Dr Sam Thrower

PhD

Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology

School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions

Role

Sam joined Oxford Brookes University in January 2023 and currently teaches on the 'BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science', 'BSc (Hons) Sport, Coaching and Physical Education' and 'BSc (Hons) Sport, Physical Activity and Health Promotion' degree programmes. His teaching interests are linked to his academic specialisms in the field of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Qualitative and Mixed Method Research, and his background as a Chartered Psychologist.

Sam also supervises a number of undergraduate and postgraduate research students on a range of topics linked to Sport and Exercise Psychology. His main research interests focus on the area of youth sport and the psychosocial development of young athletes.

Teaching and supervision

Courses

Modules taught

Courses:

Sport, Physical Activity and Health Promotion (BSc (Hons), DipHE, CertHE)
Sport and Exercise Science (BSc (Hons))
Sport, Coaching and Physical Education (BSc (Hons))

Module Leader:

Introduction to Sport Exercise and Exercise Psychology (SPOR4009)
Applied Sport Exercise & Exercise Psychology (SPOR5005)
Talent Identification & Development (SPOR5014)

Supervision

I welcome enquiries from prospective postgraduate research students with an interest in the field of Sport & Exercise Psychology, in consideration for the Faculty of Health and Life Science's MA/MSc by Research and MPhil/PhD research degree programmes.

MPhil/PhD – Current students:
Ellie Willmott – ‘Becoming and Being a Competitive Bodybuilder: Motivations, Behaviours, Experiences, and Risks’;

PhD – Past students:
Dr Ella Tagliavini – ‘Understanding the Interpersonal Dynamics of Parent-Coach Relationships’;
Dr Jake Shelley – ‘Anti-Doping in Long-Distance Running, for the 21st Century and Beyond’;
Dr Neha Ainsworth – ‘How Risk is Experienced, Navigated and Perceived by Users of Performance Enhancing Drugs’

Research

Sam is predominantly a qualitative researcher, although he has conducted research as part of interdisciplinary teams using both quantitative and mixed-method designs. He is particularly interested in topics such as sport parenting, sport confidence, motivational climates, stress and coping, and anti-doping in sport.
Sam’s research in these areas has been published in a range of leading international journals including:

‘International Review of Sport & Exercise Psychology’,
‘Psychology of Sport & Exercise’,
‘Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health’,
‘Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology’,
‘Journal of Applied Sport Psychology’,
‘International Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology’ and 'Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology'.

He is also an associate editor for the ‘Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology’, the official journal of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA).

Research impact

Sam’s research was submitted to REF2021 under Panel A (Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience) and contributed to impact case studies for both Loughborough University (QS-ranked No. 1 globally for sport-related subjects) and Kingston University.

Groups

Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity Research Group (SEPARG)

