Dr Vicky Gottwald

• Postgraduate Diploma in Elite Coaching Practice
  University of Central Lancashire, 2019
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
  Higher Education Academy, 2016
• PhD Skill Acquisition
  Bangor University, 2011
• M-Level Postgraduate Certificate of Education (Secondary Physical Education)
  University of Southampton, 2007
• BSc Sports Science
  University of Wales, Bangor, 2006

Vicky Gottwald BSc. PGCE. PGDip. PhD. SFHEA is a skill acquisition researcher and member of the Institute of Psychology for Elite Performance (IPEP) at Bangor University. Her research interests are well aligned with her passion for sports coaching, and she is particularly interested in coaching instruction. More specifically, the way in which verbal instruction can direct an athlete's attention and consequently, either enhance or impede motor learning and performance. Similarly, Vicky has an interest in talent identification and development; specifically, with regards to enhancing the practice environment for optimal performance.

Vicky is the Talent Identification and Transfer lead for the Welsh Institute for Performance Science (WIPS: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/sports-science/astem/wips/); a three-way partnership between Sport Wales, Wales’ leading academic sport scientists and relevant industry partners to support multi-disciplinary, world-leading, applied performance science projects that enhance the performance of Welsh athletes and businesses.

As a UKCC Level 4 basketball coach, Vicky has extensive experience applying skill acquisition related theoretical concepts in practice and has coached across various stages of the Basketball Wales National Team Programmes. 

I currently teach on the following modules:

• Level 2 Skill Acquisition
• Level 2 Sports Psychology Theory and Practice
• Level 3 Planning your Coaching System

I am willing to supervise PhD candidates on projects within areas of expertise e.g. coaching instruction (attentional focus), practice structure and talent identification and development.

Self-funded (inc.agency-funded) projects: I welcome informal enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in projects related to the above topic areas. Please submit a draft research proposal to v.m.gottwald@bangor.ac.uk. 

Funded projects: Studentship opportunities within the School can be found at: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/studentfinance/postgraduate/funding#psychology

2024

• PublishedAn external focus enhances performance: is it as black and white as we think?
  Gottwald, V., Owen, R., Herrebroden, H., Becker, K., Marchant, D. & Simpson, T., 16 Jul 2024.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
• PublishedEcological uses of external and internal foci of attention: A qualitative investigation into OPTIMAL Theory of Motor Learning.
  Gottwald, V., Hardman, L., Owen, R., Gallicchio, G., Roberts, J. & Knight, C., 16 Jul 2024.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
• PublishedExploring factors influencing success within the WRU developmental pathway: A multidisciplinary, longitudinal approach.
  Lowe, G., Evans, S., Gottwald, V., Jones, E. & Owen, J., 2 Jul 2024.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
• PublishedStepping Beyond Tradition: Comparing traditional verbal coaching instructions to a constraints-led approach when learning boxing stance
  Hardman, L., Owen, R. & Gottwald, V., 16 Jul 2024. 1 p.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
• PublishedThe prevalence, mechanism, and reporting behaviours of breast injury in international under-18 women’s rugby union players
  Kirby, E., Jones, M., Evans, S., Gottwald, V. & Owen, J., 8 Jul 2024.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
• E-pub ahead of printThirty years of longitudinal talent development research: A systematic review and meta-aggregation
  Lawrence, G., Dunn, E., Gottwald, V., Oliver, S., Roberts, R., Hardy, J. & Woodman, T., 22 Feb 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Published‘One size fits all’ – or should it? An individualised approach to enhancing talent development environments
  Lowe, G., Gottwald, V., Roberts, R., Hardy, J. & Owen, J., 19 Jul 2024.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review

2023

• PublishedEvery story has two sides: evaluating information processing and ecological dynamics perspectives of focus of attention in skill acquisition.
  Gottwald, V., Davies, M. & Owen, R., 24 May 2023, In: Frontiers. 5, 13 p., 1176635.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
• PublishedInjury surveillance in female youth rugby union: A pilot study in the community sport setting
  Chandy, T., Evans, S., Gottwald, V. & Owen, J., 16 May 2023.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review
• PublishedTesting anxiety's effect on movement planning and correction: Online upper-limb corrections are not completely automatic
  Lawrence, G., Owen, R., Gottwald, V. & Khan, M., Feb 2023, In: Human Movement Science. 87, 1, 24 p., 103022.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2022

