Insights from Associate Professor Hayden Croft

Otago Polytechnic academic Hayden Croft, recently promoted to Associate Professor, provides some insights into his career, motivations and research.

Q: What is your current role at Otago Polytechnic?

I currently hold the position of Head of Sport, Exercise and Health at Otago Polytechnic, having begun as a Lecturer at the (then) Institute of Sport and Adventure in 2010.

Q: Describe your career path at Otago Polytechnic.

During my time at Otago Polytechnic I have taught across many programmes while practising my profession as a Performance Analyst with several sports organisations in both Rugby and Netball. I currently work with the Silver Ferns netball team and I have integrated students into this work whenever possible. I currently lead a postgraduate strand in performance analysis here, where students work with me and industry partners to experience the profession they are studying towards. Throughout this time I have researched and published applied research, looking to solve problems for sports team and coaches. My PhD has developed a framework for practitioners who face the issue of managing “big data” in sports.

Q: What has driven you to achieve the Professoriate?

I have always been driven to continually improve myself and what I do in my work. The professoriate has always been an ambition of mine as it gives me space and time to continue to develop my research into something meaningful for our students and colleagues.

Q: What does this mean to you, professionally and personally?

It’s always an honour to be recognised, but as an Associate Professor it reinforces that the risks I have taken, not researching in a traditional manner, has been worth it.

Q: What’s next?

My ambition over the next few years will be to explore new research methodologies that let me describe what really happens in high performance sport “behind closed doors”. There are many lessons that other industries could learn from – in the way sport operates and what leadership looks like. Player wellbeing is currently under the spotlight in sport, as it should be. However, coaches and support staff face these same issues and our young graduates need to be understood and supported also.