Publications

Hamann Magnus, Thrower Sam N., Stokoe Elizabeth, Harwood Chris G., What determines (in)effective post-competition parent-child interactions in British Tennis? A conversation analysis of car journeys home
Psychology of Sport and Exercise 79 (2025) ISSN: 1469-0292 eISSN: 1878-5476 What determines (in)effective post-competition parent-child interactions in British Tennis? A conversation analysis of car journeys home Open Access version on RADAR
Tagliavini EF, Harwood CG, Jowett S, Thrower SN, Understanding the Interpersonal Dynamics Between Parents and Coaches in Youth Tennis
ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review (English ed.) 95 (2025) pp.5-10 ISSN: 1812-2302 Understanding the Interpersonal Dynamics Between Parents and Coaches in Youth Tennis Open Access version on RADAR
Petróczi A, Thrower SN, Blank C, Introducing SPARK: A pilot study of a sport-specific, pragmatic, and athlete-centred values-based anti-doping education workshop
Performance Enhancement & Health 13 (2) (2025) ISSN: 2211-2669 eISSN: 2211-2669 Introducing SPARK: A pilot study of a sport-specific, pragmatic, and athlete-centred values-based anti-doping education workshop Open Access version on RADAR
Willmott E, Thrower SN, Petrozci A, Grow through what you go through: A multiple-case study of competitive bodybuilders’ experiences of learning to manage the demands of their engagement in the sport
Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 17 (4) (2025) pp.330-346 ISSN: 2159-676X eISSN: 2159-6778 Grow through what you go through: A multiple-case study of competitive bodybuilders’ experiences of learning to manage the demands of their engagement in the sport Open Access version on RADAR
Thrower SN, Barker J, Bruton A, Coffee P, Cumming J, Harwood C, Howells K, Knight C, McCarthy P, Mellalieu SD, BPS DSEP position statement: Psychological skills training in youth sport
Sport & Exercise Psychology Review 19 (1) (2024) ISSN: 1745-4980 eISSN: 2396-961X BPS DSEP position statement: Psychological skills training in youth sport Open Access version on RADAR
Petróczi A, Martinelli LA, Thrower SN, Veltmaat A, Heyes A, Barkoukis V, Bondarev D, Elbe A-M, Lazuras L, Mallia L, Zelli A, Elite athletes’ values in action: an important yet complicated aspect in anti-doping education
International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 23 (4) (2024) pp.588-614 ISSN: 1612-197X eISSN: 1557-251X Elite athletes’ values in action: an important yet complicated aspect in anti-doping education Open Access version on RADAR
Tagliavini E, Jowett S, Thrower S, Harwood C, A Collective Case Study of Parent-Athlete-Coach Triads in British Youth Tennis
The Sport Psychologist [online first] (2023) ISSN: 0888-4781 eISSN: 1543-2793 A Collective Case Study of Parent-Athlete-Coach Triads in British Youth Tennis Open Access version on RADAR
Thrower SN, Barker JB, Bruton AM, Coffee P, Cumming J, Harwood CG, Howells KL, Knight CJ, McCarthy PJ, Mellalieu SD, Enhancing Wellbeing, Long-Term Development, and Performance in Youth Sport: Insights from Experienced Applied Sport Psychologists Working with Young Athletes in the United Kingdom
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 36 (3) (2023) pp. 519-541 ISSN: 1041-3200 eISSN: 1533-1571 Enhancing Wellbeing, Long-Term Development, and Performance in Youth Sport: Insights from Experienced Applied Sport Psychologists Working with Young Athletes in the United Kingdom Open Access version on RADAR
Willmott E, Thrower S, Williams, TL, Petroczi A , The perfect storm: A meta-ethnography of the motivations, behaviours, and experiences of competitive bodybuilders
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 18 (1) (2023) pp.572-591 ISSN: 1750-984X eISSN: 1750-9858 The perfect storm: A meta-ethnography of the motivations, behaviours, and experiences of competitive bodybuilders Open Access version on RADAR
Thrower SN, Spray CM, Harwood CG, Evaluating the “Optimal Competition Parenting Workshop” Using the RE-AIM Framework: A 4-Year Organizational-Level Intervention in British Junior Tennis
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 45 (1) (2023) pp.1-14 ISSN: 0895-2779 eISSN: 1543-2904 Evaluating the “Optimal Competition Parenting Workshop” Using the RE-AIM Framework: A 4-Year Organizational-Level Intervention in British Junior Tennis Open Access version on RADAR
Shelley J, Thrower SN, Petróczi A, Whose job is it anyway? A qualitative investigation into the influence of agents, race organisers, and sponsors on the risk of doping in elite distance running
International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 15 (1) (2023) pp.23-44 ISSN: 1940-6940 eISSN: 1940-6959 Whose job is it anyway? A qualitative investigation into the influence of agents, race organisers, and sponsors on the risk of doping in elite distance running Open Access version on RADAR
