Dr Adele Muscat is a senior lecturer within the Institute for Physical Education and Sport, with her area of expertise being sport psychology. Her PhD thesis and subsequent research have focused on athlete transitions, in particular, the challenges experienced by footballers when they migrate to play professional football overseas. Her current research focus is on mental health aspects in football and safeguarding. 

Adele has a Bachelor in Psychology degree from the University of Malta, a Masters’ degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the Manchester Metropolitan University and a Doctor of Philosophy from Liverpool John Moores University. She also has  25 years’ experience working in elite sport in particular with the Malta Football Associationand the Maltese Olympic Committee where she was also a Director between the years 2008 and 2012. She was also the sport psychologist at the National Sports School for a number of years. Adele was the sport psychologist for the Maltese contingent at the 2004, 2012 Olympic Games; 2002, 2010 Commonwealth Games; 2009 Mediterranean Games, at several Games of Small States as well as UEFA competitions. She has also lectured and provided psychological support to various clubs overseas.

Matt Sharp is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist in Training (SEPiT) on the BASES accreditation pathway. With a strong background in coaching and sport psychology, he’s spent his career exploring how motivational climates shape behaviour change, mental well-being, and performance.

Matt's academic journey includes an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Bolton and a BSc in Psychology of Sport from the University of Salford. His MSc research explored whether perfectionistic climates predict psychological safety and mental well-being, examining how an athlete’s environment impacts their psychological experience. He is currently pursuing a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University focussing on how AI can support exercise adherence and behaviour change for individuals moving on from the Physical Activity Referral Scheme (PARS) with a mental health condition. 

Matt has over 30 years of coaching experience across county, regional, national, university, and club pathways in both cricket and lacrosse. He holds a Level 3 lacrosse coaching qualification and an ECB club coach award in cricket. He’s worked in county and school cricket, club coaching, and the Chance to Shine programme, helping to develop players and increase participation at both grassroots and performance levels. As Head Coach for Wales Lacrosse, Matt has led teams at major international tournaments, including Home International and Home Nations 6s. He has been responsible for squad selection, developing performance and team culture, and implementing psychological strategies to enhance both individual and team performance. His work extends to the University of Manchester’s women’s lacrosse club, as well as regional and national lacrosse programmes, where he applies sport psychology principles to help athletes balance academic and sporting demands.

Alongside his coaching, Matt works as an independent sport and exercise psychology consultant, delivering workshops and interventions to support and enhance performance in teams and individuals. His approach blends psychology with coaching to support athlete development holistically. He’s also delivered lectures and workshops for sport science and psychology students, as well as education programmes for athletes, coaches, teachers, and parents.

At the upcoming sports psychology conference at the University of Newcastle, Matt will be sharing insights from his research on perfectionistic climates and their relationship with psychological safety and mental well-being. His session will offer practical takeaways for coaches, athletes, and practitioners looking to create better environments for both performance and well-being.

Oisin is a PhD Researcher at Ulster University Belfast exploring the topic of Athlete Transitions and Social Support for athletes in a national football academy in Northern Ireland. He is a current BASES SEPAR candidate working across different athletes and team across various sports, ages and levels within GAA, football, rugby, cricket, golf and Irish dancing. Operating under OMAC Performance Psychology (@omacperformance on Instagram and omacperformance.com). Previous job role coaching Hurling and Gaelic Football with Ulster GAA as a Schools Coach and Hurling Development Officer, working with athletes aged 5-20 years old across various levels from grassroots to semi-elite.