Dr John Francis

Dr John Francis dressed in sports attire smiling at camera

Course Leader for MSc Sport (Applied Performance Analysis) and Senior Lecturer in Performance Analysis

School of Sport and Exercise Science

Academics

Contact Details

email: j.francis@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 855590

John Francis is a senior lecturer in Performance Analysis, course leader for the MSc Sport (Applied Performance Analysis) course and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

John continues to keep up his applied performance analysis alongside his academic responsibilities. He has been overseeing the performance analysis provisions for the seven Para-Football teams for the English FA since 2017, supporting the England Blind Football Team and England Powerchair during European and World Championships. His expertise in disability performance analysis, which he currently imparts to the Para-Football teams, is based on his knowledge and experiences gained from leading the performance analysis provision for the British Wheelchair Basketball teams throughout the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games Cycle and previous roles in rugby union with Worcester Warriors and England Women’s Rugby Union teams.

John continues to lead and support several research initiatives with colleagues from various UK universities and performance analysts employed by professional sports teams, with the goal of advancing knowledge and practice regarding the analysts’ role and optimising feedback to support the decision-making processes by coaches and athletes to help improve the delivery of the sports science discipline. Since 2020, he has been the Performance Analysis Research Group’s lead, supporting students, staff, and external collaborators in creating impactful and thought-provoking knowledge in the discipline to advance practice. John submitted an Impact Case study for the Research Excellence Framework in 2021 that demonstrated the impact of research on a range of athletes, coaches, analysts, national governing bodies, and international governing bodies regarding the use of performance analysis in disability sports on a national and international level.

John is passionate about enhancing the learning and employability opportunities for all students, making use of all these different applied and research experiences and skills to engage students in performance analysis and foster the growth of future performance analysts.

Qualifications:

  • PhD in Performance Analysis, University of Worcester (2019)
  • PGCert Research Methods, University of Worcester (2016)
  • PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Worcester (2016)
  • MSc Sports Coaching, University of Worcester (2014)
  • BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching Science, University of Worcester (2012)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Teaching & Research

Teaching Interests:

  • Performance Analysis
  • Sports Coaching Science
  • Disability Sport

Research Interests:

  • Performance Analysis (Performance Profiling and Prediction)
  • Performance Analysis (Coaches' and Players' Perceptions)
  • Sports Coaching Science
  • Disability Sport

Professional Bodies

  • International Society of Performance Analysis in Sport – Applied Performance Analyst Level 4 & Research Performance Analysts Level 3
  • British Association of Sport and Exercise Science – Professional
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Publications

Journal Articles:

Andersen, L. W., Francis, J. W. and Bateman, M. (2022). Danish association football coaches’ perception of performance analysis. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 22(1), 149–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2021.2012040

Smith, J., Rands, S., Bateman, M. and Francis, J.W. (2022). Assessing the Efficacy of Video Telestration in Aiding Memory Recall Among Elite Professional Football Players. Sports Innovation Journal, 3, 61–81. https://doi.org/10.18060/26317

De Martin Silva, L. and Francis, J. W. (2021). “It Is Like a Little Journey”: Deaf International Futsal Players’ and Coaches’ Experiences in Collaborative Blended Learning. International Sport Coaching Journal, 8(2), 183–196. https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2019-0101

Francis, J. W., Owen, A. J. and Peters, D. M. (2021). Predicting field-goal success according to offensive, defensive and contextual variables in elite men’s wheelchair basketball. PLOS ONE, 16(1), e0244257. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244257

Loo, J. K., Francis, J. W. and Bateman, M. (2020). Athletes ’ and coaches ’ perspectives of performance analysis in women ’ s sports in Singapore. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 00(00), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2020.1820174

Francis, J., Owen, A. and Peters, D. M. (2019) ‘A New Reliable Performance Analysis Template for Quantifying Action Variables in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, pp. 1–16. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00016.

Francis, J. W., Owen, A. and Peters, D. M. (2019) ‘Making every “point” count: Identifying the key determinants of team success in elite men’s wheelchair basketball’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, pp. 1-16. doi: 10.3389/FPSYG.2019.01431.

Francis, J. and Jones, G. (2014) Elite Rugby Union Players Perceptions of Performance Analysis. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 14 (1). pp. 188-207.

Book Section:

Francis, J., Sims, D., Bendall, A., Kelly, A. and Wood, A. (2023) Para-Soccer: Talent Identification and Development in Para-Soccer. In: Talent Identification and Development in Youth Soccer: A Guide for Researchers and Practitioners. Routledge.

Francis, J. W. (2021). Home advantage in para-sport. In Home Advantage in Sport: Causes and the Effect on Performance (pp. 321–331). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003081456-35/HOME-ADVANTAGE-PARA-SPORT-JOHN-FRANCIS

Francis, J. and Jones, G. (2013) The Effect of Game Location on Positional Profiles of a Professional Rugby Union Team During a Competitive Season. In: Performance Analysis of Sport IX. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 107-113.

