The APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists has granted an Award of Distinction to candidate of exceptional merit since 2005, in recognition of the importance and significance of an individual's contribution to the specialist field of sport psychology, and for significant contributions to the College over a number of years.

Year	Recipient
2022	Michael Lloyd
2017	Jacqui Triffitt & Tim Hannan
2016	Eugene Aidman
2015	John Crampton
2014	Gene Moyle
2013	Michael Fox
2012	Pat Thomas
2011	Peter Terry
2010	Stephanie Hanrahan
2009	John Gross
2008	Sandy Gordon
2007	Patsy Tremayne
2006	Tony Morris
2005	Jeffrey Bond

Michael Lloyd (2022)

Michael Lloyd has been a member of the College for well over a decade. Michael has completed 17 years with Cricket Australia recently transitioning out of his role as Cricket Australia Lead. In his time with Cricket Australia, Michael has built the role of Sport & Exercise Psychology within their high performance and pathway programs, for both the Men’s and Women’s programs. Michael has also been instrumental in developing further roles for Psychologists not only within Cricket Australia, but within the various state cricket programs as well.

Michael’s legacy from his time at Cricket Australia has not only been to build a role for himself, but also to establish a firm reputation and foundation for Sport and Exercise Psychology within cricket throughout Australia, now and for the future. A further significant legacy for Michael is his achievement of creating placement, supervision and mentoring opportunities for Master’s Students, and Early Career and Registrar Practitioners, particularly within cricket, throughout the country.

In an ongoing commitment to the Scientist-Practitioner model, Michael has also been involved in research aimed at improving the wellbeing and mental health of Australian athletes. Michael has collaborated on projects aimed at developing athlete wellbeing screening tools such as the development of the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ) and Sport Psychology Safety Inventory (SPSI). I have no doubt that with his collaboration on these projects, Michael has positively contributed, and will continue to positively contribute, to the mental health and wellbeing of players, coaches, support staff, and match officials, not only in cricket but throughout the sporting landscape, in Australia and abroad.

An award such as the College Award of Distinction is aimed at acknowledging what a member has done to distinguish themselves within the College from the time they joined the College until the present time. However, through my interactions and knowledge of Michael’s abilities and commitment to Sport & Exercise Psychology, I know he will continue to distinguish himself and bring positive acclaim to the profession of Sport & Exercise Psychology within Australia into the future.

Jacqui Triffitt (2017)

Dr Jacqui Triffitt works at her practice, Hill Street Psychology in West Hobart, as a clinical psychologist and sport and exercise psychologist. Jacqui works with government departments, private businesses and with sporting organisations. She works with elite athletes at national and Olympic levels across a variety of individual and team sports. As a sport and exercise psychologist, she has provided consultancy services to the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, Rowing Australia, Cricket Tasmania, AFL Players Association, and Australian Cricketers Association. She has contributed to the development, growth, and accessibility of sport psychology services in Tasmania. Jacqui was an Executive member of the APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists and held the position of Treasurer. A highlight of her career has been the national and international achievements and success of Tasmanian athletes and coaches and the mental strength, determination and resilience that characterises them.

Tim Hannan (2017)

A graduate of the University of Western Sydney sport psychology program, Tim was subsequently employed as a senior lecturer in the university’s School of Psychology, and later as Director of Postgraduate Programs. A member of the APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists since 2005, he was elected to its National and NSW Committees in 2006, and served as NSW Chair from 2006-09 and National Chair from 2008-10. He was engaged as a service provider by the NSW Institute of Sport, and founded the Australian Sport Psychology Network, a Sydney-based sport psychology consultancy and resource centre. Tim also served as representative of sport psychology for Sports Medicine Australia, and represented the College’s interests on the Program Committee for the 2010 International Congress of Applied Psychology. He completed a further term on the National Committee of the College from 2014-16, as Treasurer and Deputy Chair. He is currently Head of the School of Psychology at Charles Sturt University.

