About Noel

From the earliest possible age, Noel has been surrounded by competitive sport. He has consumed every opportunity to be involved at a competitive level and from very humble beginnings became a high-level junior performer in three different sports: rugby league, tennis and golf.

By chance, he spent several years around the Emerson family, whose son Roy became one of the world’s greatest tennis players and as a World #1 also won 12 Grand Slam titles. Coached by Roy’s dad, Roy Snr, Noel spent many fruitful hours chasing down Roy’s serves during school holiday “workouts”

Noel’s family history includes Heather McKay AO, MBE, (nee Blundell), one of the world’s greatest athletes being undefeated World Squash Champion for 19 years.

An upbringing playing, watching and being totally absorbed in high-level sport framed his lifelong ‘love of competitive sport’.

“If I couldn’t be out there performing at the highest levels the next best option is to assist those who aspire to be and all who have a passion for the game at any level.”

“Directing my energies into the Sport Psychology profession has surpassed anything I may have achieved as an athlete. I derive massive satisfaction from assisting athletes of all ages and levels to attain the levels of performance to which they aspire, providing the mental edge that unlocks the talent they possess.”

Noel’s desire for knowledge and excellence in his chosen profession evolved within a pathway of academic excellence at universities in Australia and the USA, together with accolades as a teacher, coach, researcher, author and inventor.

As an Aussie, he has a great sense of Australian culture and sporting tradition. He also considers himself a ‘citizen of the world’ given the amount of time he has lived and traversed the globe over the last 40 years.

He takes great pride in his adult children’s role in life and the incredible support he has received from family and friends on a global scale.

Academic Background

Noel completed his undergraduate degree in Australia and was #1 graduate in the first full-time Physical Education Program in Australia.  He received Graduate Teaching Scholarships to the USA and completed his Doctoral Degree at the University of Tennessee in Sport Psychology and Psycho-Motor Behaviour.

Links to selected publications within the profession:

• An “Analysis of the visual/perceptual variables of male and female tennis players of varying ability levels”. Ed D, University of Tennessee 1982. Anna Arbor: UMI 1982. Order No. 8225324
• Numerous contributed chapters to other books e.g. Clinical & Sports Medicine – Edition 1, Bruckner and Khan, McGraw Hill. 1993.

Clinical & Sports Medicine – Edition 2, Bruckner and Khan, McGraw Hill. 2001.
Chapter Title- “Maximising Performance” Psychology.

Teacher

First teaching appointment was Head of Physical Education at Craigslea High School in Brisbane.

University Lecturer

1982-1983:

• Lecturer: Sports Psychology and Psycho – Motor Behaviour, University of Queensland Human Movement Studies Dept.
• Established Sport Psychology Laboratory and Consulting Service for Elite Athletes, at the University of Queensland.

National Sports Research Co-coordinator (NSRC)

Noel was appointed Australia’s first NSRC by the Australian Sports Commission. Responsible for establishing, coordinating and critiquing all nationally funded Sports Science research throughout Australian Universities. The system established in 1984 is still functioning today.

Private Practice

Dr Noel Blundell is an internationally renowned Sports Psychologist.  He has a high national and international media profile in television, print and radio due to his outstanding results working with elite athletes.   As a result of his success with a broad range of international athletes, he was dubbed by the media “the sport psychologist to the stars”.

Over the past 30 years, Dr Blundell has been directly involved in producing 22 World and Olympic champions and World #1’s. These include Lleyton Hewitt (tennis), Arthur Brett (dual World Champion in Board Sailing and Yachting), Lee Brownbill (Shooting), Brett Thurley (Water Skiing), Lauren Bevaart (Triple World Karate Champion), Lauren Burns (Olympic Gold Medallist – Tae Kwondo), Tom King & Mark Turnbull (Olympic Gold Medallists, Yachting), Minjee Lee and Su Oh (Golf), Danielle Woodward (Olympic Silver Medallist – Slalom Canoe), Scotty James (Half Pipe Snow Boarding, World Champion). He has worked with numerous National teams, including Softball, Parachuting and Squash.

Consultant

• AFL Draft Combine. Since its inception in 1994 Noel has been in charge of “Psycho-Motor Testing and Psychological Assessment” for the AFL.  The results of this testing and his insights have been distributed by the AFL to all 18 AFL clubs to assist with their talent ID and draft selections.
• Noel was Head of Elite Sports Psychology for the Victorian Institute of Sport and Golf Australia for many years.  He has also been a Consultant to numerous Australian National Sporting Bodies and Teams as well as International Sporting Organisations e.g. International Tennis Federation (ITF)

Professional Qualifications:

• Dip.T, B Ed, MSc., Ed D
• Specialist qualifications in the areas of Sport Psychology and Motor Skill Acquisition and Performance

Academic Awards:

1982:

• University of Tennessee, Chancellors Citation – “Extraordinary Professional Promise” (one of eight awarded to graduate students numbering approximately 8000).
• University of Tennessee, College of Education, Certificate for Outstanding Achievement.

1981:

• University of Tennessee, College of Education, Certificate for “Outstanding Achievement”.

1972:

• Top Graduating student, both academically and as a trainee teacher, Queensland University of Technology / Physical Education / Human Movement Studies.

International and Australian Awards

• The awards received have been very fulfilling, not only for myself but for my family and colleagues whose unconditional support made working with elite athletes at an international level possible.
• Awards have been received as a teacher, researcher and practitioner and for academic excellence in Australia and the USA. Especially rewarding was receiving the University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Citation for ‘Extraordinary Professional Promise’, particularly as only 8 students amongst 8,000 graduate students achieved this honor.

As a result of the above innovative work, Dr Blundell was inducted at the Great Australians Awards in October 2014 by the Australian Jesuit Society.

Scientific and Journal Reviewer (1982/1983)

• Journal of Sports Medicine and Exercise Science, Sport Science sub-disciplines, Sport Psychology, Motor Behaviour.
• Peer Reviewer – Grant applications, National Sports Research Program 1983-1986.
• Editor “Sports world” Publication, Sport Science section 1985.

Membership of Professional Organisations:

1. Current Registration with the “Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria”
2. Member of Australian Psychological Society
3. Member of the College of Sport Psychologists within the Australian Psychological Society
4. Registered Psychological Counselling service provider within the Australian Government Medical System  “Medicare”
5. Certified counselling ancillary provider for the vast number of Australia’s Medical Insurance  Companies
6. Certified Sports Psychologist with the US PGA Golf Tour