Conferences or Workshop Items:

Francis, J.W., Smith, J., Rands, S. and Bateman, M. (2022) Assessing the Efficacy of Video Telestration in Aiding Memory Recall Among Elite Professional Football Players: Key Learnings and Future Considerations. In: PAC22 Catapult Conference, 29/11/2022, London.

Francis, J. (2022) Is telestration actually useful? & Looking at talent ID in Para-Football. In: Birmingham City Academy Performance Analysis and Data CPD Event, 20 April 2022, Birmingham.

Francis, J. and Peters, D.M. (2021) Performance Analysis in Paralympic and Elite Disability Sport: Reflections on the past & opportunities for the future. In: International Paralympic Committee’s VISTA21: Application to the podium – translating research and development to athlete performance, 16/12/2021, Virtual Conference.

Francis, J. (2019) ‘Engaging Masters Students Through Blackboard Collaborate’, in ‘TEL’ Me More Showcase. Worcester: University of Worcester.

De Martin Silva, L. and Francis, J. (2019) ‘Deaf international futsal players’ learning experiences in preparation for a major competition: a longitudinal study’, in UK Coaching Applied Coaching Research Conference 2019: Shaping the Future of Coaching. Derby.

Francis, J., Molnar, G., Owen, A. and Peters, D.M. (2017) The Performance Analysis Process in Elite Wheelchair Basketball is "Worthless Without Trust". In: ICCE Global Coaching Conference 2017, 31st July-2nd August 2017, Liverpool John Moores University.

Francis, J. (2017) Did British Wheelchair Basketball Listen To The Numbers in Rio? In: Institute of Sport and Exercise Science Research Seminar, 19th May 2017, University of Worcester.

Francis, J., Owen, A., Molnar, G. and Peters, D.M. (2017) Modelling Shooting Performance Across Major International Tournaments in Elite Mens Wheelchair Basketball. In: Vista 2017: Opportunities, Challenges in Paralympic Sport Science & Sport Medicine Support, 20-23 September 2017, Toronto, Canada.

Francis, J., Molnar, G., Owen, A. and Peters, D.M. (2017) Key Determinants of Team Success in Elite Mens Wheelchair Basketball. In: UK Paralympic Performance Conference 2017, 29th-30th March 2017, St George's Park, Burton upon Trent.

Francis, J., Owen, A., Molnar, G. and Peters, D.M. (2016) Modelling Shooting Performance in Elite Mens Wheelchair Basketball. In: BASES 2016 Conference, 29-30 November 2016, East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham.

Francis, J., Molnar, G., Donovan, M. and Peters, D.M. (2015) Development of a Valid and Reliable Performance Analysis Template for Assessing Team Performance in Elite Men's Wheelchair Basketball. In: BASES Conference 2015, 1-2 December 2015, St. Georges Park, Burton upon Trent.

Francis, J., Molnar, G., Donovan, M. and Peters, D.M. (2015) Trust Within a High Performance Sport: A Performance Analysts Perspective. In: BASES Conference 2015, 1-2 December 2015, St. Georges Park, Burton upon Trent.

Nagata, A. and Francis, J. (2014) Propulsion in Wheelchair Basketball. In: Optimal Management of the Paralympic Shoulder, English Institute of Sport, 23rd October 2014, Quorn Grange Hotel, Loughborough.

Garrett, C., Beeching, K. and Francis, J. (2013) Analysis of Team Performance During the 2011 English County Cricket Clydesdale Bank 40 Competition. In: 4th International Society of Performance Analysis in Sport Performance Analysis Workshop, 2nd - 5th April 2013, University of Alicante, Spain.

Beeching, K., Williams, S. and Francis, J. (2013) The Effect of Pitch Size on Technical Demands in Small Sided Possession Games in Amateur Footballers. In: 4th International Society of Performance Analysis in Sport Performance Analysis Workshop, 2nd - 5th April 2013, University of Alicante, Spain.

Francis, J., Beeching, K. and Jones, G. (2013) Try Scoring in the RFU Championship. In: 4th International Society of Performance Analysis in Sport Performance Analysis Workshop, 2nd - 5th April 2013, University of Alicante, Spain.

Francis, J. (2012) Performance Analysis Workshop. In: Careers in Sport, 25th October 2012, University of Worcester.

Francis, J. (2012) Performance Analysis Workshop. In: Worcestershire County Cricket Coaches Development Day, 20th October 2012, University of Worcester.

Francis, J. (2012) Introduction to Performance Analysis. In: The 2012 Herefordshire and Worcestershire Coaching Summit: From Grassroots to Greatness: The coach, the athlete, the legacy, 22nd April 2012, University of Worcester.

Francis, J. and Jones, G. (2012) The Effect of Game Location on Positional Profiles During a Competitive Season in Professional Rugby Union: Implications for the Coaching Process. In: World Congress of Performance Analysis of Sport IX, 25th - 28th July 2012, University of Worcester.

 

External Responsibilities

  • Reviewer for Graduate Journal of Sport, Exercise and Physical Education Research
  • Reviewer for Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health
  • Reviewer for Frontiers in Psychology
  • Reviewer for Human Movement