting

231 bridges between the different members of the technical staff (e.g., head coaches, strength and

232 conditioning coaches, physicians, physiotherapists, nutritionists, etc.).

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234 Sinnott-O’Connor: The role of the sport scientist is to assist in the process of maximizing athletic

235 performance, often in the form of maintaining athlete health and reducing the number of training

236 days lost to injury and illness (1). Working with athletes, coaches or other support staff,

237 performance questions related to improving athlete health or performance are constant. A sport

238 scientist must rely on their education and experience to find evidence-based practical solutions

239 that contribute to answering questions using time-efficient, non-invasive methods and protocols

240 (19). Sport scientists are responsible for delivering their service to the highest standard, ensuring

241 protocols and equipment are trialed and tested before being implemented with athletes. Objective

242 data must be provided to the coach or performance team, ensuring there is a clear rationale for all

243 data collected and protocols are as non-invasive as possible for the athlete and coach. Data must

244 be presented in a clear and understandable format to the relevant receiving party, altered as

245 necessary between coaches, athletes, and members of the support team.

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247 High-performance support delivery relies on effective teamwork from all members of that team

248 (12). As a member of a multi-disciplinary team working in high-performance sport, a sport

249 scientist is responsible for meeting deadlines and communicating effectively with other team

250 members. As a staff member within a sport team, the role of the sport scientist is to deliver their

251 objectives on time and contribute to the performance of the athlete group. While embedding
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252 themselves within the culture of that team is an essential role for a successful sport scientist,

253 boundaries must be established to ensure they can maintain an objective position in that team.

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255 Stone: Once the sport performance team has been identified and established, for example, the head

256 coach, athletic trainer, the strength and conditioning coach, the sport dietician, and any other

257 professional deemed to be essential to the well-being and continual development of the athlete or

258 team, the role of the sport scientist can then be established. Leading these groups should be the

259 role of a well-educated head coach. A relationship of trust and cooperation must be developed

260 between the head coach and the sport scientist. The relationship can be analogous to building a

261 house: the head coach is the owner, the sport scientists are the architects, and the strength and

262 conditioning coach (also well trained in sport science) is the builder. The main responsibilities of

263 these leaders are to guide and produce evidence-based programs. In the development of a team or

264 individual there are many critical areas of responsibility namely biomechanics, physiology,

265 nutrition, strength and conditioning, psychology, performance technology, and sport medicine.

266 This is crucial performance staff teamwork.

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268 The first critical role of the sport scientists and strength coach is to monitor and evaluate the state

269 of the athlete or team. Based on the monitoring results and consultation with the performance staff,

270 an assessment can be made, priorities established, and recommendations made to the head coach.

271 The sport scientist critically evaluates all results and bases their decisions on sound scientific

272 evidence rather than hearsay or anecdotal evidence, implementing and developing the annual or

273 quadrennial plan. This role is contingent on the sport scientist immersing themselves in the sport

274 completely to gain an in-depth understanding of the requirements of the specific sport.
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276 Question 3: What role do education and credentials play in the preparation of sport

277 scientists?

278 Cardinale: Education is fundamental to the development of sport scientists. Without relevant

279 technical knowledge you cannot do this job. Getting the right education and relevant credentials

280 and keeping up to date with specific technical knowledge is key. If you are a physiologist,

281 knowledge of muscle metabolism, physiological demands of the sport, physiological testing

282 protocols and other technical elements are fundamental to be a high-performance practitioner.

283 Recently, there has been a lot of emphasis on soft skills (i.e., informal education of how to

284 communicate with athletes and coaches), which are very important. However, you can have all the

285 soft skills in the world, but if you have no knowledge, how can you apply scientific principles?

