In October 2023, Associate Professor Adam Toth and Professor Mark Campbell returned to Stellenbosch, South Africa, to renew and foster new collaborative initiatives. Their relationship with Maties Sport and the University of Stellenbosch goes back to 2012 and has largely flourished around a mutual interest in sport science, notably golf performance.
During this Erasmus+ Mobility funded trip, not only did Adam and Mark share new research technology during a protocol run out of Stellenbosch golf club, but they also embarked on a new collaborative initiative that will see esports make its way into the Centre for Sport Performance at Stellenbosch University.
During their trip, Adam and Mark were invited to present to the University on the application of sport science to esports. As is well known at the University of Limerick, esports are now a global phenomenon, and they are increasingly becoming incorporated into university curriculums and scholarship. Adam and Mark demonstrated how the fields of Neuroscience, Psychology and Biomechanics, ever-present when researching traditional sports, can be applied to answer relevant research questions regarding the health and performance of individuals who play video games at an elite competitive level.
Over a series of meetings, Adam and Mark then first provided feedback to those at Maties sport on their proposed plans to develop a centre for esports performance. This feedback was based on their own experience founding Europe’s first esports science research lab in Lero at the University of Limerick. They will continue to provide Maties sport with support for their ambition to introduce a centre for esports performance. Secondly, Adam and Mark then worked to develop Post Doctoral and PhD Research project proposals with the head of the Centre for Sport Leadership, Nana Adom-Aboagye. This new collaborative initiative will now endeavor to seek funding for these proposals and saw Adam and Mark attain research fellow status within the University of Stellenbosch’s Centre for Sport Leadership. Overall, the fostering of a collaborative initiative in the new area of esports will help ensure the future of the UL – University of Stellenbosch partnership remains strong.
After fostering a new collaborative venture around esports, Adam and Mark embarked on two days of research, introducing a new protocol and technology by DANU Sports and Rapsodo that aimed to investigate the relationship between driver clubhead speed and lower body reactive strength in elite amateur golfers. This new research was kindly supported by Erich Kliem at Stellenbosch golf club, who kindly provided access to his studio, where the research was conducted. This research in golf ends a 5-year hiatus in collaborative golf research between UL and the University of Stellenbosch and is timely given the support from the University of Limerick for a bespoke PGA Golf Academy at the university.
New technology by DANU Sports and Rapsodo introduced during data collection in Stellenbosch.
Golf research with Maties Sport at Stellenbosch Golf Club with PGA Professional, Erich Kliem.
Dr. Adam Toth is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Biomechanics in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick.
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