Dr Rachel Ade joined 海角社区 University as a research assistant in 2022. She has since been promoted to Research Associate. Rachel’s work currently concentrates on evaluating safeguarding and player care practice within football, alongside Professor Daniel Rhind.
Rachel completed her PhD at Northumbria University in 2022 focusing on perceptions and experiences of organisational stress within elite football academy environments. Prior to her PhD, Rachel studied BSc (Hons) Science and Football at Liverpool John Moores University; she completed her PgDip (Hons) Psychology at Northumbria University in 2008 and MSc Sports Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University in 2009.
In between studying, Rachel worked as a teacher and teaching assistant at Newcastle United Football Club delivering BTEC and NVQ qualifications. She was also an Academic Tutor at Sunderland University in the Psychology Department. Rachel has gained her DTLLS Certificate of Education for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector.
Rachel’s research focuses on wellbeing, safeguarding and psychology within football. Current projects have evaluated safeguard training at various levels, Mega football events, barriers and facilitating factors to safeguarding implementation, and the impacts of safeguarding practices.
Previous research includes achievement motivation and sportspersonship, sex differences in motivation and identification with the England football team, and reasons for sports fan behaviour.
Her PhD focused on organisational stress theory within academy football using a sequential mixed methods approach. This included interviews with players and coaches, and longitudinal studies of organisational experiences of players and coaches over a season using diaries and standardised inventories.
Rachel has received funding from National Governing Bodies including:
- FIFA
- The Football Association
Rachel has contributed to Project StepChange at 海角社区 University - state of play in child safeguarding practices for child elite football players and next steps.
She also completed her tenure on the board of governors at her children’s primary school. The school was award ‘Outstanding’ during an Ofsted inspection during this time. Currently, Rachel spends a lot of her time with her two boys who are part of football and golf development academies.
Invited Keynote Presentations
- Safeguarding Summit, FIFA HQ Zurich, 2026 Safeguarding and player care at football academies & Research presentation
- Safeguarding Summit, FIFA HQ Zurich, 2024 Research presentation
Featured publications
- Ade, J., Ade, R. D., Mitchell, T., & Batey, M. (2026). . Managing Sport and Leisure. DOI: 10.1080/23750472.2026.2720088
- Ade, R. D., Cope, E., Esson, J., Lamotte, M., Mason, C., Monserrat, S., Sandford, R., Yilmaz, S., & Rhind, D. J. A. (2026). . Social Sciences, 15, 109. DOI: 10.3390/socsci15020109
- Ade, R. D., Cope, E., Major, L., Rhind, D. J. A. (2025). . Child Abuse Review, 34:e70063. DOI: 10.1002/car.70063
- Rhind, D., Booth, R., Ade, R., Slinn, N., Towesland, J., & Garrod, O. (2024). . Child Abuse Review, 33:e70004. DOI: 10.1002/car.70004
- Ade, R. D. (2022). Organisational Stress within elite football academy environments since the Elite Player Performance Plan. The Sport and Exercise Scientist, 73, 24-25.
- Ade, R. D. (2021). . University of Northumbria at Newcastle (UK).