• PublishedA Retrospective Enquiry into the Holistic Development of Elite British Olympic Weightlifters
  Anderson, D., Lawrence, G. & Gottwald, V., Dec 2022, In: Journal of Expertise. 5, 4, p. 147-168 22 p., 4.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCapturing the holistic profile of high performance Olympic weightlifting development
  Anderson, D., Gottwald, V. & Lawrence, G., 30 Sept 2022, In: Frontiers. 4, 17 p., 986134.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPredicting undergraduate students’ learning from a lecture: The role of self-control, motivation, and mental effort.
  Owen, R., Blanchfield, A. & Gottwald, V., 31 May 2022, In: Cylchgrawn Addysg Cymru/The Welsh Journal of Education. 24, 1, p. 1-17 17 p., 24.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedTalent development in sport. How do you make it to the top?
  Knight, C. & Gottwald, V., 27 May 2022, In: Frontiers for Young Minds. 10, 684710.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2021

• PublishedEarly promise versus late bloomers: a longitudinal and multidisciplinary analysis of relative age effects throughout an elite weightlifting pathway.
  Gottwald, V., Anderson, D. & Lawrence, G., 25 Dec 2021, In: Journal of Expertise. 4, 4, p. 335-364 30 p., 4.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRelative age effect? No “flipping” way! Nuanced evidence of an apparatus dependent inverse relative age effect, in elite women’s artistic gymnastics
  Langham-Walsh, E., Gottwald, V. & Hardy, J., 28 Jun 2021, In: PLoS ONE. 16, 6, e0253656.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

• PublishedAn internal focus of attention is optimal when congruent with afferent proprioceptive task information
  Gottwald, V., Owen, R., Lawrence, G. & McNevin, N., Mar 2020, In: Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 47, 101634.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLets go Surfing now, everybody's learning how; attentional strategies on expert and novice surfing performance under both practice and competition conditions
  Lawrence, G. P., Virian, J., Oliver, S. J. & Gottwald, V. M., 2020, In: European Journal of Sport Science. 20, 2, p. 229-239 11 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

• PublishedInitial steps in the validation of the athlete development formulation survey
  Langham-Walsh, E., Anderson, D., Dunn, E., Gottwald, V., Hardy, J., Hardy, L., Lawrence, G., Lowery, M., Oliver, S., Roberts, R. & Woodman, T., 2019, Journal of Exercise, Movement, and Sport (SCAPPS refereed abstracts repository). p. 115
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
• PublishedPreliminary Validation of the Athlete Development Formulation Survey (ADFS)
  Dunn, E., Anderson, D., Langham-Walsh, E., Lowery, M., Hardy, L., Lawrence, G., Woodman, T., Gottwald, V., Hardy, J., Roberts, R. & Oliver, S., 18 Oct 2019.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
• PublishedRelative Age Effect? No "Flipping" Way! Exploring the Relative Age Effect in Women's Artistic Gymnastics.
  Langham-Walsh, E., Gottwald, V. & Hardy, J., 18 Oct 2019, p. 204.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
• PublishedRelative age effect? No" flipping" way: Exploring the relative age effect in elite, female gymnastics
  Langham-Walsh, E., Gottwald, V. & Hardy, J., 2019, Journal of Exercise, Movement, and Sport (SCAPPS refereed abstracts repository). p. 116
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
• PublishedRepresentational Momentum in the Expertise Context: Support for the Theory of Event Coding as an Explanation for Action Anticipation
  Anderson, D. N., Gottwald, V. M. & Lawrence, G. P., 14 Aug 2019, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 10, 1838.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2018

