Dr Simon Quick

Biography

Dr. Simon Quick is a Lecturer in Sport Coaching and specialises in sport pedagogy, coaching ethics, and holistic athlete development. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in secondary education and athletic leadership both in the UK and internationally, Simon brings a practitioner-informed lens to his academic work — enriching both his teaching and research. Prior to entering higher education, Simon taught Physical Education in secondary schools for 12 years, holding leadership roles including Head of Physical Education, Athletic Director at an international school in Chile, and Deputy Headteacher in the UK. This period grounded his understanding of the complex interplay between education, coaching, and athlete development — insights that continue to shape his academic inquiry. Simon completed his PhD at Leeds Beckett University, where his doctoral research used ethnographic methods to explore coaching cognitions in ice hockey. His current research focuses on the tensions between athlete performance and welfare in high-performance sport. Recently, he completed an 18-month ethnographic study into the lived experiences of Olympic gymnasts and coaches, exploring how welfare and ethics are fluid, fragile and, at times, contested, in elite sport settings. His broader research interests include coaching ethics, stress and burnout, international student-athlete experiences, and psycho-social perspectives on coaching practice. Alongside his academic work, Simon is a highly qualified and experienced coach. He holds a Level 4 Lawn Tennis Association coaching certification and has over 15 years of coaching experience across tennis and rugby at national level, as well as formal coaching qualifications in basketball, lacrosse, football, swimming, and gymnastics. This breadth of hands-on experience informs his teaching across a range of modules, including “Applied Pedagogical Principles of Sports Coaching,” “Professional Skills and Development,” and “Developing Effective Coach Education Programs.” Simon is an active researcher and collaborator, with recent publications in leading journals such as the International Sport Coaching Journal, Quest, International Journal of Sport Science and Coaching, and Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. He has presented his work at major international conferences including the United States Center for Coaching Excellence, the International Council for Coaching Excellence, and the NAKHE Annual Conference. He has also been invited as a Keynote Speaker for the International Organization for Health, Sport, and Kinesiology. His work has also been recognised with the 2024 NAKHE Engaged Scholar Program Award. More recently, he has collaborated with England Ice Hockey and run workshops for UK Coaching. Beyond his teaching and research, Simon contributes to curriculum development and academic quality through invited roles such as External Examiner for Bangor University and External Advisor to the University of Hull. He also supervises postgraduate research projects on coaching and performance-related topics. Having worked internationally and with some working proficiency in Latin American Spanish, Simon brings a global perspective to coaching and education. His career reflects a consistent commitment to bridging the gap between performance-focused coaching and ethical, athlete-centred practice using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine in situ coaching practice including ethnography, stimulated recall, think aloud protocol and surveys. Simon's current research is centred on exploring the tension between athletic performance and athlete welfare in high performance sport. He is open to supervising students in areas including sport coaching ethics, sport coaching practice, coach development and physical education. Additional roles: External Examiner for Bangor University: FdSc /BSc Sport Science (Sports Coaching); FdSc Sport Science (Outdoor Recreation) 2024-28 External Examiner for University College Birmingham: BSc (Hons)/FdSc Sports Coaching and Fitness 2024-28 External Examiner for University College Birmingham/Warwick University: BSc (Hons)/FdSc Sports Management 2025-28

Qualifications

• PhD Leeds Beckett University, (2022)

• MSc Psychology (Conversion) University of Derby, (2028)

• Post Graduate Certificate of Secondary Education (PGCE) University of Sheffield, (2009)

• MSc Sport Science University of Essex, (2008)

• BSc (Hons) Lancaster University, (2007)

Appointments

University of Essex

• Lecturer, Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Science, University of Essex (18/9/2022 - present)

Other academic

• Senior Lecturer, Sport and Exercise Science, University of Lincoln (1/1/2022 - 17/9/2022)