About Us
Travis E. Dorsch, Ph.D.
is an Assistant Professor and Founding Director of the Families in Sport Lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. Dr. Dorsch’s research has been highlighted in TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The Chicago Tribune, and his findings are used by sport administrators, coaches, and parents to construct more developmentally appropriate youth sport contexts and to evaluate the role of parent involvement in organized youth sport. Listen to Dr. Dorsch’s March 2018 TEDx talk HERE.
C. Ryan Dunn, Ph.D.
is a graduate of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at Weber State University. Ryan’s personal and professional interests sit at the intersection of family relations and parenting, and he is widely cited regarding the impact of family financial investment on children’s enjoyment and motivation in organized youth sport.
Valeria C. Eckardt, M.Sc.
earned her advanced degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the German Sport University Cologne. She completed a pre-doc research apprenticeship in the Families in Sport Lab during Summer 2019 and was responsible for the German translations of all parent education materials. As a trained family therapist, Valeria is interested in enhancing parents’ experiences in youth sport.
Michael Q. King, M.S.
is a doctoral student at Utah State University in the department of Human Development and Family Studies. Before joining the Families in Sport Lab, Michael earned a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and works clinically as a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. His research and practice are focused on furthering evidence-based education for sport parents and helping improve parent-child relationships in sport-based contexts.
Keith V. Osai, Ph.D.
is a graduate of the Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at Weber State University. Keith’s research and applied interests center on the role of sibling relationships and family dynamics in organized youth sport, and he has written on the impact of parents’ past experiences on current parenting practices.