Martinelli LA, Thrower SN, Heyes A, Boardley ID, Backhouse SH, Petróczi A, The good, the bad, and the ugly: A qualitative secondary analysis into the impact of doping and anti-doping on clean elite athletes in five European countries
International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 15 (1) (2023) pp.3-22 ISSN: 1940-6940 eISSN: 1940-6959
Thomas O, Thrower SN, Developing and Maintaining Sport-Confidence: Learning From Elite Athletes
Frontiers for Young Minds 10 (2022) ISSN: : 2296-6846 eISSN: 2296-6846
Ainsworth NP, Thrower SN, Petróczi A, Two sides of the same coin: A qualitative exploration of experiential and perceptual factors which influence the clinical interaction between physicians and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid using patients in the UK
Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health 2 (2022) ISSN: 2667-1182 eISSN: 2667-1182
Kramers S, Thrower SN, Steptoe K, Harwood CG, Parental strategies for supporting children’s psychosocial development within and beyond elite sport
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 35 (3) (2022) pp.498-520 ISSN: 1041-3200 eISSN: 1533-1571
Thrower SN, Hamann M, Stokoe E, Harwood CG, Examining parent-child interactions in British junior tennis: A conversation analysis of the pre-competition car journey
Psychology of Sport and Exercise 60 (2022) ISSN: 1469-0292 eISSN: 1878-5476
Dorsch TE, Wright E, Eckardt VC, Elliott S, Thrower SN, Knight CJ, A history of parent involvement in organized youth sport: A scoping review.
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology 10 (4) (2021) pp.536-557 ISSN: 2157-3905 eISSN: 2157-3913
Ainsworth N, Thrower SN, Petróczi A, Fragile femininity, embodiment, and self-managing harm: an interpretative phenomenological study exploring the lived experience of females who use anabolic-androgenic steroids
Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 14 (3) (2021) pp.363-381 ISSN: 2159-676X eISSN: 2159-6778
Shelley J, Thrower SN, Petróczi A, Racing Clean in a Tainted World: A Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences and Views of Clean British Elite Distance Runners on Doping and Anti-Doping
Frontiers in Psychology 12 (2021) ISSN: 1664-1078 eISSN: 1664-1078
Petróczi A, Heyes A, Thrower SN, Martinelli LA, Backhouse SH, Boardley ID, Understanding and building clean(er) sport together: Community-based participatory research with elite athletes and anti-doping organisations from five European countries
Psychology of Sport and Exercise 55 (2021) ISSN: 1469-0292 eISSN: 1878-5476
Harwood CG, Thrower SN, Performance Enhancement and the Young Athlete: Mapping the Landscape and Navigating Future Directions
Kinesiology Review 8 (3) (2019) pp.171-179 ISSN: 2163-0453 eISSN: 2161-6035
Thomas O, Thrower SN, Lane A, Thomas J, Types, Sources, and Debilitating Factors of Sport Confidence in Elite Early Adolescent Academy Soccer Players
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 33 (2) (2019) pp.192-217 ISSN: 1041-3200 eISSN: 1533-1571
Harwood CG, Thrower SN, Slater MJ, Didymus FF, Frearson L, Advancing Our Understanding of Psychological Stress and Coping Among Parents in Organized Youth Sport
Frontiers in Psychology 10 (2019) ISSN: 1664-1078 eISSN: 1664-1078
Harwood CG, Knight CJ, Thrower SN, Berrow SR, Advancing the study of parental involvement to optimise the psychosocial development and experiences of young athletes
Psychology of Sport and Exercise 42 (2019) pp.66-73 ISSN: 1469-0292 eISSN: 1469-0292
Harwood CG, Caglar E, Thrower SN, Smith JMJ, Development and Validation of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate in Individual Sport Competition Questionnaire
Frontiers in Psychology 10 (2019) ISSN: 1664-1078 eISSN: 1664-1078
Bleasdale EE, Thrower SN, Petróczi A, Would You Use It With a Seal of Approval? Important Attributes of 2,4-Dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) as a Hypothetical Pharmaceutical Product
Frontiers in Psychiatry 9 (2018) ISSN: 1664-0640 eISSN: 1664-0640
Thrower SN, Harwood CG, Spray CM, Educating and Supporting Tennis Parents Using Web-Based Delivery Methods: A Novel Online Education Program
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 31 (3) (2018) pp.303-323 ISSN: 1041-3200 eISSN: 1533-1571
Thrower SN, Harwood CG, Spray CM, Educating and supporting tennis parents: an action research study
Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 9 (5) (2017) pp.600-618 ISSN: 2159-676X eISSN: 2159-6778
Thrower SN, Harwood CG, Spray CM, Educating and supporting tennis parents: A grounded theory of parents’ needs during childhood and early adolescence.
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology 5 (2) (2016) pp.107-124 ISSN: 2157-3905 eISSN: 2157-3913

