Current Players 

Blair Evans (3rd Year Phd)

Blair is a third year PhD student, and is enrolled in the Social Psychology program.  He completed his undergraduate degree at Laurentian University in Sudbury, where he had the opportunity to first work alongside Dr. Eys.  The University of Lethbridge in Alberta was Blair’s next stop, where he completed his master’s degree.  During his time in Lethbridge, Blair investigated the coping efforts that long-distance runners employ when they struggle to reach goals in competition. Blair’s current research interests involve developing greater understanding of cohesion amongst individual team sport athletes (e.g., track-and-field, cross country skiing, gymnastics, etc.) and identifying cohesion’s influence upon: (a) individual/team performance, and (b) adherence and participation in sport activities.  This research interest will be the focus of his dissertation.  He was awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic school year and currently holds a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council doctoral fellowship.  Blair has also had the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in the social psychology department.  He is currently collaborating with Dr. Anne Wilson to examine influence of temporal distance to future selves (how far away the future “you” is perceived to be) upon exercise expectations and intentions.  Cooking, refinishing furniture, trail running/hiking, and cross country skiing are all ways that he enjoys his spare time, along with his wife Brianne and her dog Presley.

Contact: evan5210@mylaurier.ca

Alex Benson (1st Year Phd)

Alex is a first year PhD student at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he also completed his Master's of Science in Physical Education and Kinesiology. He was the recipient of the Gold Medal for the faculty of science and received funding from SSHRC for his Master's work pertaining to the examination of role acceptance in interdependent sport teams.  His dissertation will focus on developing a framework pertaining to the socialization strategies used in sport teams to understand how the early stages of group involvement can influence athletes' psychosocial outcomes, which is funded by a doctoral SSHRC-CGS.  In addition to his studies at Laurier, Alex previously worked as a nutrition and wellness consultant and a personal trainer at the Laurier Athletic Centre. He also worked with the Women’s Varsity Basketball team as the strength and conditioning coach during his 4^th year of undergrad.

Contact: bens9230@mylaurier.ca

Mark Surya (1st Year PhD)

Mark is a first year PhD student hailing from the town of Burlington, Ontario. He received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Queen's University and completed his Master's of Science here at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mark's research interests are in the multi-dimensionality of satisfaction as it relates to roles. He is currently investigating athletes' perceptions of role satisfaction, and is in the process of developing a measurement tool/questionnaire. Mark has also worked with Dr. Jean Cote's Performance Lab for the Advancement of Youth in Sport. He has examined the influence of birthplace on the development of elite level athletes. Outside of academia, Mark enjoys playing a multitude of sports. In his spare time Mark enjoys playing board games with his friends and family and spending time with his family dog Marvin.

Contact: sury7600@mylaurier.ca

Robyn Murray (2nd Year Master's)

Robyn is a second year master’s student after graduating with great distinction from the Kinesiology program at the University of Windsor. Robyn's research is focused on group dynamic exercise interventions aimed at enhancing perceptions of cohesion and its related outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, intention, and adherence). Specifically, her Master's thesis is examining the most effective team building interventions for enhancing cohesion within the community group exercise setting. Robyn received a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) as well as an Ontario Graduate Scholarship during her Master's studies. She is also a certified personal trainer through CAN-FIT PRO and functional movement specialist with over 6 years experience in the field.  Her passion is functional movement training, injury prevention, and teaching small group exercise, such as circuit training classes. On her spare time, Robyn is an avid rock climber and  has enjoyed climbing in such locations as Squamish (B.C.), Red River Gorge (Kentucky) and Mount Nemo (Ontario). She is also an animal lover, and can often be found running with her faithful companion Bonnie T, a rescued German Shepard mix, in downtown Kitchener. 

Contact: bert4400@mylaurier.ca

Colin McLaren (2nd Year Master's)

Colin is a second year Master's student originally from Guelph, ON. He has a bachelor's degree in both Sport Psychology and Education, both from Laurentian University. Funded by a SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship, an Ontario Graduate Scholarship, and the Wilfrid Laurier Centennial Scholarship, Colin's current research focuses on the motivational climate in youth recreational sport, and how different environments created by the coach influence perceived group cohesion and intentions to return to sport. He is also examining the salience of roles in youth sport, and how they relate to various group processes. In addition to his research, Colin also works with a local youth soccer organization in a consultation role where he runs workshops with rep-level coaches on topics such as teambuilding and intra-team communication, and assists in conducting house-league coach certification clinics.  Away from his studies, Colin coaches youth soccer, and enjoys both playing golf and spending time with friends.

Contact: mcla4460@mylaurier.ca

Geneva is a first year Master's student from Toronto, Ontario.  She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  Her interests in sport and social psychology are centered around understanding the influence of intra-team aggression within a team sport environment.  Geneva has a great amount of experience in a variety of competitive sports, with a primary focus on hockey.  She was a member of Team Ontario, played on the Dartmouth Collegiate hockey team, and is currently a member of the Laurier varsity hockey team.

Contact: genevakliman13@gmail.com

Ross Murray (4th Year Undergrad)

Ross is a 4th year undergraduate student enrolled in the psychology research specialist program at Wilfrid Laurier University.  His interest lie in a vast array of subjects in the areas of social and sport psychology.  Presently, he is examining the implications of the innuendo effect as it pertains to group membership in sport teams.  Next year he is planning on pursuing his Master's overseas in the area of sport and performance psychology.  Originally from Dundas, Ontario, in his spare time, Ross likes to participate in a variety of sports including, tennis, baseball, and hockey.

Contact: murr9650@mylaurier.ca

Steve Bowes (4th Year Undergrad)

Steve is a 4th year undergraduate student enrolled in the psychology research specialist program at Wilfrid Laurier University.  Steve's research interests are focused on the development and perceptions of informal roles within junior level sport.  More specifically, he will be examining the development of the enforcer role among junior and university level ice hockey players.  Next year, Steve is planning on pursuing his Master's degree in the area of Kinesiology.  Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Steve enjoys playing a variety of sports, including baseball, golf, and bocce ball. 

Contact: bowes5330@mylaurier.ca

Alumni 

Eryn Jewitt

Eryn is originally from Orillia, Ontario. She received a Physical Fitness and Leisure Management diploma from Cambrian College and then completed her bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education from Laurentian University. Eryn is a certified personal trainer and fitness assessment consultant through the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology. Addtionally, she is a certified kinesiologist through the Ontario Kinesiologist Association (OKA). During the 2010/2011 academic year she was awarded with the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Master's Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).  Her thesis assessed the validity of a cohesion questionnaire for youth sport athletes. Her academic research f group dynamics, cohesion, and youth sport.  She is currently an Exercise Specialist for the Canadian Armed Forces in Comox, BC.

Svenja Wolf

Svenja was a visiting researcher from the German Sport University Cologne, where she earned her Academic Diploma in Sport Science in 2009 and has been enrolled in the PhD program, supervised by Dr. Jens Kleinert since fall 2009. There she also spent one year teaching and conducting research as part of the assistant faculty of the Institute of Psychology's Department of Health and Social Psychology before, encouraged by a scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), deciding to take nine months off and move to Waterloo to work with Dr. Eys. Her main interest is centered on the precompetitive emotional state of competitive athletes and the role their team might play in this respect. Svenja draws this interest from having encountered numerous competitive situations herself while running Track and playing European Handball throughout high school and college. She also spent her time exploring the intricacies of true Canadian sports (actively) by playing Powderpuff Football and (passively) by watching Hockey. Already she has learned not to refer to it as Ice Hockey anymore…