Samuel Hills

Dr Samuel Hills

  • u_shills at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
  • Lecturer in Sports Science
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Biography

Dr Samuel (Sam) Hills is a Lecturer in Sports Science, having joined Bournemouth University in June 2021. Sam was awarded his PhD from the University of Leeds in 2020, with a thesis entitled “The performance and physiological responses of soccer substitutes on match-day” and has contributed to >30 peer reviewed publications since 2018.

Sam’s research to date has largely focused on monitoring and improving the practices of team sports players, as well as externally funded public health related research examining drowning and associated risk factors. This research has involved engaging with and working in close collaboration with academic and practice-based partners worldwide, and Sam has presented to academic and applied audiences within the UK and internationally. Developing research interests relate to social and environmental determinants of health.

Sam has taught undergraduate and postgraduate students on a broad range of Sport, Health, and related programmes, including unit leadership and postgraduate research supervision...

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Journal Articles

  • Hills, S.P., Crang, Z.L., Russell, M. and Johnston, R.D., 2023. The pre- and post-pitch-entry physical and technical responses of rugby league interchange players according to starting status. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 18 (3), 822-831.
  • Dann, E., Quinn, S., Russell, M., Kilduff, L.P., Turner, A.N. and Hills, S.P., 2023. Alternate Leg Bounding Acutely Improves Change of Direction Performance in Women's Team Sports Players Irrespective of Ground Type. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 37 (6), 1199-1203.
  • Ullersperger, E., Hills, S.P., Russell, M., Waldron, M., Shearer, D., Lonergan, B., Farrow, T., Eager, R. and Kilduff, L.P., 2023. Assessing climatic, travel, and methodological influences on whole-match and worst-case scenario locomotor demands of international men’s rugby sevens match-play. European Journal of Sport Science, 23 (7), 1094-1101.
  • Aben, H.G.J., Hills, S.P., Cooke, C.B., Davis, D., Jones, B. and Russell, M., 2022. Profiling the Post-match Recovery Response in Male Rugby: A Systematic Review. J Strength Cond Res, 36 (7), 2050-2067.
  • Hills, S.P., Barrett, S., Thoseby, B., Kilduff, L.P., Barwood, M.J., Radcliffe, J.N., Cooke, C.B. and Russell, M., 2022. Quantifying the Peak Physical Match-Play Demands of Professional Soccer Substitutes Following Pitch-Entry: Assessing Contextual Influences. Res Q Exerc Sport, 93 (2), 270-281.
  • Nutt, F., Hills, S.P., Russell, M., Waldron, M., Scott, P., Norris, J., Cook, C.J., Mason, B., Ball, N. and Kilduff, L.P., 2022. Morning resistance exercise and cricket-specific repeated sprinting each improve indices of afternoon physical and cognitive performance in professional male cricketers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 25 (2), 162-166.
  • Hills, S.P., Hobbs, M., Tipton, M.J. and Barwood, M.J., 2021. The water incident database (WAID) 2012 to 2019: a systematic evaluation of the documenting of UK drownings. BMC Public Health, 21 (1).
  • Hills, S.P., Aben, H.G.J., Starr, D.P., Kilduff, L.P., Arent, S.M., Barwood, M.J., Radcliffe, J.N., Cooke, C.B. and Russell, M., 2021. Body temperature and physical performance responses are not maintained at the time of pitch-entry when typical substitute-specific match-day practices are adopted before simulated soccer match-play. J Sci Med Sport, 24 (5), 511-516.
  • Hills, S.P., Barrett, S., Busby, M., Kilduff, L.P., Barwood, M.J., Radcliffe, J.N., Cooke, C.B. and Russell, M., 2020. Profiling the Post-match Top-up Conditioning Practices of Professional Soccer Substitutes: An Analysis of Contextual Influences. J Strength Cond Res, 34 (10), 2805-2814.
  • Fereday, K., Hills, S.P., Russell, M., Smith, J., Cunningham, D.J., Shearer, D., McNarry, M. and Kilduff, L.P., 2020. A comparison of rolling averages versus discrete time epochs for assessing the worst-case scenario locomotor demands of professional soccer match-play. J Sci Med Sport, 23 (8), 764-769.
  • Sheppy, E., Hills, S.P., Russell, M., Chambers, R., Cunningham, D.J., Shearer, D., Heffernan, S., Waldron, M., McNarry, M. and Kilduff, L.P., 2020. Assessing the whole-match and worst-case scenario locomotor demands of international women's rugby union match-play. J Sci Med Sport, 23 (6), 609-614.
  • Aben, H.G.J., Hills, S.P., Higgins, D., Cooke, C.B., Davis, D., Jones, B. and Russell, M., 2020. The Reliability of Neuromuscular and Perceptual Measures Used to Profile Recovery, and the Time-Course of such Responses following Academy Rugby League Match-Play. Sports (Basel), 8 (5).
  • White, A., Hills, S.P., Hobbs, M., Cooke, C.B., Kilduff, L.P., Cook, C., Roberts, C. and Russell, M., 2020. The physical demands of professional soccer goalkeepers throughout a week-long competitive microcycle and transiently throughout match-play. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38 (8), 848-854.
  • Barrett, S., Varley, M.C., Hills, S.P., Russell, M., Reeves, M., Hearn, A. and Towlson, C., 2020. Understanding the Influence of the Head Coach on Soccer Training Drills-An 8 Season Analysis. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL, 10 (22).
  • Hills, S.P., Barrett, S., Hobbs, M., Barwood, M.J., Radcliffe, J.N., Cooke, C.B. and Russell, M., 2020. Modifying the pre-pitch entry practices of professional soccer substitutes may contribute towards improved movement-related performance indicators on match-day: A case study. PLoS One, 15 (5), e0232611.
  • Hills, S.P., Radcliffe, J.N., Barwood, M.J., Arent, S.M., Cooke, C.B. and Russell, M., 2020. Practitioner perceptions regarding the practices of soccer substitutes. PLoS One, 15 (2), e0228790.
  • Hills, S.P., Mitchell, P., Wells, C. and Russell, M., 2019. Honey Supplementation and Exercise: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 11 (7).
  • Hills, S.P., Barrett, S., Feltbower, R.G., Barwood, M.J., Radcliffe, J.N., Cooke, C.B., Kilduff, L.P., Cook, C.J. and Russell, M., 2019. A match-day analysis of the movement profiles of substitutes from a professional soccer club before and after pitch-entry. PLoS One, 14 (1), e0211563.
  • White, A., Hills, S.P., Cooke, C.B., Batten, T., Kilduff, L.P., Cook, C.J., Roberts, C. and Russell, M., 2018. Match-Play and Performance Test Responses of Soccer Goalkeepers: A Review of Current Literature. Sports Medicine, 48 (11), 2497-2516.
  • Hills, S.P., Barwood, M.J., Radcliffe, J.N., Cooke, C.B., Kilduff, L.P., Cook, C.J. and Russell, M., 2018. Profiling the Responses of Soccer Substitutes: A Review of Current Literature. Sports Med, 48 (10), 2255-2269.
  • Hills, S.P. and Rogerson, D.J., 2018. Associatons Between Self-Reported Well-being and Neuromuscular Performance During a Professional Rugby Union Season. J Strength Cond Res, 32 (9), 2498-2509.
  • Hills, S.P. and Russell, M., 2017. Carbohydrates for Soccer: A Focus on Skilled Actions and Half-Time Practices. Nutrients, 10 (1).

