James H Dugdale

Dr. James H Dugdale is a Lecturer in Sport Science and Coaching at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Applied Sciences, with over a decade of professional and academic experience in applied sport science. He specializes in youth soccer talent identification and development, working with adolescent athletes, coaches, and parents in both research and applied settings. Prior to joining Napier in 2021, he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Stirling and a PhD studentship with Soccer PDP, focusing on youth soccer development. His scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications, student supervision, oral presentations, and industry consultancy.

• Education:
  • PhD in Sport Science (University of Stirling, match-funded by Soccer PDP)

Research Interests: Dr. Dugdale’s work examines relative age effects in soccer, multi-directional speed development in youth players, and psychosocial factors in athletic pathways. He investigates how socioeconomic status intersects with psychological characteristics in talent development, and evaluates objective/subjective assessment methods for physical qualities in soccer.

His recent publications (2023–2025) focus on talent identification frameworks, maturity-related performance trends, and hybrid learning applications in soccer coaching. These articles span interdisciplinary keywords including sports science, psychology, sociology, and biomechanics, with sub-fields like agility training, stakeholder analysis, and psychosocial growth.

Grants and Projects: Current funded initiatives include

• Sportscotland grant (£15,225) for talent pathway development
• Scottish Football Association Ltd. grant (£4,850) on set piece analysis
• Football Sport Nutrition PhD Studentship (£36,228)
• Football Sport Psychology PhD Studentship (£32,277)

Supervision: He actively supervises postgraduate research projects, including PhD candidates Saumya Khullar and Jess Lister, and Master’s students Megan Mccready and Lauren Falconer. His supervisory roles range from Director of Studies to Second Supervisor across diverse topics like injury prevention and hybrid learning in soccer.

Labs & Collaborations: Dr. Dugdale collaborates with Edinburgh Napier’s Sports, Exercise and Health Science Research Group and works with industry partners like Soccer PDP and the Scottish Football Association. His research bridges academic inquiry with practical applications in youth athlete development.