UCLan coaching expert takes skills to 2018 Winter Olympic Games

8 February 2018

Professor Dave Collins is sports psychologist for New Zealand squad

The head of the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) Institute of Coaching and Performance is using his skills to help New Zealand get ahead in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

Professor Dave Collins is the sports psychologist for the team and will work very closely with the athletes competing in the freestyle skiing and snowboard events at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.

He said: “My role is to provide psychological support, ensuring smooth progress and optimum performance for all team members.

“I have been working with the freestyle skiing and snowboard squads for more than five years now.  My role at the Games continues this work, providing support to athletes from other disciplines and being ‘on call’ to advise management and medical staff on psychological issues and concerns.”

Dave’s role at UCLan as Head of the Institute of Coaching and Performance involves working with professional athletes and coaches across a variety of sports.  As the former Performance Director of UK Athletics, Dave uses his expertise to teach on UCLan’s elite coaching practice and elite performance postgraduate courses which a number of sports professionals from rugby league, gymnastics, and table tennis, to name a few, have already completed.

Follow Dave’s PyeongChang 2018 Olympics experience on Twitter @DCGreyMattersUK