Dr Mitch Smith
Lecturer
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
- Email:mitch.smith@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4033 9235
Career Summary
Biography
Mitchell completed his doctoral studies through the University of Technology Sydney (Doctor of Philosophy) and Ghent University, Belgium (Doctor of Health Sciences). He has experience teaching across multiple disciplines within exercise and sports science, primarily focusing on motor control and skill acquisition. Mitchell's research is also multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of exercise physiology, motor control, skill acquisition, psychology, and applied sports science. His primary area of research investigates the impact of mental fatigue on team sport performance. In 2016, Mitchell was awarded the prestigious “Excellence in Applied Football Research” award presented by ASPETAR at the European Congress of Sports Science for this research.
Collaborations
Mitchell collaborates on research with colleagues from: University of Technology Sydney - James Cook University - Ghent University, Belgium - University of Kent, UK - University of Lancashire, UK - Saarland University, Germany - University of Rome, Italy - University of Portland, USA - University of Cape Town, South Africa - University of Groningen, The Netherlands - Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil - Federal University of Pará, Brazil - Federal University of Maranhão, Brazil, Lithuania Sports University.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Technology Sydney
- Bachelor of Human Movement Science (Honours), University of Technology Sydney
Keywords
- Attention
- Cognitive Fatigue
- Decision-making
- Mental Fatigue
- Psychophysiology
- Team Sport
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 110603 | Motor Control | 30 |
| 110699 | Human Movement and Sports Science not elsewhere classified | 40 |
| 110602 | Exercise Physiology | 30 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Environmental and Life Sciences Australia |
Teaching appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/3/2010 - 31/12/2015 | Casual Academic | University of Technology Sydney School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism Australia |
Awards
Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2019 |
BOLD Team Award for Innovation in Course Development Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Newcastle |
| 2019 |
DVC(A) Educator Innovation and Impact Award Office of the DVC (A), The University of Newcastle, Australia |
Nomination
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2019 |
University of Newcastle - Teaching Excellence Award Finalist University of Newcastle |
| 2019 |
University of Newcastle, Faculty of Science - Teaching Excellence Award Finalist Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle |
Research Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2016 |
Aspetar Excellence in Football Resarch Award European College of Sports Science |
Invitations
Speaker
| Year | Title / Rationale |
|---|---|
| 2017 |
Mental Fatigue and Football This symposium on science and health in football brings together six international experts in football science to present on'hot topics' that are relevant to both research and practice. |
| 2014 |
Mental Fatigue and Football Performance - University of Kent Invited lecture for postgraduate exercise and sports science students at the University of Kent. |
| 2014 |
Mental Fatigue and Physical Performance - Ghent University Invited lecture for Ghent University Sport and Exercise Science Masters program. |
Manuscript Reviews
| Year | Title | Publication Type | Publisher | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Journal - Science and Medicine in Football | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2017 | Journal - Journal of Sports Sciences | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2016 | Journal - International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2016 | Journal - Frontiers: Exercise Physiology | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2016 | Journal - Perceptual and Motor Skills | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXSS2060 |
Motor Control Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle Motor control encompasses an area of study that explains how we coordinate and control voluntary movement. This course explores the underlying neurophysiology of motor control and the concepts and processes that underpin controlled movement. Students gain a greater understanding of the structure of the nervous system and how it affects motor control following the completion of this course. In addition, students gain a better understanding of how motor performance can be measured and of the associated theories and concepts that underpin the control of voluntary movement such as attention, memory and sensory information. |
Course Coordinator | 1/2/2016 - 31/12/2017 |
| EXSS3070 |
Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle Motor learning and skill acquisition encompass an area of study that explains how we acquire new movement skills. This course explores the processes of neuromotor control, skill acquisition and skill retention. Students are taught how to assess motor skill proficiency and design training programs that optimise the quality and speed of skill acquisition. Particular emphasis is placed on motor learning and skill development, such that students will understand the processes behind skill acquisition that are relevant to the role of the exercise and sports scientist. |
Course Coordinator | 1/2/2016 - 31/12/2017 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (18 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 |
O Brien-Smith J, Bennett KJM, Fransen J, Smith MR, 'Same or different? A comparison of anthropometry, physical fitness and perceptual motor characteristics in male and female youth soccer players', Science and Medicine in Football, 4 37-44 (2020) [C1]
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| 2020 |
Thompson CJ, Noon M, Towlson C, Perry J, Coutts AJ, Harper LD, et al., 'Understanding the presence of mental fatigue in English academy soccer players', Journal of Sports Sciences, (2020) © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Research has demonstrated that induced mental fatigue impairs soccer-specific technical, tactical and p... [more] © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Research has demonstrated that induced mental fatigue impairs soccer-specific technical, tactical and physical performance in soccer players. The findings are limited by the lack of elite players and low ecological validity of the tasks used to induce mental fatigue, which do not resemble the cognitive demands of soccer. The current study collected survey data from English academy soccer players (n = 256; age groups - U14¿U23), with questions comprising of five themes (descriptors of physical and mental fatigue, travel, education, match-play and fixture congestion). The survey consisted of multiple choice responses, checkboxes and blinded/unblinded (for duration based questions) 0-100 arbitrary unit (AU) slider scales. Listening to music (81.6% of players), using social media (58.3%) and watching videos (34.3%) were the most common pre-match activities. Pre-match subjective mental fatigue was low (18.7±18.8 AU), and most frequently reported at the end of a match (47±26 AU) and remained elevated 24-hours post-match (36±27 AU). Travel (29±24 AU), fixture congestion (44±25 AU) and education (30±26 AU) demonstrated a low to moderate presence of subjective mental fatigue. These findings provide an overview of activities performed by English academy soccer players pre-match, and demonstrate that mental fatigue is experienced as a result of match-play.
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| 2019 |
Smith MR, Chai R, Nguyen HT, Marcora SM, Coutts AJ, 'Comparing the effects of three cognitive tasks on indicators of mental fatigue', Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 153 759-783 (2019) [C1]
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| 2019 |
Thompson CJ, Fransen J, Skorski S, Smith MR, Meyer T, Barrett S, Coutts AJ, 'Mental Fatigue in Football: Is it Time to Shift the Goalposts? An Evaluation of the Current Methodology', Sports Medicine, 49 177-183 (2019) [C1]
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| 2019 |
O'Brien-Smith J, Tribolet R, Smith MR, Bennett KJM, Fransen J, Pion J, Lenoir M, 'The use of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder in the talent pathway in youth athletes: a systematic review.', Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22 1021-1029 (2019) [C1]
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| 2019 |
Conte D, Smith MR, Santolamazza F, Favero TG, Tessitore A, Coutts A, 'Reliability, usefulness and construct validity of the Combined Basketball Skill Test (CBST)', Journal of Sports Sciences, 37 1205-1211 (2019) [C1]
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| 2019 |
Russell S, Jenkins D, Smith M, Halson S, Kelly V, 'The application of mental fatigue research to elite team sport performance: New perspectives', Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22 723-728 (2019) [C1]
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| 2018 |
Penna EM, Filho E, Wanner SP, Campos BT, Quinan GR, Mendes TT, et al., 'Mental Fatigue Impairs Physical Performance in Young Swimmers', PEDIATRIC EXERCISE SCIENCE, 30 208-215 (2018) [C1]
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| 2018 |
Smith MR, Thompson C, Marcora SM, Skorski S, Meyer T, Coutts AJ, 'Mental Fatigue and Soccer: Current Knowledge and Future Directions', SPORTS MEDICINE, 48 1525-1532 (2018) [C1]
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| 2018 |
Penna EM, Filho E, Campos BT, Pires DA, Nakamura FY, Mendes TT, et al., 'MENTAL FATIGUE DOES NOT AFFECT HEART RATE RECOVERY BUT IMPAIRS PERFORMANCE IN HANDBALL PLAYERS', REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE MEDICINA DO ESPORTE, 24 347-351 (2018) [C1]
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| 2015 |
