Marc Theeboom

Marc Theeboom works as a full professor at the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy (LK) and the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (PE) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He teaches various courses on bachelor’s and master’s level in both faculties (among others ‘Sport and development’, ‘Module Sport and Social Issues’, ‘Sport sociology’, ‘Introduction in methodics of training and coaching’, ‘Introduction in sports education’, ‘Introduction in leisure sciences’ and ‘Social inclusion, youth and the city’, ‘Integrated working period in recreational and rehabilitation sports’). Marc has held various positions at university and faculty level (among others, chair of Humanities and Social Sciences Committee (subcommissie OZR-HW); member of the Bureau of the University Research Council (BOZ); member of the University Research Council (OZR); member of the University Board (RvB); member of the College of the University Board (BEC); Faculty vice-dean (LK); chair of the Faculty Research Committee (OZC-LK)). At present, he is a member of the University Council (UR), member of the Faculty Research Committee (OZC-LK), member of the Promotion Committee (EBC) of 2 faculties (LK-PE) and chair of the SASO research group. 

His research primarily focuses on policy-related and educational aspects of sport in general and in relation to specific target groups in particular. He has a special interest in the analysis and evaluation of ‘sport-for-development’ programmes in which sport is regarded as a means of personal, social and community development, as well as in martial arts research. His research has been extensively published in international peer-reviewed journals and books and in several languages on these topics. Marc Theeboom has coordinated over 35 policy relevant studies in Flanders with regard to grassroots sport. From 2012 to 2016, he was the promotor-coordinator of the interuniversity Flemish Policy Research Centre for Sports of the Flemish Government. From 2016 to 2019, he was the coordinator of CATCH, a major 4-year project on the impact of community sport and personal development, health and social cohesion among youth at-risk. To date, he has supervised 7 defended PhD’s and is currently promoter of 6 ongoing doctoral studies, mostly investigating the developmental role of sport or the promotion of martial arts. He has more than 15 years of experience in collaboration of international research projects on the contribution of sport on social issues. He has been a guest professor at the Shanghai University of Sport and has acted as a chair, presenter or co-organiser during international meetings, conferences and working groups on the topic of sport and social integration. He has been frequently asked to act as an advisor in steering groups and as a member of scientific committees with regard to the social value of sport and of policy preparation initiatives on different national and international levels. He is currently coordinator of an Erasmus+ sport collaborative partnership on the development of an M&E manual for sport-for-employability programmes that work with NEETs and is a partner in 2 Erasmus+ collaborative partnerships.