Dr Travis Dorsch

Biography

Dr. Travis Dorsch is an Associate 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 60 articles, book chapters, and technical reports and has contributed to more than 110 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, 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 a former member of the national science board for the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition, 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 “Sport 2030” initiative. He was also named the 2021 Early Career Distinguished Scholar by the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport & Physical Activity.