Eugene Aidman (2016)

Dr Eugene Aidman MAPS has been a Member of the APS since 1991, and in 1992 was a founding Member of the College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists (CSEP). A high-achiever in the field of sport and exercise psychology, Eugene has seven books and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications to his credit. These include papers in high-impact journals, book chapters and technical reports on operator fatigue, implicit cognition, design and theory of psychological testing and its applications in personality assessment, and performance psychology. He has been recognised by his peers in many capacities, including being appointed Visiting Professor at Kingston University, London; invited speaker/workshop presenter at the 2008 Convention of the International Council of Psychologists (ICP); invited workshop presenter at the 2008 Australasian Conference on Individual Differences; symposium convener at the joint APS/NZPsS Conference in Auckland (2006); and an invited speaker and expert panel member at the 2004 APA Convention in Honolulu. In addition, The Self-Apperception Test (Aidman, 1999) is listed in the Educational Testing Services reference base. Eugene’s contributions to College life have been numerous and include several roles on the CSEP National Committee since 2002, including Newsletter Editor (2002-2007; 2010-2012), Web Editor, and Deputy Chair (2012-2015). He has also been involved in APS expert panels including the Public Interest Advisory Group (2007-2011), and the Division of Research and Teaching (2004-2006), where his expertise in the field of sport and exercise psychology was applied.It is estimated that Eugene has supervised upward of 50 student projects and mentored staff within the Australian Government, Department of Defence Science and Technology.

John Crampton (2015)

John Crampton is a consultant with Performance Enhancement Systems, providing mentoring, management and training services for athletes, coaches and high performance organisations. John has been an APS Member for 30 years and a foundation member of the College. He has played an active role in establishing the sport psychology profession in Australia since 1983. John has mentored several current College Members and sport psychology practitioners in the Asian region. John has worked in the sport psychology program at the Australian Institute of Sport, which included representing Australia as a team sport psychologist and member of the Medical Support Team at the Barcelona and Sydney Olympic Games, and other significant international sporting competitions. John regularly presents at national and international conferences and consults for international sporting organisations. John is highly regarded for his work in the area of performance analysis and psychophysiological monitoring of elite athletes. John has held varied roles on the College National Executive, including Newsletter editor of The Sporting Mind and been involved in APS projects to develop competency and ethics documents for the College, and preparing the College’s submission to the Senate Inquiry into the practice of sports science in Australia.

Gene Moyle (2014)

Associate Professor Gene Moyle MAPS has a distinguished career in sport and exercise psychology. Gene has been an APS Member since 2002 and joined the College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists in 2005. She is currently an Associate Professor of Dance – Head of Discipline at QUT Creative Industries Faculty and has been Learning and Development Manager at Energex, Head of Student Health and Welfare at the Australian Ballet School and General Manager/National Business Development Manager/Senior Psychologist at VOICE – Psychologists and Allied Professionals. Gene won the Friends of QUT creative Industries Award (2010) and has been nominated for the Telstra Business Women’s Award (2013 & 2011), AIM Professional Manager of the Year (2013) and Pride of Australia Medal (2010). Gene has a number of published articles and conference papers and has supported many early career College members. She has served the APS and College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists in a variety of capacities, including as Chair of the National Committee and College Secretary. Additionally, Gene has been a member of the APS Science, Academia and Research Advisory Group and of the APS Membership Retention and Recruitment Advisory Group.

Michael Fox (2013)

Michael N. Fox, a sports psychologist based in Queensland, runs an international practice with the elite in sport and business. American-born, Michael is a graduate of UCLA. After serving as a captain in the United States Air Force, he worked as an academic for 15 years before entering private practice. He has written for numerous magazines and newspapers, and has been involved as the psychological consultant on film projects. Michael has served on the boards of public companies, as state Chair of the College of Sports Psychology at the Australian Psychological Society, and as a consultant specialising in strategic planning and human resource issues with prominent businesses and organisations worldwide. What brings continuity to all that he does is a primary focus on performance – he loves getting the best out of people. Michael is the powerhouse performance specialist behind numerous successful sporting figures including Davis Cuppers from four different countries, tour golfers, Olympians and others. He also works with the elite in business, both in Australia and beyond.  