286 So, I think it's very important to state that knowledge and education are foundational. Of course,

287 you need the relevant soft skills to be able to deal with the coaching staff, the medical teams, the

288 athletes themselves. In many cases, sport scientists work with multidisciplinary/multilingual

289 teams. Therefore, the ability to adapt and communicate is the only way to use the knowledge and

290 credentials and have an impact. Sadly, the quality of education provided in many academic

291 institutions does not prepare students for work in high performance sport.

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293 Chapman: Formal education is a big part of preparing a sport scientist, from developing the ability

294 to identify the demands of a sport or sporting skill within the context of a cognate discipline area,

295 to having a strong understanding and appreciation for the need for quality assurance, reliability,

296 variability, and precision of measurement. More broadly, it is the aspects of systematic

297 interrogation of a problem (complex problem solving) and viewing all possible explanations that
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298 should be learned during postgraduate master’s and doctoral studies. Here in Australia, the

299 postgraduate research degrees are set-up to achieve some highly specialized discipline-specific

300 expertise due to the very nature and scope of the research projects/topics undertaken. These

301 research degrees, particularly our doctorates, have no designated coursework requirements with

302 the thesis comprising of 3-5 (and I’ve seen as many as 8) research chapter manuscripts (which are

303 already published or will be shortly after graduation). This is great if the system is seeking highly

304 specialized discipline expertise with a strong theoretical understanding in one discipline field, as

305 compared to a North American doctoral graduate who will likely have a broader theoretical

306 grounding due to the increased formal coursework requirements of their degree. However,

307 considering the highly specialized discipline context of the formal education in Australian-trained

308 sport scientists, informal education becomes a huge component to bridge any gaps in knowledge

309 identified either during their doctoral studies and improve the opportunities for career progression.

310 Due to our industry and career opportunities we try to blend the formal and informal training

311 practices by using an industry embedded postgraduate training structure. While it is not essential

312 to have completed an industry embedded PhD to work in sport, it does provide the opportunity to

313 develop necessary professional / soft skills to communicate with the athletes and coaches. But in

314 so doing, these individuals may require additional informal training opportunities over time to

315 acquire higher skills in data science, analytics, or any other cognate area that they perceive will

316 improve their sport science support offering.

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318 My perspective is that we are a scientist first and we then specialize in sport and as such we should

319 be highly inquisitive and be seeking out knowledge by reading widely and using any opportunity

320 to interact with others in many settings that have experiences different to our own. As such
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321 continuing education in the form of earning and maintaining credentials from various bodies

322 around the world is one way of quickly showing to a possible new employer that what you say and

323 do can be trusted, but it is also a just a part of needing to meet the acknowledged standards of

324 practice. Unfortunately, these credentials can be troublesome when they may be highly specialized,

325 difficult to maintain through normal practice or have multiple governing bodies in the space each

326 claiming to be the preeminent group.

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328 Chiang: Education is indispensable in terms of preparing a sport scientist. A master's degree in

329 exercise and sport science is essential, and a doctoral degree is ideal for students acquiring

330 scientific-based information and learning critical thinking processes. Higher education should play

331 the role for the student to learn and face the challenges before their graduation. It is reasonable to

332 work with sports, coaches, and athletes if the students want to become sport scientists or work in

333 related fields (i.e., sport psychologist, sport nutritionist). A learning environment that includes an

334 academic program and collaboration with the sport teams would be an excellent combination.

335 Unlike the North American sports system, most athletes in Asia go to "Sports University" for their

336 bachelor's degrees and play sports simultaneously. The academic faculties in these circumstances,

337 are accessible to coaches and athletes more quickly, and the sport science testing and monitoring

338 can be implemented into sports teams on a daily basis. Finally, a mentor who has been in the same

339 role (ideally the program director or students' major professors) can guide the students when they

340 encounter difficulties, both in academic and sports settings. This education environment will be a

341 solid foundation to prepare future sport scientists.

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343 Loturco: As in other areas of science and technology, education plays a key role in the preparation

344 of sport scientists. In recent years, the evolution in this field has been remarkable, largely driven

345 by the increased availability of information and resources (i.e., free articles in open-access journals

346 and academic websites), engagement on social media, and interaction in academic platforms.

