Travis Dorsch, Ph.D.

Field: Family Studies and Human Relationships, Human Development
Areas of Focus: Families and Sports, Sports Education

Expertise

• Youth sport participation
• Parent education in Sports
• Sports motivations roles
• Families and social contexts in sports

Bio

Dr. Travis E. Dorsch is an associate professor and founding director of the Families in Sport Lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. He teaches undergraduate courses in lifespan development and human motivation and graduate courses in human development and quantitative and qualitative research methods. Having documented the impact of children’s youth sport participation on parents and families while pursuing his doctoral studies at Purdue University in Sport and Exercise Psychology, his current research includes a complementary focus on:

1. The role of youth sport participation on family relationships and family interaction;
2. Evidence-based parent education in youth, adolescent, and early adult sport settings
3. The role of internal factors (e.g., motivation) and external factors (e.g., families and social contexts) on sport, physical activity, and recreational behavior.

Outside of his work, Dr. Dorsch enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking, biking, and laughing with his wife Bree, daughter Josie, and son Bridger.