Dr Ella Tagliavini holds a rare and unique combination of empirical and anecdotal experiences that inform her holistic approach to performance and development.

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Professional Background

Ella is a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a Sport and Exercise Psychologist (in Training; SEPiT) with the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES). She completed her PhD at Loughborough University in 2023, where her research, funded by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), focused on understanding and improving how parents, athletes, and coaches work together to support performance and development.

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Athletic Experience

Ella previously represented clubs including Fulham FC and Chelsea FC, as well as England at various youth levels, before moving to the USA to compete as a Division One student-athlete at Louisiana State University (LSU) between 2014 and 2017. She completed her MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2019 before taking a four-year break from football following two ACL reconstructive surgeries between 2020 and 2022. Ella subsequently returned to play semi- professionally for Fulham FC Women’s First Team between 2023 and 2026.

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Applied Practice

Ella is the sports psychologist for IK Start’s boys academy in Kristiansand, Norway, whilst also lecturing at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB - Wembley) and serving as an ambassador for the charity, Sport in Mind. Alongside her consultancy work, she has experience coaching within professional football environments, delivering CPD sessions through the UK Sport CPD programme, and publishing work for international journals and national governing bodies. She is also a qualified football, futsal, and tennis coach and has completed the TASS Athlete Performance Development and Lifestyle Certificate, UK Anti-Doping Certificate, and NCFE Mental Health Awareness Certificate.​

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