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Athlete & Team Thriving
Creating sport environments where individuals and teams can perform well and feel well.
Western University · Sport Psychology
Better Together Lab
Helping athletes and teams thrive.
About
About the Lab
Our lab studies how to help athletes and their teams thrive: achieving high performance and wellbeing at the same time.
We focus on the people and relationships that shape athletes' experiences, including coaches, teammates, and the team environment.
Our work spans three key research pillars:
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Team Dynamics
Understanding how factors such as trust, cohesion, and resilience shape athlete experiences.
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Diverse Populations and Contexts
Examining recreational to elite competition, and youth to adult sport participation.
Our Team
People behind the research
Meet the researchers and students working to improve athletes' performance and wellbeing.
Lab Director
Cailie McGuire, Ph.D. (she/her)
Assistant Professor
School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University · London, ON, Canada
Dr. Cailie McGuire (she/her) is an Assistant Professor within the School of Kinesiology. Cailie's research program falls within the umbrella field of Sport Psychology, with a particular interest in team dynamics.
Graduate Students
Mike Roussos
Psychological Basis (MA)
Mike is a first year Master's student supervised by Dr. McGuire. His master's focuses on help-seeking and building trust between men athletes and mental health practitioners to support athlete well-being.
mroussos@uwo.caUndergraduate Students
JM
Jonah Moyal
Undergraduate Research Student
Jonah is a third-year student in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Western University.
Research
Publications
Selected publications from Dr. McGuire and collaborators. Lab members' names appear in bold.
Journal Article2026
The relative association of coaches' technical and interpersonal behaviours on perceptions of cohesion and performance in university sport teams
Profeit MC, Wilson SG, McGuire CS, Murata A, Herbison JD, Côté J, Martin LJ
Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 86, 103170
Plain-language summary
In a survey of 1,048 Canadian university athletes, both coaches' technical and interpersonal behaviours were linked to stronger team cohesion and performance, but interpersonal behaviours mattered more for individual performance and task cohesion.
Journal Article2026
The relationship between positional competition and social identity in Canadian university student-athletes
Harenberg S, MacLeod C, Worley JT, McGuire CS, Nieto M
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, ahead of print, 1–9
Plain-language summary
Among 181 Canadian university athletes, competition for playing time was linked to how strongly athletes identified with their team, and being pushed by teammates was the most consistent positive factor.
Journal Article2026
An evaluation of the coach segment of a story-based positive youth development program for youth ice hockey athletes
Maw A, Profeit MC, Benson AJ, McGuire CS, Saizew K, Murata A, Erickson K, Côté J, Wolff M, Ladd B, Martin LJ
International Sport Coaching Journal, 13(2), 247–258
Read ArticleBook Chapter2026
Being creative together: Considering group dynamics in relation to creativity in sport
Profeit MC, Bons L, McGuire CS, Wilson S, Martin LJ
Springer
Read ArticleJournal Article2025
Dyadic trust in sport: A theoretical and integrative review
McGuire CS, McEwan D, Beauchamp MR
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–27
Read ArticleProjects
Current Projects
Our active work with athletes, coaches, teams, and sport organizations.
Movember Canada Sport Health Research Initiative
Building Trust, Bolstering Thriving: Improving Young Men's Help-Seeking and Mental Health in Sport
McGuire, C. S. (PI), & Beauchamp, M. R. (2026–2028)
Movember Canada impact
UBC SSHRC Explore Grant
Assessing Trust Between Teammates
Beauchamp, M. R., & McGuire, C. S. (2026)
In the News
Research and stories from the field
Stories and research from around the field that connect to our work on athlete thriving, coaching, and team dynamics.
Coaches Who Lead, Athletes Who Thrive
1616 · Jul 2025
Researchers from Queen's, Western, and York Universities evaluated the 1616 Program's coach segment and found coaches grew as leaders while their athletes improved.
Read MoreHow to harness the power of team cohesion in sport
SIRC (with Erika Degabriele and Cailie McGuire) · Jun 2023
A practical guide defining cohesion and giving coaches strategies to build task and social cohesion in the teams they lead.
Read More#246 Cailie McGuire & Dr Daniel Brown — Examining Thriving in Sport
The Sport Psych Show (podcast) · Aug 2023
A conversation on thriving in interdependent sport.
Read MoreJoin Us
Get Involved
We welcome students who are interested in sport psychology, team dynamics, and athlete wellbeing and performance.
Prospective Graduate Students
Interested in pursuing an MA or PhD in sport psychology? Reach out with your CV and research interests.
Contact UsUndergraduate Students
Volunteer, thesis, and research assistant opportunities may be available. Get in touch to learn more.
Contact UsParticipate in a Study
Are you an athlete, coach, or team interested in taking part in our research? We'd love to hear from you.
Contact UsContact
Contact Us
Interested in joining the lab, collaborating, or participating in our research? We would be glad to hear from you.
Cailie McGuire, Ph.D. (she/her)
Assistant Professor
School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada