Mark De Ste Croix - Staff Profiles

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Biography

After undertaking my teacher training degree I knew I had an interest both in children’s sport and physical activity and a growing interest in science. I completed a PhD exploring how children’s muscle strength changes with growth and maturation and am now using that knowledge to explore how to reduce injury risk in youth sport. This has provided me with a great opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading football clubs.

I have published over 100 articles and presented at over 100 conferences across the globe. I work predominantly in football, identifying injury risk via screening and implementing prevention programmes. A key focus of my work is to help coaches develop their understanding of prevention strategies.

Qualifications

BA Ed (Hons): Physical Education, University of Exeter, 1995
PhD: The development of isokinetic leg strength, University of Exeter, 1998

Awards

AAHPERD Research Consortium’s 2013 Research Writing Award: Heart Rate Variability: Effect of Exercise Intensity on Post Exercise Response

Queen’s Anniversary Award: Higher Education at Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Exeter University

Accreditation

Chartered Scientist

British Association of Sport and Exercise

Membership of professional bodies

British Association of Sport and Exercise

Teaching & Research

Teaching

I mainly teach on the Masters Strength and Conditioning course and research methods modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I supervise UGT and PGT dissertations and am currently supervising 12 PhD students.

Research

Mark has just led an Erasmus+ European-funded project with partners in Spain and the Czech Republic to explore the knowledge and understanding of grass root coaches in terms of youth injury prevention. He has also obtained funding from FIFA, UEFA and the English FA to explore injury risk in female youth football, and works with organisations such as the England and Wales Cricket Board, Athletic Club Bilbao Football Club and Bristol City Football Club.

Publications

More publications from Prof Mark De Ste Croix can be found in the Research Repository.

External responsibilities

Working with English Football Association, English Professional Footballers Association, BarcelonaFC, Athletic Club Bilbao, Bristol City FC, Bristol City Ladies. I have worked with both local and national media discussing injury prevention in youth sport

Subject for media interview

Childrens sport and exercise

Sports injury risk and prevention

Professional positions

Editorial board member:

Isokinetics and Exercise Science

BMC Pediatrics

I have chaired numerous University level committees, am deputy convenor of the BASES Paediatric Exercise Science interest group, am partnership co-ordinator for research degrees at the Royal Agricultural University

External examining

Liverpool John Moores University – BSc Exercise Science 2009 – 12 Marjons (Plymouth University) – BSc Exercise and Health 2011 - 15