Dr Travis Dorsch

Biography

Dr. Travis Dorsch is a Professor and Founding Director of the Families in Sport Lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. Dr. Dorsch’s research targets the persons (i.e., parents, siblings, peers, and coaches) and contexts (i.e., organizations, communities, and societies) that have the potential to influence or be influenced by athletes’ behaviors, attitudes, experiences, and outcomes in youth sport. His research has been funded by multiple national organizations, including the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NCAA, and the Aspen Institute. Dr. Dorsch has authored more than 80 articles, book chapters, and technical reports and has contributed to more than 120 presentations for local, state, regional, national, and international audiences. His research findings have been highlighted in outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, ABC News, and TIME Magazine and are used by sport governing bodies within the U.S. Olympic movement, recreational and elite youth sport organizations, and sport coaches and parents to construct more developmentally appropriate sport contexts and to evaluate the role of youth sport in contemporary society. Dr. Dorsch is the president-elect of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), a research fellow for the U.S. Center for Metal Health & Sport, and a member of the steering committee for the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation’s “Elevate Sport” initiative. He is a former member of the national science board for the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition, and was the 2021 NASPSPA Early Career Distinguished Scholar.