Professor Barbara Meyer (center) with Kinesiology students Andrew Morgan and Stacy Gnacinski.
With an eye toward maximizing medal potential for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia and the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) has been relying on the expertise of Professor Barbara B. Meyer, Ph.D., in the Department of Kinesiology, to help develop the talent of Olympic hopefuls in a variety of winter sports. Meyer, whose research focuses on facilitating the development and maintenance of peak performance among elite athletes, teams, and sport organizations, is the Director of the Laboratory for Sport Psychology and Performance Excellence.
Meyer is coordinating this multi-faceted talent development project, which involves the faculty and students in her lab. The project provides opportunities for students to develop their research and professional practice skills while at the same time assisting elite athletes, teams and sport organizations to incorporate cutting-edge research into their training regimens and performance plans.
Project benefits many
Given her passions for both graduate student and elite athlete development, Meyer is proud that the project benefits so many. She said, “It is a mutually beneficial experience. We get a learning opportunity and the athletes get a valuable service. What is really exciting and unique about the project is that the students have access to a population of world-class athletes for the development of their own research and practice skills.”
Student involvement in the study
Students working on the project are Stacy Gnacinski (M.S., ’13) who has taken a lead role. Others are Will Massey (Ph.D., ’13), Andrew Morgan (M.S., ’13), Kelsey DeGrave (M.S., ’14) and Courtney Fisher (B.S., ’13). Gnacinski, Fisher and DeGrave will continue their involvement in this project moving forward.
Multidisciplinary activities
Students from Meyer’s lab are also working with students and faculty from across the Department of Kinesiology, including Athletic Training and Physical Therapy, to prevent injuries and enhance performance among UWM entrants in the Claws vs. Paws Challenge. By utilizing the Meyer Athlete Sport Talent Evaluation Report (MASTER,) sport psychology students have been able to help runners integrate mental training into their marathon training regimens.
Meyer, a certified sport psychology consultant, has worked with Australian aerial skiers since 2001. During this time, the Australian Aerial Ski Team has earned international recognition for their consistent success at the highest levels of competition. They have garnered over 120 World Cup podiums, seven Grand Prix titles, six World Championship medals and two Olympic gold medals!
“It is great to see the integrative nature of this work come full circle,” Meyer commented. “Problems that students face in the real world are complex and multifaceted. Projects like these provide students experience working in a multidisciplinary environment where collaboration is valued. I am excited to see this work continue, particularly as we launch new academic programs, such as the Integrated Human Performance track within M.S. Kinesiology in Fall 2013.”