Michael was born in Los Angeles into a tennis family (his brother played Davis Cup for the United States). He started university on a tennis scholarship and switched to UCLA with a National Science Foundation research stipend where he graduated in the Honours program in psychology. While playing tennis and studying, Michael became interested in the relationship between performance and stress. After graduation, Michael served as a Captain in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam conflict where he observed first-hand the relationship between stress and performance in a totally different domain. Michael came to Australia as a Research Scholar at the Australian National University where he tutored and conducted research into aspects of performance and stress. After leaving ANU, Michael lectured in the Department of Psychology for 12 years at what is now the University of Southern Queensland. During this time, he also developed an eclectic performance practice that went international in 1984.  

In 1984, Michael was contracted to be the sports psychology consultant on a film about American superstar John McEnroe. This project, run through the French kept Federation of Tennis, ended when John McEnroe dramatically self-destructed that year in Sweden. With a film crew on hand, the group filmed Pat Cash instead and, after his win at Wimbledon in 1987, the film ("No Second Prize") was released. At that time, Michael began working with one of the French players. After leaving his position at the University, Michael worked as the Sports Psychology Consultant at the Australian Sports Medicine Federation Clinic in Brisbane where his clients included top athletes in a range of sports. He also began writing for tennis Magazine, Golf Digest, and newspapers. He toured extensively overseas with professional tennis players and golfers. Michael has had enviable success working with major Australian and international corporations, where he has helped individuals and groups identify primary goals and harness their true potential.

The College thanks Michael Fox for his contribution to the industry, and congratulates him on being the recipient of the 2013 APS Award of Distinction.

Pat Thomas (2012)

Professor Patrick Thomas MAPS has held an appointment in the School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University since 1973 and was Head of School from 2001 to 2004. Patrick’s research aims to enhance human performance, particularly in sport and other areas involving motor skills. With international colleagues he developed the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS), a self-report instrument that is widely used to examine athletes’ use of specific mental skills and techniques. In addition to his roles in academia and teaching, Patrick also provides sport and performance psychology services to coaches, athletes and dancers. Patrick has a long history with the APS and was awarded the APS Prize as an undergraduate student in 1971. Since that time he has presented numerous papers and chaired sessions at APS conferences, and was a member of the Scientific Committee for the 42nd APS Annual Conference. Patrick was a founding member of the APS College of Sport Psychologists in 1992, and has since established the Queensland Section of the College and served as Treasurer.

Peter Terry (2011)

Peter Terry FAPS - Professor Peter Terry from the University of Southern Queensland, and former Psychology Coordinator at the Queensland Academy of Sport, moved to Australia in 2000 after being Professor of Sport Psychology at Brunel University. Peter was Chair of the APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists (COSEP) from 2002 to 2006, and organised several COSEP theme day programs at APS Annual Conferences. He was on the Organising and Scientific Committees for the World Congress of Sport Psychology, was the first Australian to be invited to be a COSEP visiting scholar in 2008 and has been an APS Fellow since 2009. Peter is author of nearly 200 publications, including books, chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles. He has been a keynote or invited speaker at many international conferences and is also a Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. As an applied sport psychologist over the past 27 years, he has provided psychological support to more than 1,000 international and professional performers, including at Olympic Games and World Championships.

Stephanie Hanrahan (2010)

Stephanie originally came to Australia to take up a scholarship in sport psychology at The University of Western Australia, and completed the first PhD in sport psychology to be conferred in Australia. After a brief stint at Otago University in New Zealand, she took up a position in the Schools of Human Movement Studies and Psychology at The University of Queensland, where she is now an Associate Professor and the director of the sport and exercise psychology program - one of Australia’s two accredited postgraduate sport psychology programs.  A member of the College of Sport Psychologists since its inception, Stephanie has served on the College’s national committee for much of the past two decades, including extended terms as treasurer, and as representative to Sports Medicine Australia’s Council of Disciplines. She has represented the College on the organising and scientific committees of the annual Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport for much of the past 15 years, and was a member of the organizing committee for the International Society of Sport Psychology’s World Congress in Sydney in 2005. Stephanie’s contribution to the scientific foundations of sport psychology is remarkable. She has published 8 books, 22 book chapters, 44 refereed research articles, and over 40 applied articles, and has been the recipient of 18 grants. She served as Editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology from 2006 to 2009, and was appointed to the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology and The Sport Psychologist.  

