Rate My Professor Tania Cassidy

Emeritus Professor Tania Cassidy specializes in sports pedagogy within the University of Otago's School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences. She holds a Diploma in Physical Education (DipPE), Diploma in Graduate Studies (DipGrad), Master of Physical Education (MPhEd) from the University of Otago, a PhD from Deakin University, and a Diploma in Teaching (DipTchg). After teaching in New Zealand and England, she joined the University of Otago in 1998 as a lecturer in pedagogy. She advanced to full Professor in 2024 and was conferred Emeritus Professor status in 2025 upon retirement. Her research employs interpretive and critical perspectives to examine sports coaching as a social and educational practice. Key areas include the pedagogy of sports coaching, coach education and development, youth development via sports coaching, and the politics and policies shaping coach development. Cassidy advocates for ethical, inclusive coaching practices across all ages, abilities, and developmental stages.

Cassidy is lead author of influential books including Understanding Sports Coaching: The Pedagogical, Social and Cultural Foundations of Sports Practice (Routledge, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2023 editions) and Understanding Strength and Conditioning as Sport Coaching: Bridging the Biophysical, Pedagogical and Sociocultural Foundations of Practice (Routledge, 2020). Recent works encompass Cassidy and Byrne (2024), 'It is leadership, but (maybe) not as you know it: Advocating for a diversity paradigm in sports leadership and beyond' in Behavioral Sciences; Manu, Cassidy, and Hapeta (2024) chapter in Towards a Pacific Island Sociology of Sport; and chapters on coach development curriculum and in rugby union contexts in The Routledge Handbook of Coach Development in Sport (2024). Her scholarship has driven a paradigm shift in international sport pedagogy research by integrating educational theories to analyze coach-athlete-content-context interconnections, contesting conventional coach development, athlete learning, and talent identification paradigms. In 2024, she presented her Inaugural Professorial Lecture, 'Learning to become: Pedagogy and leadership.' She provided advisory input to New Zealand Hockey and Football and has supervised multiple PhD and MPhEd students to completion, while engaging in governance roles with sport organizations.