Katie Dray

I am a senior lecturer and the course director for BSc Sport Coaching Science degree.

I first joined CCCU in 2003 as an undergraduate student and completed my BSc in Sport & Exercise Science with Psychology and then a PHD here exploring post event cognition in athletes. After a brief couple of years completing teaching and researching contracts at the University of Kent, Kingston University and Brunel University, I returned as a full time member of staff in 2014 to begin teaching the new coaching degree. In 2020 I took over as the course director for the degree.

I'm an active netball coach in my spare time, coaching school groups, county academies and have had experience coaching within a super league franchise. I enjoy sharing my coaching experiences with students to give them a realistic picture of the complexities of coaching in practice.

My teaching focus is on modules specifically focussed for the coaching students, including modules that explore contemporary discussions in coaching practice (like doping; emotional labour; and gender discrimination) as well as modules that look at building our coaching tool box like learning how to demonstrate or communicate effectively with different audiences.

I have also taught a number of other modules in the Sport & Exercise Sciences such as research methods and sport psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I have also supervised postgraduate research in the areas of mentoring in sport coaching and the role of social support in injury. I have acted as an external examiner for a number of institutions and am a senior fellow of the higher education academy.

My research interest lie largely in the coach as a performer in their own right, including issues such as how they learn effectively and the emotional impact of coaching activities. I have also worked on a range of research projects that encompass a broad spectrum of psychological features of involvement in sport from both a athlete and coach perspective.

Research Projects

An examination of sports coach mentoring practice, post-formal coach education/qualification, with particular focus on mentoring policy and development by sports NGBs.. Researcher(s): Mr Alister Fulton. Supervisor(s): Mr Jon Swain, Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Effective coaching interventions to improve communication, collaboration and confidence in people with a developmental disability. Researcher(s): Mr Joshua Russell. Supervisor(s): Dr Katie Dray, Dr Kristy Howells. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Exploring the effects of perceived social support and stress on recovery from skin barrier disruption.. Researcher(s): Mr Matthew Cunliffe. Supervisor(s): Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Informal and non-formal learning in sport coach education. Researcher(s): Dr Katie Dray. [Project report]

I am currently a BASES accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist and Chartered Psychologist with the BPS. I am also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and much of my external activities are related to the development of learning and teaching practices to support coaches and students within the sport sciences more broadly.

I sit on a number of internal and external groups including the faculty 'closing our gap' group and the BASES steering group for the education and teaching special interest group. I also work closely with a number of local projects including project 500 aimed at getting more women involved in coaching.

Building learning community through multi-cohort practical sessions: A case study from sport coaching Dr Katie Dray, Medway Learning and Teaching Conference. [Conference paper]
Flipping the rules! Partnering with students to promote engagement with the flipped classroom Dr Katie Dray, Change Agents Network Conference 2024. [Conference or workshop item]
She Can Coach: Getting more girls into coaching Dr Katie Dray, CCCU Secondary PE Conference 2024. [Conference paper]
#BalanceforBetter within sport Dr Kristy Howells, Dr Laura Gubby, Dr Katie Dray, Dr Hayley Mills, (08 Mar 2019). CCCU website. [Research report]
#Greatcoaching within sport Dr Kristy Howells, Dr Laura Gubby, Dr Katie Dray, Dr Hayley Mills, (04 Jun 2019). Expert Comments. [Technical report]
Developing a ‘students as partners’? approach in the ? student research journey? Dr Katie Dray, BASES Head of Department Forum. [Conference paper]
Exploring the use of e-portfolios in higher education coaching programs Dr Katie Dray, Dr Kristy Howells, (Oct 2019): International Sport Coaching Journal. [Journal article]
Adventures in coach learning: considering new approaches Dr Katie Dray, Dr Abby Foad, Professor Mike Weed, (01 Mar 2018): Applied Coaching Research Journal. [Journal article]
We need more female role models in sport to inspire the next generation Dr Kristy Howells, Dr Laura Gubby, Dr Katie Dray, Dr Hayley Mills, (26 Jun 2018). [Journal article]
“I could have gone off much harder”. Post-race counterfactual thinking in indoor rowers. Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill, Dr Hayley Mills, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Annual Conference. [Conference poster]
Moving from the playing field and into the dugout: Exploring the contributions of the 2013 DSEP conference to our understanding of the psychology and sport coaching relationship Dr Katie Dray, (Aug 2014): Sport and Exercise Psychology Review. [Journal article]
The thrill of defeat and the agony of victory: towards an understanding and transformation of athletes’ emotional experience Dr Mark Uphill, Dr Katie Dray: Reflective Practice. [Journal article]
Reflecting on reflections: the role of ‘what might have been’ Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill, (2012): The Sport and Exercise Scientist. [Journal article]
The agony and ecstasy of what might have been Dr Katie Dray, European College of Sport Sciences. [Conference paper]
A survey of athletes' counterfactual thinking: precursors, prevalence and consequences Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill, (2009): Sport and Exercise Psychology Review. [Journal article]
Counterfactuals: Contexts and consequences Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill, International Society for Sport Psychology World Congress. [Conference paper]
Focus groups and young peoples' views of the Olympic and Paralympic Games D. Chatziefstathiou, H. Curtis, Dr Katie Dray, Communicating Experiences: 3rd International Conference for Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. [Conference paper]
Giving yourself a good beating: appraisal, attribution, rumination, and counterfactual thinking Dr Mark Uphill, Dr Katie Dray, (2009): Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. [Journal article]

People search

Contact me

katie.dray@canterbury.ac.uk

01227922761

Based in

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences

School of Psychology and Life Sciences

Dr Katie Dray

Research Projects

Contact me

Based in