Stig Arve Sæther

Stig Arve Sæther is a Professor of Sports Science at the Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences. His research focuses on talent development, elite sports, and sports psychology, with specific emphasis on transitions from junior to senior elite, stress, perfectionism, and coach-athlete relationships. He leads the research group Skill and Performance Development in Sports and School (SPDSS) and the NTNU Sports Network.

• Primary research areas: Talent development environments, dual careers, relative age effects, and athlete stress
• Ongoing projects: Female athlete development, Norwegian football club mergers, international youth football environments, senior transitions in school sports, and destructive leadership in sports
• Collaborations: Rosenborg Ball Club, Kristiansund Ball Club (NEAS Academy), Norwegian Handball Association, Norwegian Ice Hockey Association
• Editor-in-Chief: Scandinavian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

His recent research explores gender differences in talent environments (handball/ice hockey), parental impacts on biathlon transitions, and communication barriers around menstrual cycles in female football. With 60+ international journal articles and multiple books, his work bridges academic rigor and practical sports insights. Media presence spans 200+ TV/radio/podcast appearances (TV2 Sporten, NRK, GameChanger) and newspapers (Wall Street Journal, Aftenposten). Key students include Max Bergström (PhD) and 46+ master’s graduates. Awards not explicitly mentioned, but his editorial and research group leadership highlight institutional recognition.