347 Therefore, sport scientists should be fully aware of the impact of these rapid changes in the sport

348 science industry, as well as of the importance of staying up to date on the most recent practices,

349 guidelines, and technologies available in the sector. However, sport scientists should also be aware

350 of the amount of misinformation that exists within social media and other resources and be able to

351 critically analyze the information they receive for accuracy. Along with the vast number of hybrid

352 and online courses now being offered, all these resources allow practitioners to stay constantly

353 informed about current research, advances, and trends in sport science and its related topics.

354 However, while this phenomenon increases the opportunities for good positions in professional

355 sport organizations, it also increases the competition in the field, requiring sport scientists to have

356 a wide range of competencies and skills. In this regard, constant specialization and expanded

357 knowledge about different areas of sport science are much more important and relevant than titles

358 and credentials per se. In my opinion, credentials are only one of several personal attributes and

359 characteristics that define and describe a good and competent sport scientist.

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361 Sinnott-O’Connor: Academic education is the fundamental basis to learning and understanding

362 sport science, including how the body and mind respond to training and exercise, and how the

363 sport scientist informs the training process. Broad sport science undergraduate degree programs

364 introduce budding students to the umbrella of services available and a first insight into the role of

365 the sport scientist within recreational and high-performance sport. As sport scientists progress
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366 through education, the learning pathway narrows from basic understanding to concentrated athlete-

367 focused studies involved in postgraduate research. Education is constant, even when employed

368 within a high-performance sport institute or NGB. A continuous professional development log is

369 often required when renewing accreditation or discipline-specific credentials. Published scientific

370 research educates sport scientists across disciplines in emerging technologies or new

371 methodologies, providing possible solutions to questions arising within our high-performance

372 sport environment. From this, we apply the findings to our athlete population and determine the

373 best solution for athletes.

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375 Credentials are an essential component for any role application within the field of sport science.

376 Achieving credentials often requires specific experience delivering support and working with

377 athletes of a high-performance standard. This gives sport scientists focused time within a

378 discipline, up-skilling the practitioner and allowing them to see first-hand the cross-over of

379 academic learning to practical delivery. Often, sport science students emerging from universities

380 have the academic knowledge but lack the skills to apply this to an athletic or multi-disciplinary

381 team environment.

382

383 Stone: The role of the sport scientist is a difficult, challenging, and multi-faceted one; their work

384 involves testing, evaluation, and implementation of training regimes but also includes research to

385 further knowledge in the field of sport. How can I make the athletes in my charge faster, stronger,

386 and more skillful in their sport? This will involve asking questions and intense observation of the

387 many dimensions of the sport. To answer these questions, they must assess the methods to be used

388 in research to further develop the sport. This process is impossible without a stellar education
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389 process including master’s and possibly a doctoral degree in sport science if all the nuances of

390 research are to be addressed appropriately to enhance athletic performance.

391

392 Question 4: In your area of the world, what career opportunities are available in sport

393 science?

394 Cardinale: The main employers of sport science professionals are Aspire Academy and Aspetar

395 Hospital. Very few employment opportunities exist in national federations and sports clubs. But

396 Qatar is a very small nation therefore it is unrealistic to think that there should be thousands of

397 jobs in this field. In Asia in general, the profession is evolving and being accepted more and more

398 and therefore I can see more opportunities becoming available soon. In this part of the world,

399 experience in various sports settings and the ability to speak multiple languages are some of the

400 characteristics that employers are looking for. Soccer works in different ways. Being associated

401 with a coaching staff seems to be the main requirement.

