Darren Devaney, former LJMU Sports Psychology Masters student, and now Personal Development and Welfare Coach (PDW) at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), visited LJMU's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences to deliver a useful insight into his world of work.

Darren has a dual practitioner/researcher role that focuses on the personal development and welfare (including lifestyle) of young England cricketers as they enter into, and make their career transitions through the England Development Programme. Darren works closely with the ECB National Cricket Squads, players, coaches and support staff. The role also involves Darren completing his PhD alongside his work - he is  supported and supervised by the Psychology and Development Research Group based within the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at LJMU.

Darren, presented some insights into his role to Level 6 Psychology and Development undergraduate students and Sports Psychology postgraduate students.

Darren recounted real life work scenarios that were pertinent to the students as they had just covered the tensions between the role of a performance lifestyle practitioner and a sport psychologist. To hear his real and practical account of how this plays out within the ECB, added some additional contextual relevance to the students' knowledge base and experience.

Darren is supported by the School's Psychology and Development (PaD) research group and supervised by Dr Dave Richardson (acting) Co-Director, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Dr Mark Nesti and Dr Martin Littlewood.

Dr Richardson said:

"Darren graduated from our Sports Psychology Masters course in 2013.  He has gone straight into applied practice with top level English cricketers and serves as a fantastic role model to current and future students who wish to work in high level performance sport."

Darren added:

"It was a real pleasure to come back to present to the Level 6 and Masters students. It was great to reflect on my own experience over the last 5 months. I also feel I can still relate a lot to the questions that final year and postgrad students would have about the applied world, so hopefully I could help answer some of these. I can safely say the transition from student to practitioner would not have been as smooth without the expert teaching and depth of applied experience I had access to on my MSc Sports Psychology. I am very glad to be still involved with these members of staff whilst I am working at the ECB and simultaneously working towards my PhD."

Darren is pictured after his talk with current Masters student, Chris Lynch