Hunter F, Bray J, Towlson C, Smith M, Barrett S, Madden J, et al., 'Individualisation of time-motion analysis: A method comparison and case report series', International Journal of Sports Medicine, 36 41-48 (2015) © Georg Thieme Verlag KG. This study compared the intensity distribution of time-motion analysis data, when speed zones were categorized by different methods. 12 U18 players under... [more] © Georg Thieme Verlag KG. This study compared the intensity distribution of time-motion analysis data, when speed zones were categorized by different methods. 12 U18 players undertook a routine battery of laboratory- and field-based assessments to determine their running speed corresponding to the respiratory compensation threshold (RCT), maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal oxygen consumption (vVO2max) and maximal sprint speed (MSS). Players match-demands were tracked using 5 Hz GPS units in 22 fixtures (50 eligible match observations). The percentage of total distance covered running at high-speed (%HSR), very-high speed (%VHSR) and sprinting were determined using the following speed thresholds: 1) arbitrary; 2) individualised (IND) using RCT, vVO2max and MSS; 3) individualised via MAS per se; 4) individualised via MSS per se; and 5) individualised using MAS and MSS as measures of locomotor capacities (LOCO). Using MSS in isolation resulted in 61 % and 39 % of player's % HSR and % VHSR, respectively, being incorrectly interpreted, when compared to the IND technique. Estimating the RCT from fractional values of MAS resulted in erroneous interpretations of % HSR in 50 % of cases. The present results suggest that practitioners and researchers should avoid using singular fitness characteristics to individualise the intensity distribution of time-motion analysis data. A combination of players' anaerobic threshold, MAS, and MSS characteristics are recommended to individualise player-tracking data.
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| 2014 |
Rowsell GJ, Reaburn P, Toone R, Smith M, Coutts AJ, 'EFFECT OF RUN TRAINING AND COLD-WATER IMMERSION ON SUBSEQUENT CYCLE TRAINING QUALITY IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE TRIATHLETES', JOURNAL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING RESEARCH, 28 1664-1672 (2014)
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Conference (11 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |
O'Brien-Smith J, Bennett K, Fransen J, Smith M, 'A MULTIDIMENSIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS WITHIN AUSTRALIAN SOCCER', A MULTIDIMENSIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS WITHIN AUSTRALIAN SOCCER, Prague, Czech Republic (2019)
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| 2019 |
Smith M, Marshall Armstrong P, Thornton H, Borges N, 'Peak running intensities of elite youth rugby league match play', Peak running intensities of elite youth rugby league match play, Prague, Czech Republic (2019)
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| 2018 | Davidow D, Redman M, Burger N, den Hollander S, Jones B, Smith MR, Hendricks S, 'The effect of physical fatigue on tackle technique in rugby union players', Dublin, Ireland (2018) | ||||
| 2015 |
Chai R, Smith MR, Nguyen TN, Ling SH, Coutts AJ, Nguyen HT, 'Comparing Features Extractors in EEG-based Cognitive Fatigue Detection of Demanding Computer Tasks', 2015 37TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY (EMBC), Milan, ITALY (2015)
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Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 10 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $251,206 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20201 grants / $7,263
Effects of visual alignment aids on golf putting performance, technique and gaze behaviour$7,263
Funding body: Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Mitchell Smith, Dr Job Fransen, Dr Kyle Bennett |
| Scheme | Strategic Investment Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20191 grants / $2,000
Peak running intensities of elite youth rugby league match play$2,000
Funding body: Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Mitchell Smith, Dr Nattai Borges, Dr Heidi Thornton, Mr Patrick-Marshall-Armstrong |
| Scheme | Faculty PVC Conference Assistance |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2019 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20182 grants / $106,246
ECR HDR Candidate Scholarship$100,000
Funding body: The University of Newcastle
| Funding body | The University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Mitchell Smith, Dr Narelle Eather, Dr Nattai Borges |
| Scheme | ECR HDR Candidate Scholarship |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2021 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Strategic Investment Grant$6,246
Funding body: Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle | Australia
| Funding body | Faculty of Science | University of Newcastle | Australia |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Mitchell Smith and Professor Ross Sanders |
| Scheme | FACULTY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT GRANT (2018) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2018 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20171 grants / $2,000
