Biography
Dr Alex Powell joined Birmingham Newman University in August 2007, having previously worked at the University of Wolverhampton and in Education and Youth Services. Following the completion of an MSc in Physical Education and Sports Science, Alex earned his PhD at the University of Leicester. His doctoral research, titled ‘Mental Toughness and its Development in Rugby Union: Utilising Ecological Systems Theory’, involved working with and interviewing Rugby World Cup-winning coaches and players, British Lions coaches and players, and Premiership players. These invaluable insights informed him to design, implement and evaluate a season-long intervention at two England RFU Premiership Academies.
Alex is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Level 3 RFU Certified Coach and a Senior RFU Coach Educator and Assessor. His applied coaching experiences, combined with continued research and study, have enabled him to contribute nationally and internationally to coach education programmes.
In addition to his academic and applied achievements, Alex is both the Founder and Lead of the North Midlands RFU Rugby Coaching Community, an initiative that fosters collaboration, innovation, and development among rugby coaches in the region. Through this role, he has successfully supported and inspired countless coaches, contributing to the growth of grassroots rugby and the professionalisation of the coaching industry.
Current projects that Alex is involved in include collaborative research with several primary and secondary schools across the West Midlands to implement and evaluate the effect of the SHARP teaching strategy intervention (Powell, Woodfield and Nevill, 2016). The SHARP intervention was designed to increase children’s physical activity levels during physical education lessons through a set of key pedagogical principles and behaviour change theory. Knowledge transfer projects include the delivery of regular teacher training workshops and hosting ‘Rugby SHARP’ conferences on behalf of the North Midlands RFU across the region.
More widely, Alex has contributed to community sports development and examples include leading strategic partnerships and stakeholder management in collaborative projects that received a successful funding grant of £500,000, for a new 3rd Generation Artificial Grass Pitch. This development required collaboration with a Premiership Football Club, the County Football Association, the Football Foundation, local Chartered Community Clubs and the production of a Community Football Plan. His work exemplifies our university’s dedication to developing the next generation of sports professionals and educators and community impact.
Profile
Research Interests
- Mental toughness and its development
- Rugby coaching practice
- Coach education and development
- Physical education pedagogy and school-based activity.
Teaching
- Practical research skills
- Pedagogy of physical education (undergraduate Level 4)
- Coaching pedagogy and practice (undergraduate Levels 5 and 6)
- Qualitative research methods (undergraduate Level 5)
- Developing young people & athletes through sport (undergraduate Level 6)
- Bridging module top-up
Other Activities
Membership of Professional Organisations
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Member of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS)
Publications
Powell, E., Woodfield, L., Powell, A., Nevill, A. (2020) Assessing the wider implementation of the SHARP Principles: Increasing physical activity in primary physical education. Sports, 8(6). doi:10.3390/sports8010006 file://staff/XL/MORR205/Downloads/sports-08-00006.pdf
Powell, E., Woodfield, L.A., Nevill, A.M., Powell, A.J. and Myers, T.D. (2018) ‘We have to wait in a queue for our turn quite a bit’ Examining children’s physical activity during primary physical education lessons. European Physical Education Review, p.1356336X18785343.
Powell, E., Woodfield, L., Powell, A., Nevill, A. and Myers, T. (2018) Evaluation of a Walking-Track Intervention to Increase Children’s Physical Activity during Primary School Break Times. Children, 5(10), p.135.
Powell, A.J., & Myers, T.D. (2017). Developing Mental Toughness: Lessons from Paralympians. Frontiers in Psychology. 8:1270. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01270
Conference Addresses and Papers
Powell, A.J., & Myers, T.D. (2020). Conceptualising Mental Toughness in Paralympic Sports. Research Seminar Series, University of Exeter, 11th March.
Powell, A.J. (2019). Development of Mental Toughness in Paralympians. National Competitive Coaching Science Conference, Wingate Institute, the National Institute for Excellence in Sport and the Ministry of Culture and Sport, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 18th December. Oral Presentation (Keynote).
Powell, A.J. (2019). Conceptualisation of Mental Toughness in Paralympians. National Competitive Coaching Science Conference, Wingate Institute, the National Institute for Excellence in Sport and the Ministry of Culture and Sport, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 17th December. Oral Presentation (Keynote).
Powell, A.J. (2019). Development of Mental Toughness in Rugby Union. Coach Education, Harlequins RFC, Surrey Sports Park, Surrey University, 23rd January. Oral Presentation.
Powell, E., Woodfield, L.A., Powell, A. and Nevill, A.M. (2019) Increasing the quality of primary physical education through targeting children’s MVPA and high repetition of skills: The SHARP Principles Intervention. BHF funded Motor Competence in childhood: the forgotten pathway to improved cardiovascular health conference, Coventry University 20th June. Oral Presentation.
Powell, A.J. (2018). Mental Toughness and its development in Rugby Union, differences across performance levels. ‘Boot Room’ Coach Education, Leeds Carnegie & Rhinos, Headingly Stadium, Leeds, 29th August. Oral Presentation.
Powell, A.J., & Myers, T.D. (2018). Mental Toughness in Rugby Union. 23rd Congress European College of Sports Science, Dublin, Ireland, 4th-7th July.
Powell, A.J. (2016). Developing Mental Toughness in Rugby Union. North Midlands Coaching Conference, Bromsgrove, 4th September. Oral Presentation.
Powell, E., Woodfield, L.A., Nevill, A.M., & Powell, A.J. (2016). Increasing physical Activity Levels in Primary School Physical Education: The SHARP Principles Model. 21st Congress European College of Sports Science, Vienna, Austria, 6th-9th July.
Powell, A.J., & Myers, T.D. (2016). Mental Toughness in Paralympic Athletes. 21st Congress
European College of Sports Science, Vienna, Austria, 6th-9th July.
Powell, A.J., & Myers, T.D. (2015). Mental Toughness in Elite Muay Thai Fighters. 20th Congress European College of Sports Science, Malmo, Sweden, 23rd-26 June.
Powell, A.J., & Myers, T.D. (2013). Mental Toughness in an RFU England Rugby Academy. 18th
Congress European College of Sports Science, Barcelona, Spain, 26th-29th June.