Ian joined the University of Essex in 2017 as the founding Head of School for the newly formed School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences (SRES). At this point, Ian had already had a long and successful career as an academic and applied practitioner. Many staff were excited by the opportunity to work with, and learn from, someone with such a distinguished career.
One step into Ian‘s office reinforced the message that he had certainly walked the walk when it came to Applied Sport Psychology. That is, there were numerous signed pictures and photos from famous Olympians, professional athletes, and football referees thanking Ian for the work he had done with them. It was great over the coming years to learn more about these experiences, and Ian was always generous in giving his time and insights about working in elite sport. Not only that, but Ian was also always willing to give advice and support on other aspects of academic life, such as his experiences of journal editorial roles, external examiner roles, and serving on committees in professional organisations.
As head of SRES, Ian embraced the challenge and opportunities offered by bringing together academics and practitioners across Physiotherapy, Sports Therapy, Sport and Exercise Science, and Sport, Performance and Coaching. In doing so, Ian was not afraid to make difficult decisions or ruffle a few feathers, but always with a desire to turn SRES into a successful school with an international reputation for both research and education – or a place in the ‘Champions League’ as he often said in Graduation speeches. He generally operated with an open door policy and was always happy to meet colleagues to discuss any issues or the reasons behind any decisions.
During his six years as head of SRES, Ian oversaw times of rapid growth both in terms of courses and student numbers. One of the first new programs that we introduced, the MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology, was close to Ian‘s heart. Indeed, Ian insisted on being module lead in the Applied Techniques in Sport and Exercise Psychology module, which ensured numerous cohorts of aspiring Sport and Exercise Psychology students could benefit from his experience.
Ian had an engaging and interactive teaching style, often drawing on his own research, stories from his work in elite sport, and sharing example resources from this on our Moodle pages. Ian would probably be the first to admit that he was not the most comfortable with technology, and I had a curious intrigue for how he would translate his teaching to the online environment during the COVID pandemic. However, his lecture/webinar on working in Applied Sport to over 100 1st year students was one of the best examples that I observed of staff-student interaction, with most students turning on their cameras, unmuting to answer questions, and fully engaging with the content. Even when he was planning for his research leave at the end of his tenure as head of SRES, Ian was still keen to explore ways he could stay involved in the Applied Techniques module, such was his passion and commitment to education.
Ian made a wide and varied contribution to Sport Psychology in Essex, the UK, and globally. He was a valued colleague and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with Rachel and family at this difficult time.
I also had the pleasure of co- supervising a number of PhD students with Ian. Two of the (ex-) students have been kind enough to share some of their thoughts and reflections.
Dr William Low, now an Assistant Professor at Heriot Watt University said: "My first interaction with Ian was a video call to discuss the possibility of doing my PhD with him. I wasn’t sure if he would be a formal and stiff academic with only limited time for me, but I was soon at ease with how down to earth, upbeat, and genuinely interested he was in potentially working together. Throughout my time at Essex, I always felt welcome when popping by his office to ask something. I never felt like he was too busy for me. In fact, he looked out for me, providing me with professional development opportunities outside my research and helping to develop all aspects of my career in sport psychology. His experience and supervision have had a tremendous influence on how I approach consultancy and expanded my view of what sport psychology can entail. More importantly, Ian looked after me as a person. He helped me adjust to life in the UK, made sure I had plans for Christmas, and cared for me. It was, and still is, a great reminder to stay grounded, no matter one’s title or accomplishments."
Dr Marie Winter, now a lecturer at UCFB, wrote the following: "I was heartbroken to hear of Ian’s passing. It was my honour to have been supervised by Ian while completing my PhD . I could not have asked for a kinder and more attentive supervisor. He always had time for me and my endless list of questions, he always provided incredible detail in his feedback of my many draft PhD chapters, and he was always able to point me in the right direction no matter what challenges arose. I will forever remember the smile on Ian’s face as I came out of my PhD Viva, his last as a supervisor, having passed with no corrections (minus a few typographical edits of course)!
"I am thankful to Ian for all the opportunities he has helped me pursue. I have been able to attend the Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s Annual conference in the US for the past three years. At these conference, it is incredible to witness the global impact his research and professional service has made. He was an extremely respected member of the profession and I take great pride in sharing that I was supervised by Ian at these conferences.
"During his career, Ian touched the lives of many people. I have had the pleasure of meeting Ian’s previous Sport Psychology clients who spoke highly of him and how he supported them in achieving Olympic success. I am now teaching Sport Psychology to the daughter of another previous client of Ian’s, and I like to think that Ian played a role in emphasising the importance and enjoyment of pursuing a career in Sport and Exercise Psychology. In an early supervisory meeting, I told Ian that my Mum worked at Ilford County High School and he informed me that he taught there early in his career. Knowing that Ian completed his career as a Professor, I feel this paints a beautiful picture of where Ian started his professional journey and the incredible accomplishments he achieved along the way.
"The profession will not be the same without Ian and I would not be the academic I am today without his support and guidance. You will be missed Ian, and my thoughts are with your family."
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