With FIFA World Cup matches coming to the United States, including Houston, this month, attention is building around the athletes, fans, business operations and global impact surrounding the world’s biggest sporting event.
Rice University experts are available to discuss topics including sports science, injury prevention, analytics and fan engagement.
Sports psychology, recovery and athlete wellness
Amanda Perkins-Ball
Associate teaching professor of kinesiology
Perkins-Ball can provide insight into the psychological and physical demands of elite soccer competition, including injury recovery, athlete motivation, fatigue, rehabilitation and performance pressure during international tournaments. She can also speak to youth sports participation and recreational athlete injuries tied to major sporting events.
Athlete monitoring, recovery and sports performance science
John DeWitt
Director of applied sports science
DeWitt can discuss athlete monitoring, workload management, recovery strategies and the use of sports science technology to optimize soccer performance and reduce injury risk during tournament play. He can also address performance testing, fatigue tracking, environmental stress and how data informs training and recovery decisions for elite athletes competing in condensed schedules like the FIFA World Cup.
DeWitt has worked with professional and international soccer teams, including the Trinidad and Tobago women’s national team and the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash organizations.
Sports analytics, player tracking and soccer strategy
Scott Powers
Assistant professor of sport analytics and statistics
Powers can discuss how analytics and player-tracking data shape modern soccer strategy, player evaluation, injury prevention and competitive decision-making. He can also speak to performance modeling, athlete workload management and the growing role of data science in international soccer competitions, including FIFA World Cup play.
Powers previously worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros and has consulted for Dutch soccer club AZ Alkmaar.
Movement biomechanics, rehabilitation and injury prevention
Anatolia Vick-Kregel
Senior assistant director of health and well-being and director of the Lifetime Physical Activity Program at Rice
Vick-Kregel can examine movement biomechanics in soccer, rehabilitation after injury, neuromuscular control and injury prevention strategies, including ACL tears, ankle injuries and noncontact injuries common among soccer athletes.
Sports business, tourism and fan engagement
Tom Stallings
Professor in the practice of sport management
Stallings can analyze the business and operational side of the FIFA World Cup, including sponsorships, fan engagement, sports tourism, media attention and the economic impact of hosting major international sporting events.
Urban sustainability and resilience
David Abraham
Lecturer and researcher in urban sustainable development and resilience planning
Abraham can discuss the sustainability and resilience implications of hosting the FIFA World Cup in Houston, including transportation, climate action, neighborhood impacts and long-term legacy planning. His work also focuses on how cities can measure and report environmental, social and economic performance related to major events using sustainability indicators, predictive analytics and place-based reporting systems.
To schedule an interview with Rice’s experts, contact media relations specialists Rachel Leeson at rachel.leeson@rice.edu, Kat Cosley Trigg at Kat.Cosley.Trigg@rice.edu or Andrew Bell at andrew.bell@rice.edu.
You can find all of Rice’s expert alerts online.