Loel Collins

Lecturer in Sports Coaching

  • Moray House School of Education and Sport
  • Institute of Physical Education and Health Sciences
  • Programme Director for MSc Performance Coaching & Development

Contact details

Address

Street

St. Leonard's Land
Holyrood Road

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 8AQ

Biography

Background

Loel is an action and adventure sports coach, coaching development and research specialist.

Following a successful forty year career as a coach and coach developer working  in the UK and around the world, Loel completed his Professional Doctorate in 2014 for a series of studies that examined the judgment and decision making of expert adventure sports coaches.  He continues to develop this interest and has published over 50 books, book chapters and peer reviewed articles in this area.

Practical relevance is an essential aspect of his research philosophy. He combines his academic skills with  high level coaching qualifications in kayaking and canoeing.  He is also qualified in skiing, mountaineering, technical and water rescue and  emergency response.

 

Qualifications

2014              Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance, University of Central Lancashire, for a thesis entitled, Professional Judgement and Decision Making in High-level Adventure Sports Coaches.

2012              Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of Central Lancashire.

Responsibilities & affiliations

Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Director of the Bryntysilio Outdoor Educational Trust

Director of the  National White Water Centre, Bala

Independent member of the Outward Bound Trusts, Risk Management Committee

 

Postgraduate teaching

MSc in Performance Coaching and Development (Programme Director)

Managing the Coaching Process (Course Lead)

Coaching Dissertation (Course Lead)

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Current PhD students supervised

Alice Mees- PhD- The Development of Decision Making skills in Adventure Sports Coaches

Jason Taylor- PhD-Evaluation of  Decision Making expertise in Adventure Sports Coaches

Past PhD students supervised

2017 June         Tom Willmott, Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance, University of Central Lancashire, for a thesis entitled:  Action Sports in Transition: Optimising Performance.   

2021 June         Matt Crowther, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Central Lancashire for a thesis entitled: An exploration of the epistemological basis of red ball and white ball cricket - The what, how and why of coaching cricket to developing athletes.

2022 October    Chris Eastabrook, Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance, University of Central Lancashire for a thesis entitled: Developing the Independent Adventurer.

2022 October    Martin Barry, Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance, University of Central Lancashire for a thesis entitled Developing decision making capability in adventure sport professionals: exploring epistemological foundations and implications for leader education in caving

Research summary

Loel's research interests focus on coaching and coach development, in particular the development of effective judgment and decision making in hyper dynamic, complex and high risk environments.

This has been principally in adventure sports, however, he has also worked with small specialist teams in law enforcement, technical rescue and emergency response.

Current research interests

Currently, Loel is working with his present and previous Doctoral and Masters students exploring the development of effective decision making skills in a range of applications. These include Outdoor Education, Sports Coaching, Swiftwater Rescue, Rescue and Emergency Care, and Coach Development.

Knowledge exchange

Loel has work for the National Governing Bodies with  a range of different action and adventure sports and, in addition, has worked with the emergency services on a variety of projects.

View all 61 publications on Research Explorer

Conference details

Reflecting his pragmatic research philosophy, he views practitioner focused conferences as the principle way in which research can be communicated and shared with  coaches and coach developers.

Papers delivered

Collins, L. (2021). Developing Critical Incident Decision Making in hyper-dynamic environments Core Risk Conference, Plas y Benin, North Wales, 10th October

Collins, L. (2019). Critical Incident Decision Making and Risk Behaviours; Judgement and decision-making in hyper-dynamic environments Core Risk Conference, Plas y Benin, North Wales, 4th- 6th October

Collins, L. (2019). Training for Competency in Voluntary Organisations. Mountain Rescue England and Wales Conference, Leeds Becket University, 7th -8th September  ( key note speaker)

Collins, L. (2019). Rescue Training Without Absolutes; Developing Safe and Adaptable Response Capabilities, Technical Rescue Conference Viola Arena, Cardiff, UK, 29th April - 3rd May, (invited speaker)

Collins, L. (2018). Developing Judgment and Decision Making. A workshops for the National Outdoor Leadership, risk management Conference, Portland Oregan, USA., 3-5th October (invited speaker)

Collins, L. (2018). Professional Judgment and Decision Making Skills workshops for the National providers of Mountain Training, National Providers Conference, Plas y Brenin, 4-5th May (invited speaker)

Collins, L. (2018). Developing Judgment and Decision Making Skills in Cadet Service Instructors, Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, HMS Indefatigable. Angelsey. 28th April. (invited speaker)

Collins, L. (2018).  The Agile Instructor; Developing Judgment and Decision Making Skills in Cadet Service Instructors, Activities Industries Mutual, AGM.  Plas y Brenin, 9th March (invited keynote)

Collins, D & Collins, L. (2018). A Route to Competence or Expertise? Redesigning Training and Accreditation Systems in Adventure Sport Coaching, Adventure sports coaching conference, Plas y Brenin, National Mountain Centre, North Wales 11th Janruary. (invited key note)

Collins, L. (2016).  The Challenges of Adventure sports Coach Education. International Conference for Outdoor Education, Galway and Mayo Institute of Technology, Ireland. 22nd, April. (invited speaker)

Collins, L & Collins, D. (2015).  Professional Judgment and Decision Making, Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres, Plas y Brenin, National Mountain Centre, North Wales. (invited keynote)

Collins, L. (2015). Implications of current research on the teaching of quick release Harness use in safety courses, British Canoeing Coaches Conference, 21st November 2015, Carange Hall

Collins, L. (2015). Decision Making and Judgment in Paddlesport Coaching, British Canoeing Coaches Conference, 21st November 2015, Carange Hall (invited keynote)

Collins, L & Collins, D. (2014). Coaching Theory into Practice, Plas y Brenin, National Mountain Centre. 28th November (invited keynote)

Onions, C & Collins, L (2013). The Performance of Quick Release harnesses in Water Rescue, Technical Rescue Conference, International Whitewater Centre, Cardiff .17th April. (Invited speakers)

Collins, L. (2012). Risk Benefit Analysis and Decision Making. Northern Irish Mountain Centre Conference on Risk Management in the Outdoors, 13th December. (invited speaker)

Collins, L (2012).  Contexualising the Adventuresports Coach, Northern Irish Mountain Centre Conference on Risk Management in the Outdoors, 13th December, (invited speaker)

Collins, L. (2012). Recontexualizing the Adventure sports Coach, Scottish Canoe Associations Coaches Conference, Glenmore Lodge National Mountain Centre, 10th October, (invited key note)

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