Steven Rynne

My research creates impact by improving how coaches are supported, evaluated, and educated - especially in high-performance and community sport contexts - so that athletes, organisations, and communities benefit from more effective sporting environments. A key feature of my work is that it is industry-embedded: I work with partners (e.g., institutes of sport and national sporting organisations) to co-design research that answers real operational questions and produces tools that can be implemented immediately. What has changed because of my research My research has helped shift coaching from being treated as “individual expertise” to being understood as complex work that depends on learning systems, leadership, and organisational support. This has enabled sport organisations to strengthen practice in ways that are evidence-informed rather than tradition-based. Examples of impact beyond academia • Improved high-performance systems and programs: My applied research and evaluation with high-performance partners have informed the design and refinement of coach development initiatives, including preparation, learning, and debrief processes around major campaigns. • Practical tools used by practitioners: Outputs such as partner-ready reports, frameworks, and professional learning resources have supported decision-making about coach selection, onboarding, development, and retention. • Equity and cultural impact: My work in Indigenous sport and sport-for-development has supported culturally responsive coaching approaches and strengthened ethical practice in community contexts. • Workforce sustainability and wellbeing: By highlighting the pressures and learning demands of elite coaching roles, my research contributes to better support structures that reduce burnout risk and improve career longevity. Reach and evidence of influence • A substantial body of work spanning peer-reviewed publications, major scholarly books/handbooks, and practice-facing outputs. • Strong uptake through ongoing partnerships, repeated commissions, and translation of findings into real-world settings. • Broad visibility through a mix of scholarly dissemination and accessible public communication that helps non-specialists understand coaching, learning, and high-performance sport. Overall, my research impact is defined by measurable changes in practice, strong partner engagement, and the creation of usable knowledge that improves performance environments and the people within them.