402

403 Chapman: It might be surprising to know that the Australian sport science employment market is

404 quite small and highly competitive, which is somewhat reflective of the overall population of

405 Australia (approx. 25M people). Supporting our Olympic and Paralympic sports we have our

406 national sports institutes and academies (n=9) who employ approx. 100 sport scientists across all

407 disciplines, and then our major national sporting organizations who employ approximately another

408 30 people. Outside of this, is our professional sporting codes, where the majority of employed staff

409 are either strength and conditioning specialists or performance analysts and this may total across

410 all sports another 100 roles. Beyond these roles that are focused on an elite athlete environment
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411 there is a growing number of roles in our university and secondary schooling system or a very

412 limited number of athlete-focused commercial operations.

413

414 In Australia, there has recently been a major shift to ensure the athlete’s (and to a lesser extent the

415 coach’s) wellbeing is properly supported and acknowledged. We are in a fortunate situation that

416 due to a 10-year lead into hosting the 2032 Olympic Games we are seeing an unprecedented

417 increase in funding across our Olympic and Paralympic sporting system. Interestingly though there

418 has been a rationalization of some sport science roles as some within the system push for a more

419 well-educated sports scientist generalist that can fill the lower-level needs across several

420 disciplines, rather than having to choose one or two disciplines and only employing expertise in

421 those fields. The argument for this generalist position has merit if the scope of the role is only

422 seeking a broad understanding of several disciplines and is renumerated accordingly.

423 Unfortunately, positions here in Australia are being pitched as entry generalist roles on pay scale

424 but the level of expertise sought for the role is a practitioner with 10+ years’ experience that can

425 effectively and knowledgably pull expertise across multiple disciplines.

426

427 Chiang: To find a full-time position as a sport physiologist, sport biomechanist, sport psychologist,

428 or sport nutritionist whose work is dedicated to enhancing athletes' performance is rare. Arguably,

429 a strength and conditioning (S&C) coach may be the person who can execute sport science in the

430 sports system. People's perception about S&C coaches is far from the concept of "scientist."

431 However, S&C coaches train, test, and communicate with athletes and coaching staff. S&C

432 coaches track athletes' physical performance and physiological changes through the training

433 processes. The partnership gives S&C coaches the privilege to answer all kinds of sport science
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434 related questions. The questions come from athletes' training experiences, such as: will I become

435 more powerful doing this drill? How can I manage the fatigue throughout the season? What are

436 the best methods to avoid soreness because the games will be back-to-back without sufficiently

437 recovering? Therefore, S&C coaches with sport science educational backgrounds are crucial to

438 handle those types of questions as previously mentioned. Besides, the current state of Asia

439 countries is gradually accepting S&C coaches as part of the team. Consequently, being an S&C

440 coach is probably the most suitable position for implementing sport science daily.

441

442 Loturco: Performance analyst, exercise physiologist, and scientific coordinator (i.e., head of sport

443 science in professional clubs and/or sport organizations) are, undoubtedly, the most common

444 positions for sport scientists in Brazil and other countries of South America. The majority of these

445 positions are available in team sports (e.g., performance analysists for professional soccer,

446 volleyball, or rugby), although some sport scientists may also work as independent professionals

447 for Olympic and Paralympic Committees and private organizations examining, for example,

448 movement technique and biomechanical factors in swimming, gymnastics, track & field, and

449 cycling; technical, tactical, and physical aspects in combat sports; and physiological parameters in

450 endurance sports. In general, with very few exceptions for some specific sports and clubs, there

451 are no solid or planned career paths in sport science in South America and many sport scientists

452 provide different types of services for different sports, organizations, and athletes.

453

454 Sinnott-O’Connor: The field of sport science within Ireland can be limited, and often graduates

455 depart Ireland for job opportunities in U.K., Europe, or further abroad. However, career

456 opportunities are available depending on the area of interest. Post-graduate qualifications and
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457 credentials are usually required above an undergraduate degree for employment within high-

458 performance sport. Opportunities for work experience or placements can lead to employment later,

459 such as PhD opportunities funded jointly by an industry partner and a university.