Petróczi A, Blank C, Thrower S, The Athlete Vulnerability in Times of Crisis in Anti-Doping
in Strauss, B., Buenemann, S., Behlau, C., Tietjens, M., & Tamminen, K. (ed.), Psychology of crises in sport, Springer (2024) ISBN: 9783031693274 eISBN: 9783031693281 The Athlete Vulnerability in Times of Crisis in Anti-Doping Open Access version on RADAR
Thrower SN, Dorsch TE, Knight CJ, Harwood CG, Mixing Methods to Advance our Understanding of Parental Stress and Coping in Youth Sport
in Áine Humble, Elise Radina (ed.), How Qualitative Data Analysis Happens: Moving Beyond “Themes Emerged”, Expanded Edition, Routledge (2024) ISBN: 9781032183213 eISBN: 9781003254041
Harwood C, Thrower SN, Kramers S, Wylleman P, Coaching Psychological and Life Skills through Sport: Advancing the Contemporary Coaching Agenda
in Martin Toms, Ruth Jeanes (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Coaching Children in Sport, Routledge (2022) ISBN: 9781032058191 eISBN: 9781003199359
Thrower SN, Harwood CG, Neely KC, Stress-Related Growth within Youth Sport
in Ross Wadey, Melissa Day, Karen Howells (ed.), Growth Following Adversity in Sport, Routledge (2020) ISBN: 9780367223809 eISBN: 9781003058021
Harwood CG, Thrower SN, Motivational climate in youth sport groups
in Mark W. Bruner, Mark A. Eys and Luc J. Martin (ed.), Motivational climate in youth sport groups, Academic Press (2020) ISBN: 9780128163368
Dorsch TE, Thrower SN, Lowe K, Parent involvement in youth sport: developmental considerations regarding children, adolescents, and emerging adults
in Mark W. Bruner, Mark A. Eys and Luc J. Martin (ed.), Parent involvement in youth sport: developmental considerations regarding children, adolescents, and emerging adults, Academic Press (2020) ISBN: 9780128163368
Harwood CG, Thrower SN, Parenting in Sport
in Dictionary of Sport Psychology (1st Edition), Elsevier (2019) ISBN: 9780128131503 eISBN: 9780128131510
Harwood CG, Thrower SN, Youth Sport
in Dictionary of Sport Psychology: Sport, Exercise, and Performing Arts, Elsevier (2019) ISBN: 9780128131503

Harwood CG, Shanmuganathan-Felton V, Thrower SN , The psychology behind sports performance ,
(2023)

Professional information

Memberships of professional bodies

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS)
British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist (Membership Number: 500690)
Member of the International Society of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (QRSE)

Consultancy

Sam has consulted with the Lawn Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation, and the Youth Sport Trust.
His contributions include authoring educational content for the Youth Sport Trust’s performance parent workshops and app, creating educational resources for the International Tennis Federation, and collaborating with the Lawn Tennis Association on their parent education and support strategy.