• UnpublishedA Prospective Study of The Developmental Biographies of Great British Pathway Athletes: Pathway to Podium
  Dunn, E., Langham-Walsh, E., Lowery, M., Hardy, L., Lawrence, G., Gottwald, V., Hardy, J., Oliver, S. & Roberts, R., 8 Jun 2018, (Unpublished).
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster
• PublishedGoing against the grain: Performance when relevant proprioceptive afferent information is congruent with focus of attention
  Gottwald, V., Lawrence, G. & Owen, R., 21 Oct 2018, Journal of Exercise, Movement, and Sport: SCAPPS refereed abstracts repository. s1 ed. Vol. 50. p. 27
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
• PublishedIdentifying talent holistically: Using machine learning to capture the dynamic development of expertise in Olympic weightlifting. a preliminary analysis
  Anderson, D., Gottwald, V. & Lawrence, G., 21 Oct 2018, Journal of Exercise, Movement, and Sport : SCAPPS refereed abstracts repository. 1 ed. Vol. 50. p. 4
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
• PublishedPressure enhances online control when 'I' don't know I need to correct, but reduces it when 'I' do: Motor control strategies and state anxiety
  Owen, R., Gottwald, V. & Lawrence, G., 21 Oct 2018, Journal of Exercise, Movement, and Sport: SCAPPS refereed abstracts repository. 1 ed. Vol. 50. p. 54
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

2015

• PublishedRepresentational Momentum reveals visual anticipation differences in the upper and lower visual fields.
  Gottwald, V. M., Lawrence, G. P., Hayes, A. E. & Khan, M. A., 1 May 2015, In: Experimental Brain Research.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSystematically increasing contextual interference is beneficial for learning, but how long for?
  Mandzuk, A. A., Mandzuk, A., Lawrence, G. P. & Gottwald, V. M., 29 Apr 2015.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

2013

• PublishedBreaking down the One Target Advantage: The role of pressure
  Lawrence, G. P., Khan, M. A., Mottram, T. M. & Gottwald, V. M., 17 Oct 2013.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
• PublishedInternal and External Focus of Attention in a Novice Form Sport
  Lawrence, G. P., Gottwald, V. M., Hardy, J. & Khan, M. A., Jan 2013, In: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 82, 3, p. 431-441
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPractice with anxiety improves performance, but only when anxious: evidence for the specificity of practice hypothesis
  Lawrence, G. P., Cassell, V. E., Beattie, S. J., Woodman, T., Khan, M. A., Hardy, L. J. & Gottwald, V. M., 27 Oct 2013, In: Psychological Research. 78, 5
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSkill acquisition for coaches.
  Lawrence, G. P., Kingston, K., Gottwald, V. M. & Jones, R. L. (Editor), 4 Mar 2013, An Introduction to Sports Coaching: Connecting Theory to Practice: 2nd edition. Routledge, p. 31-48
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2012

• PublishedDifferent Cues of Personality and Health from the Face and Gait of Women
  Kramer, R. S. S., Gottwald, V. M., Dixon, T. A. M. & Ward, R., 1 Apr 2012, In: Evolutionary Psychology. 10, 2, p. 271-295
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPractice with anxiety improves performance, but only when anxious: Evidence for the specificity of practice hypothesis
  Hardy, L. J., Lawrence, G. P., Beattie, S., Woodman, T., Gottwald, V. M., Khan, M. A., Hardy, L. & Cassell, V., 7 Jun 2012.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
• PublishedPractice with anxiety improves performance, but only when anxious: Evidence for the specificity of practice hypothesis
  Lawrence, G., Beattie, S., Woodman, T., Khan, M. A., Hardy, L., Gottwald, V. M. & Cassell, V. E., 20 Jun 2012, Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. s1 ed. Vol. 34. p. S101
  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
• PublishedThe movement kinematics and learning strategies associated with adopting different foci of attention during both acquisition and anxious performance
  Lawrence, G. P., Gottwald, V., Khan, M. A. & Kramer, R., 2 Nov 2012, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 3, 468
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2010

• PublishedCan learning under an external focus of attention counteract the negative effects of choking under pressure?
  Gottwald, V. M., Lawrence, G. P. & Khan, M. A., Jun 2010, p. S82-S82.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review

2024

• Women's U18 Six Nations Rugby Player Welfare Project

  Female Rugby Player Welfare Project

  29 Mar 2024 – 6 Apr 2024

  Links:

  • https://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/2024-04-10-player-welfare-support-to-womens-u18-six-nations-from-bangor-researchers
  Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Participant)

2023

• Injury surveillance in female youth rugby union: A pilot study in the community sport setting

  BASEM Research Bursary Prize Presentation.