Impact of mental and physical fatigue on basketball-specific performance$2,000
Funding body: Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | PVC Conference Assistance Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20161 grants / $25,000
Mental Fatigue in Football - Influencing Factors and Interventions$25,000
Funding body: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
| Funding body | German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Prof. Aaron Coutts, Dr. Mitchell Smith, Dr. Job Fransen, Prof. Tim Meyer, Dr. Sabrina Skorski |
| Scheme | Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | International - Competitive |
| Category | 3IFA |
| UON | N |
20151 grants / $3,000
Mental fatigue impairs soccer specific skill performance$3,000
Funding body: University of Technology Sydney
| Funding body | University of Technology Sydney |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Research Student Development Award |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20141 grants / $9,000
Mental fatigue and soccer performance$9,000
Funding body: Ghent University
| Funding body | Ghent University |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Special Research Funding for Joint Ph.D. |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20122 grants / $96,697
Mental fatigue and soccer performance$86,697
Funding body: Australian Postgraduate Award
| Funding body | Australian Postgraduate Award |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Australian Postgraduate Award |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | N |
Mental fatigue and soccer performance$10,000
Funding body: University of Technology Sydney
| Funding body | University of Technology Sydney |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Gordon Young Memorial Scholarship |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Honours | Peak intensities of elite youth rugby league athletes during match play | Sport and Recreation, University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2018 | PhD | Decision Making and Perceptual Cognitive Training in Team Sport Athletes | PhD (Exercise & Sport Science), Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2017 | Honours | Talent identification and development of female youth soccer players | Sport & Rec Not Elswr Classifi, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2017 | Honours | Decision-making in youth Australian Football athletes | Sport & Rec Not Elswr Classifi, University of Technology Sydney | Co-Supervisor |
Research Projects
Mental fatigue in football - influencing factors and interventions 2016 - 2019
We have recently established that mental fatigue can influence intermittent exercise performance, isolated football-specific skill performance and decision-making in laboratory environments using mental fatiguing protocols that are not reflective of the normal competition setting (i.e. Stroop tasks). To translate this research to the field, additional work is required to assess if the levels of mental fatigue encountered by players during football-specific tasks influence football-specific performance in a more ecological setting. To achieve this, we will make use of a unique Footbonaut facility (Dortmund, Germany) which allows control of cognitive load and assessment of decision-making and skilled performance in a football-specific context. The first aim of this project is to develop a football-specific protocol for inducing mental fatigue in soccer players using the Footbonaut. Secondly, we will determine if the mental fatigue induced via the specific Footbonaut task provides similar levels of mental fatigue during competitive football matches by assessing cognitive fatigue during match play. Finally, we will investigate the effects of a Footbonaut task on football-specific physical, decision-making and technical performance.
The effect of physical fatigue and mental fatigue on technical proficiency during the tackle in Rugby Union 2017 - 2020
Impact of mental fatigue on physical performance of handball players 2017
Impact of mental fatigue on swimming performance 2017
Implicit precueing affects motor behaviour 2017 - 2020
Validity and reliability of a novel test of basketball skill 2015 - 2017
Mental fatigue and team sport performance 2011 - 2019
Talent Development in NSW Sports High Schools 2018 -
Assessing and Understanding On-field Decision-making and Dynamic Behaviour in Youth Soccer 2018 - 2021
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Research Collaborations
The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.
| Country | Count of Publications | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 21 | |
| United Kingdom | 10 | |
| Belgium | 5 | |
| Germany | 3 | |
| Netherlands | 3 | |
| More... | ||
Dr Mitch Smith
Position
Lecturer
Exercise and Sports Science
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
Faculty of Science
Contact Details
| mitch.smith@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | (02) 4033 9235 |
| Link |
Office
| Room | EXSB-208 |
|---|---|
| Building | Exercise Science Building |
| Location | Ourimbah 10 Chittaway Road Ourimbah, NSW 2258 Australia |
