Dr Ellie Gennings
- egennings at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3500-1946
- Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching
- DH217,
Biography
Ellie completed her PhD in 2022 and is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Bournemouth University, specialising in children and young people’s experiences of sport.
Her research focuses on advancing understanding of well-being and human rights among children and young people in sport and exercise settings. She has contributed to the fields of measurement, well-being science and participatory research methods. Ellie has successfully secured research funding from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the British Academy for projects centred on youth voice and participation in sport and leisure. She has a growing body of publications in these areas, including articles in the International Journal of Wellbeing, Leisure Studies, and the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. She also works with a range of charities and organisations involved in sport and participation, including National Governing Bodies, national child protection organisations, and third-sector charities. Currently, Ellie is leading an IOC-funded project on safe sport, exploring how young athletes experience and understand safety in high-performance environments... This multi-phase, child-centred study includes input from athletes, parents, and coaches, and aims to inform more inclusive and rights-based safeguarding practices in elite youth sport. This study builds on Ellie’s commitment to research that supports safe, inclusive and rights-respecting sport environments. She is happy to connect with anyone interested in the project or potential collaboration.
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moreResearch
Ellie is interested in supervising projects within the following broad areas and welcomes interested individuals to contact her via email: 1) Youth's experiences of sport/physical activity from a wellbeing perspective 2) Ethical coaching practice, particularly focusing on safe sport.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:
Good health and well-being
"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"
Peace, justice and strong institutions
"Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels"
Journal Articles
- Alshikhy, T., O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M. and Gennings, E., 2025. The Role and Impact of Sporting Mega-Events in the Context of Soft Power. Encyclopedia, 5 (31), 1-22.
- Gennings, E., Batten, J. and Brown, H., 2024. Development and validation of the Winchester Adolescent Wellbeing Scale: a holistic measure of children’s wellbeing. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 29 (1).
- Gennings, E., Brown, H.J., Hewlett, D. and Batten, J., 2023. Children and young people’s perspectives from UK lockdown: leisure-less experiences. Leisure Studies, 42 (1), 147-155.
- Gennings, E., Brown, H. and Hewlett, D., 2021. Constructing a definition: Adolescent wellbeing from the perspective of the child and expert. International Journal of Wellbeing, 11 (1).
Chapters
- Adams, A., Hunter, A. and Gennings, E., 2023. Towards the Application of Feminist-Informed Pedagogical Principles into Coaching Practice. Critical Issues in Football: A Sociological Analysis of the Beautiful Game. Routledge.
- Kavanagh, E. and Gennings, E., 2023. Athlete Welfare. The Routledge Encyclopaedia of Sport Studies. London: Routledge.
Conferences
- Alshikhy, T., O'Sullivan, H., Polkinghorne, M. and Gennings, E., 2025. Developing a Framework for Enhancing Organisational Performance through Soft Power Strategies. In: 51st EBES Conference 11-13 April 2025 Rome.
- Gennings, E., Hannah-Russell, C. and Randall, V., 2024. Breaking the Storm: A whole school approach to mentally healthy movement. In: British Educational Research Association 9-12 September 2024 University of Manchester.
Reports
- Gennings, E., Lock, D., Hannah-Russell, C. and Tom, D., 2024. An Evaluation of Stormbreak Shine’s Implementation in NHS Dorset’s Care Pathways for Children and Young People. Stormbreak.
Internet Publications
- Gennings, E. and Hunter, A., 2024. The problem with seeing young sportspeople as athletes first, children second. The Conversation. Available from: https://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-seeing-young-sportspeople-as-athletes-first-children-second-222783.
Posters
- Hunter, A. and Gennings, E., 2023. Football Dreams or Nightmares: The Academy. In: The International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport (IRNOVIS) Research Symposium Safe sport research today: Where are we at?.
- Gennings, E., 2023. Young people’s experiences of returning to sport and exercise in blue spaces after national lockdown.
PhD Students
- Sarah Tomlinson. Understanding marginalisation and experiences of water sports, (In progress)
- Tariq Alshikhy. An investigation into the role of soft power applied to sporting mega-events to optimise organisational performance and income generation., (In progress)
Profile of Teaching UG
- Coach and Athlete Welfare
- Conducting Research in Sport and Exercise
- Applied Sport Psychology
- Developing Coaching Practice
- Dissertation Coordinator
Invited Lectures
-
Youth Physical Activity and Health, Oxford Brookes University, 28 Mar 2021 more
I delivered a guest lecture to students studying BSc Physical Activity and Health Promotion. -
Athlete Welfare and Wellbeing, Middlesex University, 08 Feb 2021 more
Delivered a final year lecture to sport psychology students about sport and wellbeing where I presented some preliminary research findings.
Grants
- A Concept Mapping Study of High-Performance Adolescent Athlete’s Perspectives of Safety in Sport. (IOC Olympic Studies Centre, 01 Jan 2025). Awarded
- Bournemouth University Evaluation of Stormbreak and NHS Dorset Project (Strombreak, 01 Oct 2022). Awarded
- Socio-cultural barriers to participation in watersports (BU - Charity Impact Fund., 23 Jan 2022). Awarded
External Responsibilities
- Westminster Forum Projects, Chair, https://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/publication/Safeguarding-Sport; Priorities for safeguarding in the UK sports sector - Strengthening integrity
Journal Reviewing/Refereeing
- NIHR Proposal Reviewer, 01 Jan 2023
Public Engagement & Outreach Activities
- Dissemination of research findings
Conference Presentations
- Leisure Studies Association Virtual Conference, A return to blue space: The impact of blue exercise post-pandemic on young people, 06 Jul 2021, Southampton Solent University
- British Psychological Society: Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, Adolescent Well-being: Conceptualisations from the perspective of the child and expert, 29 Jun 2021, Digital
- Wessex Public Health Conference, Conceptualising Adolescents Well-being to Inform the Development of a Validated Scale of Well-being, 25 Mar 2020, Southampton
Qualifications
- PhD in Sport, physical activity, and wellbeing (University of Winchester, 2022)
- MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences (University of Winchester, 2019)
- BSc (Hons) in Sport Coaching (University of Winchester, 2017)
Memberships
- Higher Education Academy, Fellow,
Social Media Links
- LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-gennings
- Twitter, @EllieGennings
External Media and Press
- Roundup Rodeo Ep40: Reviewing the best content, Rugby Coach Weekly. https://www.rugbycoachweekly.net/rugby-coaching/podcasts/round-up-rodeo-phil-llewellyn/roundup-rodeo-ep40-reviewing-the-best-content/
- Folk Tales Season 3: Episode 4 - Talking all things boatgen, Boatfolk. https://www.boatfolk.co.uk/journal/folk-tales-season-3-episode-4-boatgen
Broadcast Interview
- Cape Talk, The problem with treating kids as future sport stars and money spinners. https://omny.fm/shows/capetalk-breakfast/the-problem-with-treating-kids-as-future-sport-sta