  6 Oct 2023

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
• Welsh Injury Surveillance in Girls Youth Rugby Engagement Film

  As part of the World Rugby funded research project examining injury risk, staff at the School of Psychology and Sport Science engaged with some 300 female rugby players across the nine Welsh Rugby Union female hubs in north Wales and commissioned a bilingual film to capture the spirit of female youth rugby in the region. The follow-on project resulting from this collaboration will be the World Rugby funded Welsh Injury Surveillance in Girls Youth Rugby project (WISGYR).

  1 Jul 2023 – 30 Sep 2024

  Links:

  • https://www.bangor.ac.uk/wisgyr
  • https://www.bangor.ac.uk/community/bangor-university-community-fund
  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)

2022

• BU-IIA Funded Project: Life’s a beach: Anthropometric and psychological profiles of the World’s best Beach Sprint Rowers to determine future talent identification and selection protocols

  Anthropometric and psychological profiles of the World’s best Beach Sprint Rowers to determine future talent identification and selection protocols - research carried out by BU at 2022 World Coastal Rowing Championships.

  Rees et al.’s (2017) review of current knowledge on the development of the World’s best sporting talent, recommends practitioners adopt anthropometric profiling for talent selection protocols and psychological profiling for talent development purposes. Of note, Hardy et al. (2017) state anthropometric and psychological profiles are almost certainly sport specific. This also builds on Gottwald et al. 2022 work with Weightlifting Wales (KESS II funded).

  Project outcomes will be fourfold: (1) inform the development of talent selection and development protocols within British Rowing and globally; (2) contribute to research excellence via two high calibre REF returnable manuscripts and contribution to an impact case study (REF 2028); (3) strengthen industry partnerships via fostering relationships with Welsh, British, and World Rowing; and (4) enhance the student experience by providing skill development and employability opportunities for BU students. (1)Aligned with BU’s economic, social and civic impact, data will be used to inform talent identification, selection, and development protocols. Beach sprint rowing remains in its infancy and researchers and practitioners are yet to determine the optimal anthropometric and psychological profile for successful performance at the highest level of this sport. Having this unique data set will allow us to have genuine impact and raise the profile of the sport by enhancing the calibre of athletes competing within it. Similarly, data will contribute to enhanced inclusivity in rowing. Where traditionally, rowing has relied upon selection protocols biased towards ‘tall and talented’, the different physical demands of beach sprints will likely suit a smaller stature retaining a broader range of athletes within the sport. However, this shift is unlikely to happen without the proposed data to support it. (2)Aligned with research excellence, this work will contribute to a likely 4* rated REF impact case study (ICS) surrounding talent identification and development, continuing the School’s successful track record of this type of activity (1 x 3.5* and 1 x 4* REF 2020 ICS). It is well aligned with other talent related projects culminating within the current REF 2028 period, so would contribute to create some critical mass in this area (e.g., work with Weightlifting Wales / UK Sport Pathway to Podium / ECB). As testament to the potential calibre of this applied project, it has been supported in principle by the Welsh Institute of Performance Sciences; a three-way partnership between Sport Wales, Wales’ leading academic sport scientists, and relevant industry partners to support multi-disciplinary, world-leading, applied science projects that enhance the performance of Welsh athletes and businesses. The project will aim to culminate in one strong REF returnable output investigating the anthropometric and psychological determinants of expertise in beach sprinting; based largely on this being the first dataset of its kind and the unique nature of the elite sample. Data will also contribute to a second talent transfer oriented dataset (funded by Welsh Rowing) investigating differences in anthropometric and psychological profiles of beach sprinters transferring from traditional flat-water backgrounds to coastal rowing (the most common pathway rowers currently progress to elite levels within the sport). This will likely be another strong output due to talent transfer being a relatively novel aspect of the talent literature and the cutting-edge analytic techniques (i.e., pattern recognition analysis) we will utilise. Outputs produced by all the authors were entered in REF 2021 and were of at least 3* quality. (3)Our involvement in this event will support the primary research team to strengthen existing research collaborations with Welsh Rowing whilst developing new collaborations with British Rowing and the World federation, increasing the scale and scope of our research partnerships. This is consistent with the BU research strategy to increase visibility and impact of its world-leading research by fostering relationships with industry partners. We anticipate that this will help set the scene for future impact related work; one initiative World Rowing have already shown a keen interest in is the development of a new contemporary GPS-based timing system for the sport, which would have global impact and potential enterprise opportunities.

  Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £8,783

  4 May 2022 – 30 Apr 2023

  Activity: Other (Contributor)

2021

• Early Promise Versus Late Bloomers: A Longitudinal and Multidisciplinary Analysis of Relative Age Effects in an Elite Weightlifting Pathway

  ESAN Conference Presentation

  12 May 2021

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2020

• Canoe Slalom Pathway to Podium End of Year 1 Feedback Session

  Presenting preliminary findings from the pattern recognition analysis.

  26 Feb 2020

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• EDP GB Hockey feedback session 1

  Pathway2Podium Feedback session 1. Present: Head of Talent, Head EDP Coaches, Head of GB Support, EDP S&C coach, EIS Pathways Senior Scientist and SSHES Senior Lecturer (GL).

  27 Jan 2020

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2019

• Canoe Slalom Pathway to Podium Project Quarter 2 Feedback

  Presentation of findings from the second quarter of the Pathway to Podium project.

  29 Jul 2019

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• Examining the Relative Age Effect in Elite, Female Gymnastics

  13 May 2019

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• Canoe Sprint Pathway to Podium Project Quarter 1 Feedback

  Presentation of findings from first quarter of the Pathway to Podium project.

  10 May 2019

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• Examining the Relative Age Effect in Elite, Female Gymnastics

  May 2019

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• Canoe Slalom Pathway to Podium Project Quarter 1 Feedback Session

  Presentation of findings from first quarter of the Pathway to Podium project.

  10 Apr 2019

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2017

• British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Sport Advisory Group

  Sport Advisory Group Basketball

  Sep 2017 – Jul 2018

  Activity: Consultancy (Consultant)
• The dynamic and multifaceted development of expertise: Expertise development in practice

  Expertise devlopment in practice

  25 May 2017

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
• Nancy McNevin

  Research collaboration underlying mechanisms of human movement

  20 Apr 2017 – 29 Apr 2017

  Activity: Hosting an academic visitor (Host)
• Physical Literacy Programme for Schools National Action Research Group

  Investigating teachers’ and teaching assistants’ responses to CPD in Health, Well-being and Physical Literacy

  27 Feb 2017

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)

2016

• Symposium Presentation. Sports policy in Wales - priorities for funding, facilities and improving participation

  The impact of the Physical Literacy Framework so far and opportunities to expand physical education in the new National Curriculum

  17 Nov 2016

  Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
• Sport Wales (External organisation)

  National Action Research Group Physical Literacy for Schools

  1 Apr 2016 – 31 Mar 2017

  Activity: Membership of committee (Chair)

2015

• Conference Presentation. Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology

  When vision is impaired, what should athletes focus on?

  14 Oct 2015

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• 6th Annual Meeting of Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network (ESAN) in association with BASES

  Invited Discussant. Instruction and Feedback: Does yours help or hinder?

  30 Apr 2015

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2014

• Psychology of Sports Coaching Conference

  Systematically increasing contextual interference is beneficial for learning, but how long for?

  23 Oct 2014

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2011

• Expertise Skill Acquisition Network (ESAN) (External organisation)

  Expertise Skill Acquisition Network

  15 Sep 2011

  Activity: Membership of network (Chair)

2010

• NASPSPA (North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity) Conference

  Can learning under an external focus of attention counteract negative effects of choking under pressure?

  10 Jun 2010 – 12 Jun 2010

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2009

• 12th World Congress of Sport Psychology Conference

  Examining an internal and external focus of attention in a novice form sport

  Jun 2009

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2008

• Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology

  The Use of the Specificity of Learning Principle to Reduce Choking Under Pressure

  Nov 2008

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

• Talent Development of High-Performance Beach Rowers

  01/04/2021 – 30/04/2024 (Finished)

• Physical Literacy Programme for Schools

  01/04/2016 – 30/04/2017 (Finished)

Basketball, Coaching, Sea Swimming, Meditation