460

461 Many sport scientists work within either a NGB or a high-performance sports institute. A wide

462 range of disciplines exist within a high-performance sports institute including psychology,

463 physiotherapy, medicine, nutrition, S&C, physiology, and performance analysis. NGBs will avail

464 themselves of services within an institute for their programs, and/or may employ their own sport

465 science team depending on the needs of athletes.

466

467 Sport science graduates can also direct their career towards sport management or administration,

468 opting to complete a post-graduate qualification in this area. Opportunities within the sector can

469 include high-performance managers, team specific managers, office administration and logistics

470 within an NGB or a career within a government body in sport policy, governance, or anti-doping.

471 Sport scientists with a PhD qualification have opportunities within academia. Some academics will

472 focus on research within high-performance sport for their career, while others may move to

473 research/academic work when no longer working in high-performance sport. Often, research and

474 support delivery can be done jointly, supervising PhD students within an institute/NGB-led project

475 or publishing work conducted with athletes. After achieving academic and discipline-specific

476 qualifications, some choose to work independently with athletes, teams, and coaches. Those who

477 set up their own business can work with a combination of private recreational athletes/teams as

478 well as those in high-performance sport.

479
 22

480 Stone: Although I hail from the U.K., I have lived and coached in the U.S. for longer than I lived

481 in my native Scotland. I will briefly address the state of sport science in the U.S. and then convey

482 the direction of sport science in the U.K. as led by The British Association of Sport and Exercise

483 Sciences (BASES). In the U.S., sport science as an academic and practical pursuit is in its infancy.

484 The NSCA has taken the lead on certifying potential sport scientists and this is the first specific

485 certification of its kind in the U.S. Meanwhile in the U.K., BASES has been the established

486 organization to certify sport scientists since 1984 and has undergone several revisions in its goals

487 and missions starting as the British Association of Sport Science (BASS) and evolving into its

488 present state to include exercise, BASES. The aim of BASES is the promotion of sport science,

489 particularly evidence-based practices in sport science and distribute that knowledge in order to

490 maintain high standards within the profession both nationally and internationally. Certification

491 through BASES is the most recognizable certification through which a potential sport scientist can

492 gain employment.

493

494 Question 5: What are your views on the current state of sport science in the world today?

495 Cardinale: I am concerned a little bit with the state of sport science in some parts of the world. I

496 was fortunate to live during the times when sports science started to become accepted as a

497 profession and created employment opportunities. Now, I see that in many organizations the sport

498 scientist has been relegated to be just a data gatherer with no interaction or limited impact on

499 coaching decisions. Consequently, many professional institutions are not prepared to invest in

500 good salaries for such profession as they can’t understand the value and impact. There are in fact

501 many low paid jobs in professional sports. The other aspect I see is that more and more

502 physiotherapists or doctors are taking on jobs and responsibilities which are within the domain of
 23

503 the sport scientist. Can you imagine if a sport scientist tried to do the opposite? It is also true that

504 in this industry there are a lot of snake oil salespeople which don’t help in improving the reputation

505 of this role. In general, there are more opportunities than there were when I started. However, I see

506 small chances for progression for many, but I think there will be more opportunities for

507 employment in technology areas, sporting manufacturers, and other industries with more

508 rewarding pathways than currently available in the sport industry.

509

510 Chapman: I think that sport science as a field of scientific endeavor is now in its adolescent phase

511 compared to many of the basic sciences and fields of medicine. There has been a small rebellion

512 against the orthodoxy of inferential statistics as it can be problematic to communicate the

513 interpretation of an outcome, with a possible shift towards use of Bayes statistical approaches

514 particularly with large data sets. The field needs to find better ways to embrace the fact that our

515 very job is to deal with small samples as there really aren’t that many elite athletes. I think that

516 these challenges are not insurmountable and there are other professions we can look to for

517 inspiration. At a much lower level I am concerned by the ever-increasing reliance on training

