Presented by the Association for Applied Sports Psychology (AASP), the award, which recognises the completion of an outstanding doctoral dissertation, was presented at the AASP’s annual conference in Indianapolis, USA.

An internationally recognised professional body that promotes the application of psychology to sport and exercise populations, the AASP were impressed by the design and delivery of Rumbold’s organisational stress management intervention, which was conducted within a professional sports setup.

James spent seven years at Loughborough as both a postgraduate student and a member of staff within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS). During his time at the university, he completed an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology and was a member of the athletics team that won both indoor and outdoor BUCS Championships in 2007. After completing his MSc, James studied for his PhD part-time, whilst also working as a psychology technician.

Of the award, Dr Rumbold, who is now a lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, commented:

"I am very honoured to receive this award from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. I would like to thank past and present staff from Loughborough University for their continued support and encouragement during the completion of my PhD. I would like to pay special thanks to my doctorate supervisors, Dr David Fletcher and Professor Kevin Daniels. Receiving this award is testament to their unwavering support and fantastic supervision.”

Of the achievement, Dr David Fletcher added: “This is well-deserved award for James whose doctoral research was of the highest standard.  His work was both theoretically and methodologically ground-breaking, and has important practical implications for those operating in a range of sport domains.  It was pleasure to work with James and see his hard work recognised on the international stage.”