Dr Emily Hayday
Lecturer in Sport Business
Emily is a lecturer in Sport Business, with research interests in sports mega-events and the associated concepts of leveraging and legacy.
Emily's research interests relate to sports participation and community level, grass root sport. Previous research has investigated the policy implementation processes undertaken within National Governing Bodies, exploring the perceptions and attitudes of senior managers towards SMEs.
Some of Emily's additional research into the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has investigated the legacy and capitalisation opportunities for non-traditional English sports, such as Judo and Fencing. Emily is also interested in sport for development, and her previous role at the West Ham United Foundation allowed practical involvement with community and educational programmes, which aimed to increase social mobility and provide opportunities for young people within East London communities.
Academic background
Emily holds a BSc in Sport Science and Coaching from the University of Southampton, as well as a PhD from the University of Kent, in the area of Sport Management. Emily's recent research relates to sports mega-events and legacies by investigating policy implementation within National Governing Bodies. She examined the processes involved in leveraging a mass-participation legacy within voluntary sports clubs, within the context of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Emily has lecturing and teaching experience within the fields of sports marketing, research methods, inclusion and equality, sports placement, community sport and service quality management. Emily has also supervised undergraduate and master’s dissertation research projects and is strongly involved in the pastoral care and management of degree programmes as a programme leader and personal tutor.
Current research and collaborations
Emily's current research interests are within the legacy and leveraging field, looking at key themes related to sports participation, policy and governance. Emily is also interested in sport for development and the use of sport and physical activity as a tool to improve wider social issues such as inclusion, cohesion and identity. This links strongly to Emily's experiences and time at West Ham United Foundation, where one of Emily's main objectives was to provide educational pathways and opportunities to young adults through sport.
Emily is currently collaborating with Chelsea Football Club as part of a three-year strategic partnership to explore and develop pathways and aftercare provision for players who may choose to transition away from the professional game.
Interests and activities
Emily is part of a local netball team and enjoys cycling. Emily recently travelled to Zambia with Tag Rugby Trust to coach Tag rugby and renovate a school building, with a view to tackling gender equality and help build futures for young people. During her PhD, Emily worked with the charity Sheppey Matters, in collaboration with the local NHS authority, to create a cook book for families in receipt of food parcels, to enhance their knowledge, attitude and engagement with healthy eating.