Amid a growing need to prioritise and support psychological wellbeing (PWB) among young people in sport and performance contexts, the Sports Psychology team at Leeds Trinity University has agreed an exciting partnership with the Young Player Wellbeing Academy (YPWA).

Led by children and young people’s organisation Care Visions, who provide needs-led care for vulnerable people in society, the YPWA is an initiative empowering young athletes to have more control over their wellbeing both in and out of sport. At Leeds Trinity University, supporting psychological wellbeing is a key pillar integrated within the strategy across schools and faculties and, collectively, we are excited to be working with the YPWA’s wellbeing coaches to share our approach and expertise in the area. We are also keen to support and enable more young people to flourish in their sport environments.

The partnership will bring numerous benefits to students and staff at Leeds Trinity University through student placements, knowledge exchange and research evaluation opportunities. We have plenty of in-house experts and enthusiastic students who are ready to pounce on any opportunities offered to them through this partnership.

We recently welcomed Allan Muirhead, Bradley Fullarton and Antonio Capasso, coaches and representatives from the YPWA and Care Visions, to our Main Campus in Horsforth. They met academic staff from the Schools of Psychology and Sport and Wellbeing including Dr Luke Barnes, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Dr Helen Heaviside, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, who specialise in the areas of integrity, and impression management among athletes respectively. Our guests had a tour of the campus, including the sport science, sports therapy and gym facilities, as well as the psychology interview and consultancy rooms.

The YPWA’s work also includes the Young Player Wellbeing Podcast. The team made use of Leeds Trinity’s media facilities to record three podcasts, including episodes with Dr Barnes and Dr Heaviside. The first of these, Integrity in Academy Football with Dr Luke Barnes, is now available to listen to.

The visit concluded with the creation and agreement of the memorandum of understanding between Leeds Trinity and the YPWA, a partnership that highlights the University’s commitment to working alongside industry practitioners to make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people in sport.

I express my sincere gratitude to Allan, Bradley, and Antonio from the YPWA and Care Visions. I look forward to the work we will do together, and to welcoming them back to the Main Campus again soon.

For more information about Leeds Trinity’s Sport Psychology courses, visit the University website.  

Dr Richard Simpson is a Lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University. Richard writes the blog on behalf of his colleagues in the Sports Psychology team.

Image: Left to right - Allan Muirhead (YPWA), Dr Helen Heaviside (LTU), Bradley Fullarton (YPWA), Dr Richard Simpson (LTU), Antonio Capasso (YPWA), and Dr Luke Barnes (LTU).