Stephanie’s commitment to the psychology profession has also been evident through the breadth of her practice and community engagement. As a registered psychologist, her clients have included individuals and teams from all levels of sport (both able-bodied and disabled), Aboriginal performing artists, Mexican orphans, and teenagers living in poverty. She has also delivered hundreds of presentations to community clubs and organisations. 

The College thanks Associate Professor Stephanie Hanrahan for her ongoing contribution to APS, CoSP and the industry in general, and congratulates her on being the recipient of the 2010 APS Award of Distinction. The Award was announced at the 2010 CoSP AGM held on 13th July 2010.

John Gross (2009) 

John’s contribution to the discipline and practice of sport psychology began in 1982, when he took up a lectureship as a foundation member in Sports Studies at the then Canberra CAE.  He then began a long-term professional relationship with staff at the Australian Institute of Sport, which included co-organising the first sport psychology conference to be held in Australia, in 1983.

John became a member of the College on its inception, and served on the National Committee for over a decade. He held the role of Convenor of the College’s Course Approvals Committee for several terms, and led the identification and development of the specialisation’s competencies, which served as the basis of the curriculum for accredited postgraduate programs, and which were subsequently utilised by the International Society for Sport Psychology (ISSP) in its own publication of competencies for the profession. 

John has demonstrated his considerable expertise and scholarship in sport psychology through over 50 international or national level publications and over 80 presentations.  His specialist research interest is in coaching behaviours, for which he was awarded an Australian Sports Commission Applied Sports Research Grant.  Other research interests include sports attributions, with one co-authored paper on perceptions of causality in sport cited by the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology as a modern classic in sport psychology literature.

John was responsible for the development and teaching of the first Australian distance education subject in sport psychology through the Central Queensland University, and delivered a sport psychology subject intensively at the Hong Kong Institute in the 1990’s.John was an invited speaker to the 2001 International Sport Science Conference in Bangkok, and presented at the 2001 and 2005 ISSP World Sport Psychology Congresses.  In addition to regular contributions at APS Conferences John has been invited to speak at several Australian Coaching Council Conferences and served as session chair on many occasions for various sport psychology symposiums and fora. 

The College is delighted to honour John through its Award of Distinction for 2009, which was announced at the College's Annual General Meeting on 16 October 2009.

Sandy Gordon (2008)

Sandy Gordon became a member of the College in 1994, and served as National Chair for two terms, from 1998 to 2002. He also served as Chair of the WA Section of COSP from 1996-2002, and has returned as a member of the National Committee in 2008. He was National Chair at the time of the successful bid to host the International Society of Sport Psychology’s (ISSP) 11^th World Congress of Sport Psychology, Australia’s second ever World Psychology Congress, and was an member of the Conference Organising Committee for the event, which was held in Sydney in 2005.   

In addition to his work with COSP, Sandy has made a significant contribution to the activities of the APS, and was elected to Fellowship of the Society in 2004. He was a member of the WA branch of the APS from 1994 to 2003 and was part of the Organising Committee for the 2003 Annual APS Conference. He was a founder member of National Executive Committee of the APS Interest Group in Coaching Psychology (IGCP) from 2002 to 2004, and served on the WA IGCP Committee during the same period. Since 1994 he has conducted at least one PD activity each year to local or National members of either CoSP or IGCP.   

Sandy has made a substantial contribution to the discipline and practice of sport psychology. In his role at the University of Western Australia, he has taught numerous undergraduate and postgraduate classes in exercise and sport psychology and has been actively involved in fostering the research of Honours, Masters, and Doctoral students. He has demonstrated considerable expertise and scholarship in the area of Exercise and Sport Psychology. He has authored or co-authored one co-edited book, 21 book chapters, 60 articles for publication in refereed and non-refereed/professional journals, three major book reviews, 25 conference publications, 70 conference presentations, and 35 invited keynote addresses. In addition, he has authored or co-authored 10 funded and 15 unfunded grant proposals, is a regular reviewer for 11 periodicals, and serves on Editorial Boards of two others.  

