In this engaging chat, Dr. Scott McLean, a Senior Research Fellow and award-winning football coach, delves into complexity and systems thinking in sports. He emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to enhance performance and tackle challenges in athletics. Scott discusses anti-doping systems, advocating for holistic reforms instead of blaming athletes. He also critiques accountability in football, highlighting successful club models. Lastly, he explores the implications of talent and recognition for young athletes within systemic dynamics.
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AFL Club's COVID Response
An AFL club, worried about COVID's impact, had their performance department analyzed.
The analysis revealed over 70 staff in diverse roles, prompting recommendations for a generalist approach.
insights INSIGHT
Silos Hinder System Function
Silos in sports clubs, like in government, hinder collaboration and system function.
Interactions between individuals within a system are what truly define the system and its behaviors.
insights INSIGHT
Complexity and Interactions
The complexity of a system arises from numerous interactions, leading to emergent behaviors.
Issues like player injuries can be understood by analyzing information flow and task distribution within the system.
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This book introduces readers to systems thinking, a critical skill for 21st-century life. It explains how to understand and interact with complex systems, highlighting the importance of internal system structures and feedback loops. The book is divided into sections on system structures and behavior, the relationship between systems and humans, and strategies for creating change within systems. It aims to help readers develop a deeper understanding of systems to address global issues such as climate change, poverty, and social inequalities.
I’m delighted to speak with Dr Scott McLean this week. Scott is a Senior Research Fellow and the theme leader for Sport and Outdoor Recreation at the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems (CHFSTS) at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia.
Scott has a background in Exercise Science (MSc, BExSc) and obtained his PhD applying Human Factors and Ergonomics methods in sport, in which he received the David Ferguson Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia for the best PhD thesis.
His research spans a broad range of domains including sport science, safety science, and systems thinking. During his PhD and current Post-Doctoral research, Scott has made a number of significant research contributions which have advanced knowledge in the areas of team performance analysis, coaching, sports system modelling, applying Human Factors and Ergonomics in sport, incident reporting systems in outdoor recreation, and complex system modelling of the road safety system.
Scott has experience working with and conducting research with industry i.e. professional sporting clubs and an international football team, government agencies, as well as international collaborators. Scott is also a successful and award-winning football coach, which ensures that his research has a focus on delivering practice implications.
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