518 gimmicks rather than acknowledging that adaptation and learning does take a considerable amount

519 of time, a strong foundation of fundamental movement patterns, strength, and cardiovascular

520 fitness are all required for success. It must be accepted that sport science is built on the knowledge

521 of human physiology, human movement mechanics (biomechanics) and psychology. Every sub

522 discipline of sport science uses or relies upon to a lesser or greater extent each of these fields, the

523 disciplines are not mutually exclusive, and neither are the performance issues we are seeking to

524 overcome. It is incumbent upon those providing the formal education in sport science to ensure

525 that students coming through do not see silos of action or knowledge but the link between them.
 24

526

527 Chiang: There is an increasing trend where sport science knowledge is being applied to optimize

528 athlete performance. As a result, more and more "sport science director/coordinator" positions

529 have been opening globally in the past 5 years. In addition, the NSCA also released the “Essentials

530 of Sport Science” textbook to demonstrate the knowledge base that a qualified sport scientist

531 should have. People in the strength and conditioning industry need to realize that 10 years from

532 now, S&C coaches will be separated into two kinds: those who understand sport science and those

533 who do not.

534

535 Loturco: I have two different views regarding the current state of sport science worldwide. On one

536 hand, as mentioned earlier, the availability of open educational resources allows practitioners to

537 stay up to date on the rapid advances in sport science and related fields. On the other hand, the role

538 played by social media in disseminating this information raises some concerns regarding the

539 potential conflicts of interest that can arise with excessive marketing and self-promotion. This is a

540 cyclic problem since journals are also aware of the importance of social media and social networks

541 in influencing the number of citations per paper and, thus, the practitioner behavior. It is possible,

542 however, to reduce the negative impact of this constant and sometimes conflicting interplay

543 between knowledge and practice by encouraging sport scientists to better filter and use the

544 information available on social media platforms, evaluating if this information is valid, useful,

545 and, especially, practical in terms of application in their actual training and testing routines.

546 Providing these issues are acknowledged and addressed, there is little doubt that we are living the

547 golden age of sport science.

548
 25

549 Sinnott-O’Connor: Sport science is an ever-changing profession, constantly evolving to meet the

550 needs of sports, technologies, and scientific published research. As practitioners, it is important to

551 set aside learning time to review newly published research or investigate new technologies (12).

552 Sport science research innovates our service delivery with new technologies aiming to maximize

553 athletic performance. It evaluates new methods and compares them to current measures in a

554 relevant study cohort, where findings can be applied to elite athlete settings.

555

556 Advances in technology present exciting opportunities to measure new variables non-invasively

557 or present time-saving methods of data collection for athletes and coaches such as training load

558 monitoring applications on a handheld device. It also enhances how we support athletes remotely

559 when athletes are travelling for camp/competition, and data can be relayed in real-time back to the

560 sport scientist. This has been revolutionary for the field of sport science, with the opportunity to

561 maintain the same level of service delivery for athletes while at home or travelling, whilst

562 increasing the number of athletes availing of sport science services.

563

564 Indeed, the roles of sport scientist and data scientist are often interchanging, with the vast amount

565 of data received from devices to be deciphered and displayed. Le Meur and Torres-Ronda (12)

566 highlighted the short time available to collect data, analyze and deliver a report, often within a few

567 hours before the next training session or game. Sport scientists rely heavily on forward planning

568 and efficient software skills to ensure tasks are completed on time and in the format required for

569 different groups.

570
 26

571 The growth of social media continues to present a challenge to all sport science practitioners, with

572 the sharing of incorrect information from non-qualified practitioners. Concern lies where the

573 popularity of a social media account can overrule the accuracy of the information shared. Too

574 often, fad or incorrect information is shared amongst thousands or hundreds of thousands of

575 followers including athletes, coaches, or support staff, with time then spent by the sport scientist

576 having to research questions based on this fad information or justify work practices. This will

577 continue to be an issue for sport scientists around the world to overcome.

