Jillian Kochanek
Michigan State University
United States

Jill Kochanek is a doctoral student in Kinesiology at Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sport (ISYS). Jill received her master’s in Kinesiology with a concentration in sport psychology from the University of Minnesota, where she studied positive youth development through sport. Her current research focuses how coaches can guide athletes to take charge of their own developmental process and social progress. 

Alysha Matthews
Michigan State University
United States

Alysha is a master’s student in Kinesiology who studies coaching in youth sport at Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sport. Her interests include interpersonal relationships, self-regulation, and coach effectiveness. She is specifically interested in the social and emotional dynamics of the coach-athlete relationship. 

Emily Wright
Michigan State University
United States

Emily is a doctoral student in Kinesiology at Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sport. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in kinesiology from Penn State University, and her master’s degree in sport psychology from Miami University (Ohio). Her research interests include talent development and sport specialization with a primary focus on parents and youth sport athletes in this context. 

Justin DiSanti
Michigan State University
United States

Justin is a doctoral student in Kinesiology at Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sport. He earned his bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Kinesiology from Penn State University before moving on to Miami University (Ohio) for his master's degree in sport psychology. His research interests include talent development and sport specialization, particularly in the youth and high school sport contexts.

Michelle Neff
Michigan State University
United States

Michelle is an Extension Educator with Michigan State University Extension and has provided leadership on a variety of programs that center around 4-H, families and youth.  She currently works in the Preparing Michigan’s Children and Youth Institute and focuses on life skills development, healthy living, and working with 4-H Cloverbuds

Karl Erickson
Michigan State University
United States

Dr. Erickson is a faculty member at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sport (ISYS) at Michigan State University's department of Kinesiology. His research focuses on athlete development and coaching in youth sport, and is primarily concerned with understanding youth sport as a context for personal development. His work integrates sport psychology, developmental science, and public health with a particular emphasis on how interpersonal processes associated with participation in sport (such as coach and peer interactions) influence psychosocial, health and performance development outcomes.