Question: What made you decide to focus on research about sports skills?

Stuart Mourton answered on 13 Jun 2011:

I’ve loved sport from a very young age. I was never outstanding at it but it was always fun and i loved to play rugby, football and hockey when i was at school. I decided that the best way to pick a job was to pick something i loved doing! So i applied for a place at University studying Sports Science. I didn’t really know what i was going to do after that but i knew it would probably be in sports somewhere!!

Whilst i was study for my degree i was quite good at a number of aspects of Sports Science. these included Psychology (how we mentaly prepare for sports and what makes us lose it sometimes!!) and physiology (How the body works during sport). However my teacher for the area we call Motor Control (how we plan movements, what goes on in our heads and muscles before we even start to move) was really enthusiastic about the area. everyone loved his lectures (they still do!) and that made me really want to do well in that subject. That led to me getting better at it and wanting to learn more and more….i guess it has just snowballed from there!!