Projects per year
Personal profile
Expertise
Sofie Smismans is a researcher and assistant lecturer at the Department of Movement and Sport Sciences (MOSS; faculty of Physical Education) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Sofie is an active member of the research group Sport Psychology and Mental Support (SPMB). She graduated at the VUB in 2016 as Master of Science in Sports Management (Magna Cum Laude) and obtained an additional Master of Science in Management (Cum Laude) in 2017. After some working experience in the practical field of sport management (i.e., Special Olympics Belgium, MOEV, Strong Student Run), she got the chance to further develop her interest in sports management by engaging in research activities. Sofie’s research interests lie in the broad domain of (elite) sport science and more specifically in the domains of sport management, sport policy and sport psychology. While a great interest in elite sport success on a micro -, meso – en macrolevel is prominent, during her sport science education, she also developed an important interest in the personal and societal impact of sport (e.g., gender & sport, economic aspects of sport, inspirational effect of elite sport).
As a researcher, Sofie is involved in qualitative and quantitative research on (a) high performance management in elite sport, specifically targeting the fifth pillar of the SPLISS (Sports Policy factors Leading to International Sporting Success) model (i.e., athletic and post-career support) and (b) sport psychology and mental support. Concretely, Sofie was actively involved in the coordination of multiple international research projects for the European Commission: Be a Winner In elite Sport and Employment before and after athletic Retirement’ (B-WISER; 2017-2018), ‘Mind the Gap’ (2018-2020), ‘Ecology of Dual Careers’ (2018-2019)) and for the International Olympic Committee (‘How should athletes be supported before, during, and after athletic retirement? Moving from an athletic-centred needs analysis to practical guidelines for career support stakeholders’). Sofie’s research activities resulted in several reports, publications, workshops and presentations of research results to policy makers (e.g., Sport Vlaanderen) and on national and international conferences (e.g., EASM, FEPSAC, VBSW).
As an assistant lecturer, Sofie assists in courses related to sport policy and management. Specifically, she assists in the course ‘High Performance Management’ and provides support and guidance to students in their internships Sport Management during both their bachelor’s and master’s years. She also supervises students’ master theses related to SPLISS. Next to her teaching activities, Sofie is part of faculty committees (i.e., Opleidingsraad Bewegings – en Sportwetenschappen; RvB Doctoral School Human Sciences, Onderwijsraad) and participates in faculty activities (e.g., SID IN, Stap-voor-stap tegen kanker).
Education/Academic qualification
Economic and Social Sciences, Master in Management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Sep 2016 → Jul 2017
Physical Education & Movement Sciences, Master in Sports Management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Sep 2011 → Jul 2016
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 3 Finished
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EUPOM95: Erasmus+ Sport: Empowering the public value of sport through athletes and role models (MESSI)
De Bosscher, V., Smismans, S., Derom, I., De Rycke, J. & Praet, L.
1/01/21 → 30/06/23
Project: Fundamental
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EUPOM26: B-WISER – Be a Winner in Elite Sport and Employment before and after athletic Retirement (B-WISER).
Wylleman, P., De Brandt, K., Aurousseau, M., Skenazi, A., Defruyt, S. & Smismans, S.
1/01/17 → 31/12/18
Project: Fundamental
Research output
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Athletes4Society: Literature review report
Smismans, S., Praet, L., De Bosscher, V. & Derom, I., 26 Jan 2023, SPLISS. 17 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open Access -
A cross-country examination of the attributed public value of elite sport
Praet, L., Smismans, S., Gielens, E. S. F., Derom, I. & De Bosscher, V., 8 Sep 2022, Book of Abstracts: Bridging Sport, Tourism & Leisure Management. European Association for Sport Management, p. 421-422 2 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Meeting abstract (Book) › Research
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A holistic perspective on the vocational development of active and former elite athletes
Smismans, S., 2022, Brussels: VUBPress. 242 p.Research output: Thesis › PhD Thesis
Open AccessFile86 Downloads (Pure) -
A holistic perspective on the vocational development of active and retired elite athletes
Smismans, S., 2022, Brussels: VUBPress. 272 p.Research output: Thesis › PhD Thesis
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Athletes4Society: Population survey – results report
De Bosscher, V., Smismans, S., Praet, L., Gielens, E. S. F. & Derom, I., 24 Jun 2022, SPLISS. 99 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Prizes
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Gaston Beunenprijs
Smismans, Sofie (Recipient), 11 Dec 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Managing the social value of elite sport
Lynn Praet (Speaker), Sofie Smismans (Contributor), Veerle De Bosscher (Contributor) & Inge Derom (Contributor)
9 Feb 2023Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
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Athletes4Society bootcamp: Topsporters (inzetten) als rolmodel: goud op het veld en in de maatschappij
Sofie Smismans (Speaker), Lynn Praet (Speaker), Veerle De Bosscher (Contributor) & Inge Derom (Contributor)
9 Jan 2023Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk at an external academic organisation
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Evaluating the impact of elite sport
Lynn Praet (Speaker), Sofie Smismans (Contributor), Inge Derom (Contributor) & Veerle De Bosscher (Contributor)
12 May 2023Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
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A Cross-Country Examination Of The Attributed Public Value of Elite Sport
Lynn Praet (Speaker), Sofie Smismans (Contributor), Veerle De Bosscher (Contributor), Inge Derom (Contributor) & Eva Suzanne F Gielens (Contributor)
8 Sep 2022Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
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Baillet Latour Bootcamp
Veerle De Bosscher (Organiser), Kari Descheemaeker (Organiser), Aline Van Roey (Organiser) & Sofie Smismans (Organiser)
13 May 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
Thesis
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A holistic perspective on the vocational development of active and retired elite athletes
Author: Smismans, S., 29 Nov 2022Supervisor: Wylleman, P. (Promotor), De Brandt, K. (Promotor) & Vitali, F. (External person) (Advisor)
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
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De Vlaamse sportarbeidsmarkt in kaart: waar komen alumni sportbeleid en sportmanagement terecht?
Author: Keymolen, R., Derom, I., De Bosscher, V. & Smismans, S., 2023Supervisor: Derom, I. (Promotor) & De Bosscher, V. (Promotor)
Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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Een exploratieve analyse van de relatie tussen stadioninvesteringen en sportief/financieel succes in het voetbal
Author: Smismans, S., 2017Supervisor: Dooms, M. (Promotor)
Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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Sport en detentie: Een kwaliteitsanalyse van het voetbalaanbod in Vlaamse gevangenissen
Author: Smismans, S., Van Loock, A. & Derom, I., 2016Supervisor: Derom, I. (Promotor)
Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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Vrouwen supporteren mee. Kwalitatief onderzoek naar de ervaringen van vrouwelijke toeschouwers bij voetbalclub KV Mechelen
Author: Brenders, M., Schaillée, H., Derom, I. & Smismans, S., 2023Supervisor: Schaillée, H. (Promotor) & Derom, I. (Promotor)
Student thesis: Master's Thesis