578

579 Stone: The current state of sport science appears to be a “mixed bag” in the U.S., although it is

580 growing in recognition. It is my opinion that one “ologist” or “list” does not make a sport science

581 program. It is the integration of the various subject matter and application with research

582 development that highlights an effective sport science program. This does not happen very often

583 in sport and is seldom led by a NGB or university athletic department in the US.

584

585 Question 6: What are your hopes for the growth of sport science in the future?

586 Cardinale: First, there should be growth in the quality of the sport science degrees (less degrees

587 with more quality) as the overinflation of graduates in this field does not help. Academic

588 institutions should also modernize and possibly hire people with expertise in Sport and in Sports-

589 related industries. Too many university professors have never worked one minute in the real World

590 of sport. Also, research in the applied setting answering questions that coaches and athletes want

591 answered needs to receive much better funding and support. With all the technology being

592 developed to measure various physiological and movement parameters, there is definitively

593 opportunity for sport scientists to be involved not only in the development of technology but also
 27

594 in new paradigms to accelerate performance development and technical learning as well as better

595 solutions for the general population engaged in physical activity.

596

597 Chapman: My hopes for sport science growth in the future is that there is recognition of career

598 transition within the industry whereby you may take up a role as a broad generalist, and over time,

599 narrow your focus to become a discipline expert and then with increasing experience be

600 comfortable and able to demonstrate discipline expertise in a secondary and even tertiary discipline

601 area. It is my belief that over time we need to find a blended doctoral model or career model that

602 includes a much broader range of high-level course work, such as that which is completed in the

603 North American doctoral programs while still achieving our highly specialized discipline expertise

604 and research outcomes without reliance on post-doctoral roles. A growth of career path recognition

605 such as this will provide more jobs within smaller sports or those lower in the developmental elite

606 athlete pathway for a broad generalist sport scientist whilst simultaneously delivering the well-

607 earned recognition for a well-educated and highly experienced generalist sport scientist across

608 each of the disciplines. In Australia some of the major employment growth for sport scientists will

609 occur as university/collegiate sport is given greater credence in our system for developing our

610 athletic talent as a parallel pathway to our traditional club/representative system. This greater role

611 will require a level of investment in academic/university employed sport scientists in a similar

612 capacity as that seen in North America. A second growth opportunity will occur as the various

613 professional sporting leagues mature in Australia leading to an increase in broadcast and

614 merchandise revenue, which will lead the teams to seek performance edges from other specialist

615 disciplines of sport science to maximize their specific revenue opportunities. I foresee them

616 expanding beyond the strength and conditioning, and performance analysis as traditional roles and
 28

617 into skill acquisition specialist, biomechanist, and physiologist depending on the sport’s physical

618 and performance demands.

619

620 Chiang: As mentioned above, there will be an unstoppable growth trend for sport science. This

621 trend also gives the academic system a considerable challenge. We need to work harder to expand

622 the opportunities in higher education to work with corporations, teams, and training centers to

623 catch the trend. Furthermore, hopefully, "going to school and studying for a sport science degree"

624 will become the trustworthy path.

625

626 Loturco: The creation of well-defined career paths and the adoption of effective recruitment and

627 selection programs by relevant national and international sport organizations (including the most

628 important soccer and team sport clubs) would be a great advance for the growth of the sport science

629 community. This would reduce the uncertainty and job instability that greatly impact sport

630 scientists, as well as increasing the value of knowledge and professionalism in the field. If they

631 adopt these philosophies, clubs and organizations will then favor the more skilled and competent

632 practitioners, instead of frequently changing the technical teams (including sport scientists and

633 their respective staff), as consistently occurs, for example, in professional soccer. I also hope that

634 other competitive sports may be stimulated to create fixed and permanent sport science

635 departments, bearing in mind that this process is essential to produce better athletes and coaches,

