Mr James Holbeck
James Holbeck is a former Australian Rugby Union player who has an honours degree in psychology. Since finishing his injury ravished career he has worked in many diverse areas such as a television panelist, supermarket manager, university lecturer & researcher, coached and consulted to teams in Australia and Japan. He has worked as a career advisor for professional rugby players and as a sports writer, but currently travels around Australia as a presenter and workshop facilitator in schools, sporting teams and corporate settings.
James’ areas of interest are character, resilience, self-worth, hope and optimism using life experience, stories and interactive skits to bring evidence-based findings to life. He is currently studying a Masters in Family Studies, majoring in Fatherhood, after realising the potential effects of early childhood experiences while working as a Kids Helpline telephone counsellor. More recently he has worked as an ambassador for Youth InSearch, an organisation for at-risk kids.
Presentation
James’ talk will focus on the foundations of healthy environments where people are able to thrive. Using perspectives taken from his experiences in professional team sport, his research into what makes someone an expert, and the latest studies into families, he desires to provide some insights into what makes people tick and the role educators may play in inspiring hope in their students.