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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Nick Wattie
PhD

Associate Professor

Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies

Faculty of Health Sciences

Contact information

Shawenjigewining Hall - Room 433
North Oshawa
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5

905.721.8668 ext. 2248

nick.wattie@ontariotechu.ca

Research topics

  • sport psychology
  • athlete development
  • sport expertise
  • positive youth development
  • athlete health
  • athlete morbidity and mortality
  • relative age effects
  • birthplace effects
  • talent identification
  • parasport

Research and expertise

  • Background and interests

    Research area of specialty:

    • athlete development
    • constraints on sport expertise
    • epidemiology
    • positive youth development
    • skill acquisition and motor development

    Research background and interests:

    Dr. Wattie has two primary areas of research interest:

    • Psychosocial and environmental constraints on sport participation and sport expertise.
    • The psychosocial and physical health outcomes associated with sport participation.

    Background:

    Dr. Nick Wattie earned a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (BPHE) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Life Sciences from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, before completing his master's degree in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University in Toronto, Ontario. With the funding support of a Carnegie Centenary Bursary and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship, he went on to complete his doctorate at Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. After earning his PhD, he returned to Canada to carry out a postdoctoral fellowship at York University.

  • Publications

    For a comprehensive list of publications, visit PubMed.

    • Wattie, N., Schorer, J., and Baker, J. (2014). The relative age effect in sport: A developmental systems model. Sports Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-014-0248-9.
    • Wattie, N., Tietjens, M., Schorer, J., Ghanbari, M-C., Strauss, B., Seidel, I., and Baker, J. (2014). Does relative age influence motor test performance of fourth grade pupils? European Physical Education Review, 20, 398-406.
    • Wattie, N., Tietjens, M., Schorer, J., Cobley, S., Baker, J., and Kurz, D. (2014). Relative age-related participation and dropout trends in German youth sports clubs. European Journal of Sport Science. 14, S213-220.
    • Kowalyk, T., Davis, C., Wattie, N., and Baker, J. (2014). No link between date of birth and Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms in adults. Journal of Attention Disorders, 18, 73-81.
    • Lemez, S., Baker, J., Horton, S., Wattie, N., and Weir, P. (2013). Examining the relationship between relative age, competition level, and dropout rates in male youth ice-hockey players. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport. doi:10.1111/sms.12127.
  • Research collaborations
    • Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
    • Leeds Metropolitan University
    • University of Windsor
    • York University
  • Courses taught

    Courses taught (past and present) at the undergraduate level:

    • Health and Exercise Psychology
    • Selected Topics in Physical Activity and Health
    • Growth, Maturation and Physical Activity
    • Motor Skill Development
    • Skill Development and Motor Control

    Courses taught (past and present) at the graduate level:

    • Current Issues in the Psychology of Skilled Performance
  • Grants
    • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Insight Development Grant (2014-2016). Proposal title: Ties that bind - Relationships between age relative to peers, sport participation, educational attainment and positive development. Value: $62,626. Role: Principal Investigator.
    • Funding for Research in Applied Sport Science (RPASS). Proposal title: Gold Medal Profiles in Summer Olympic Sports. Value: $10,000.  Funding period: March 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014. Role: Co-Applicant.