Since 1987 Sandy has coordinated and taught education programs for community and elite coaches and psychologists in Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, UK and Zimbabwe as well as in Australia. 

Patsy Tremayne (2007)

Associate Professor Patsy Tremayne has been a full member of the APS for approximately 20 years and became a foundation member of the APS College of Sport Psychologists (CoSP) in 1991. She remained on the CoSP Executive in a variety of positions for most of the next 16 years, notably with a responsibility for professional development issues. Additionally, she was Chair of the NSW section of CoSP almost continuously from 1997 to 2008, and was a driving force behind the establishment of the Sydney Sport Psychology Interest Group.

Patsy Tremayne has had a long and distinguished career combining sport and psychology, beginning as an international athlete and Commonwealth Games medallist, then as an international coach, before becoming one of Australia’s first PhD graduates in sport psychology in 1990, a much sought after consultant to Australian sporting teams, director of the specialist masters program at UWS from 1998, and a tireless administrator on behalf of CoSP.  

Patsy has co-authored more than 20 publications, including several papers in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, which has an impact factor of 2.58. She also has held several prestigious positions in the international arena, for example, currently as Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, and previously as a member of the Organising and Scientific Committees for the 2005 ISSP World Congress in Sport Psychology.  

Patsy was a worthy recipient for our College for 2007.

Tony Morris (2006)

Professor Tony Morris has been a full member of the APS since 1990 and became a Fellow in 2000. He was a driving force in the establishment of the APS College of Sport Psychologists in 1991 and served a 4-year term as Foundation Chairperson. He remained on the College Executive in a variety of key positions for around 15 years.  

Tony has also been a towering presence in the broader sport psychology community. It is difficult to summarise the contents of his 82-page CV succinctly, but the bare facts are more than 200 publications, including 10 books and monographs; nearly 30 years of University teaching in sport psychology; dozens of higher degree theses supervised, including 18 PhDs; more than $3.5 million in funding for research and research training; and a record of involvement in national and international committees that leaves most of his peers fatigued just thinking about it. To name just a few, he has been on the Managing Council of the International Society of Sport Psychology (2001-2005), President of the Asian South Pacific Association of Sport Psychology (2001-2005) and Chair of the Organising and Scientific Committees for the 2005 ISSP World Congress in Sport Psychology, held in Sydney. 

Tony was a worthy recipient of the COSP Award of Distinction in 2006.

Jeff Bond (2005)

Jeff Bond started his professional life in physical education, having graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1965 and teaching at secondary and tertiary level for many years. He retrained as a psychologist, completing a BA (Psychology), and BEd (Educational Psychology) from Monash University and an MA (Sport Psychology) from the University of Alberta in 1979. He became a member of the APS and a registered psychologist in 1981, and worked briefly in private practice before taking the position of Head of Sport Psychology at the Australian Institute of Sport in 1982, a position he held for more than 21 years until 2004. Jeff was the first sport psychologist appointed to the Australian Olympic team for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984 and the first for a Winter Games in Calgary in 1988. Further appointments followed for the Summer Games of Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000); and the Winter Games of Albertville (1992), Lillehammer (1994), and Nagano (1998) – nine Olympic Games in total. 

Along the way, Jeff has played a significant role in helping to establish sport psychology as a credible profession. In 1983, he co-convened the first National Sport Psychology Conference in Canberra, and in 1986 became the inaugural President of the Australian Applied Sport Psychology Association, serving for four years in that capacity. In 1992, he became a Foundation Member of the Executive Committee of the APS College of Sport Psychologists, and served as Chair of CoSP from 1994-1999. In 2000, he was elected as a Fellow of the APS and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal. The longevity of his tenure at the AIS is ample confirmation of the enduring credibility he has managed to establish with generations of athletes and coaches.

Jeff's contribution to Australian sport psychology, and to the College, were recognised in his receipt of the College's initial Award of Distinction in 2005.