636 and thus, to ensure their adequate development. This is particularly important in world regions

637 where sport science is concentrated in a small number of sports and institutions such as in South

638 America.

639
 29

640 Sinnott-O’Connor: Sport science has evolved significantly in the last decade, with most sports in

641 Ireland engaging with some sport science services. Technology has improved tremendously, with

642 most applications now available on phones or other hand-held devices, assisting with data

643 collection and increasing athlete compliance. Online communication tools have improved the

644 service delivery reach to athletes, continuing support to athletes while abroad. This has also

645 improved communication within teams with more frequent meetings taking place as members can

646 dial in from anywhere in the world. In the future, a more adaptable hybrid approach to service

647 delivery between in-person and online would ensure athletes can have a continued sport science

648 support service whether based at home or abroad for study, training, or competition.

649

650 Sport science-based information shared over the internet and social media platforms requires better

651 regulation. The voice of qualified practitioners can often be lost to those with large followings,

652 resulting in inaccurate, and at times dangerous, information being shared. Rules and regulations

653 regarding information sharing would assist in sharing correct and informative sport science related

654 materials to athletes, coaches, and support staff. It would increase links with sport scientists around

655 the world, providing more communication platforms to share research, protocols, and findings

656 amongst athletic populations. It would also provide an educational platform for athletes, where

657 pertinent information could be communicated to a wider audience, utilizing the medium most often

658 used by athletes on social media. Without regulation, accurate information will continue to be lost

659 in the sea of misleading advertisements from unqualified social media accounts.

660

661 Stone: In the future I would like to see every sport both professional and collegiate, have a sport

662 scientist embedded in the coaching staff and have sport science recognized for the benefits it brings
 30

663 to the sport. Only this way can we ensure that athletes are involved with a training plan which is

664 focused on enhancing performance and injury prevention. Recently, there has been a lot of rhetoric

665 concerning student athlete welfare; if this is important, then there must be a check on coaches

666 involved with inappropriate training regimes. It is my opinion the key person to guide the process

667 and inform the coach of an appropriate plan is the sport scientist.

668

669 Summary

670 Based on the contributions of the panelists, the state of sport science may be unique to each

671 location; however, it should be noted that points made were the opinions of the panelists that do

672 not necessarily represent the views of everyone working in similar roles within the same countries.

673 There is no single solution to the problems that sport science and sport scientists face, and the

674 solutions will likely vary based on individual circumstances.

675

676 References

677 1. Bartlett JD and Drust B. A framework for effective knowledge translation and
678 performance delivery of Sport Scientists in professional sport. Eur J Sport Sci 21: 1579-
679 1587, 2021.
680 2. Carroll Univeristy. Carroll Announces New Sport Performance Institute. Carrollu.edu.
681 March 9, 2021. Available at: https://www.carrollu.edu/articles/academics/2021/03/sport-
682 performance-institute. Accessed May 15, 2023.
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694 of-athletics-exercise-science.aspx. Accessed May 15, 2023.
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695 6. ESSA, May 2019. Accredited Sports Scientist Professional Standards. Available at:
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714 Perform Sci Rep 57: 1-7, 2019.
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737
738 Roundtable Contributors

739 Marco Cardinale is the Executive Director of Research and Science at Aspetar in Qatar.
 32

740

741 Dale Chapman is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Sport Science at Curtin University in Perth,

742 Australia.

743

744 Chieh-Ying Chiang is an Associate Professor and Director of the Master’s Program in Strength

745 and Conditioning at the National Taiwan Sport University.

746

747 Irineu Loturco is the Managing Director at the Nucleus of High Performance in Sport in São Paulo,

748 Brazil.

749

750 Ciara Sinnott-O’Connor is the Head of Performance Physiology at the Sport Ireland Institute.

751

752 Margaret Stone is the Director of the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education

753 at East Tennessee State University.

754
755
756