Chapters

  • Russell, M., Hills, S., Cook, C. and Kilduff, L., 2023. Match-day strategies to enhance the physical and technical performance of rugby players. In: Twist, C. and Worsfold, P., eds. Science of Rugby. Routledge.
  • Russell, M., Brown, N., Hills, S. and Kilduff, L., 2022. Priming match-day performance: strategies for team sports players. In: Turner, A. and Comfort, P., eds. Advanced Strength and Conditioning: An Evidence-based Approach. Routledge.
  • Harper, L., Hills, S., Field, A., White, A. and Russell, M., 2019. Game management: considerations for the goalkeeper, substitutes and extra-time. In: Casa, D., Curtis, R., Benjamin, C. and Huggins, R., eds. Elite soccer players: maximising performance and safety. Routledge.

Reports

  • Barwood, M., Hills, S., Hobbs, M. and Tipton, M., 2020. Modelling the associations between drowning incidents and environmental risk factors across the United Kingdom: Developing rigorous evidence for policy. Leeds Trinity University, University of Portsmouth, University of Canterbury.

Theses

  • Hills, S., 2020. The performance and physiological responses of soccer substitutes on match-day. PhD Thesis. University of Leeds, Leeds Trinity University.

Posters

  • Barwood, M.J., Eglin, C., Hills, S.P., Johnston, N., Massey, H., McMorris, T., Tipton, M.J., Wakabayashi, H. and Webster, L., 2024. Habituation of the cold shock response: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
  • Hills, S.P., Brown, P., Hobbs, M. and Barwood, M., 2022. Weather and UK drowning: Progressing targeted water safety policy. In: International Conference on Environmental Ergonomics.
  • Johnston, N., Hills, S.P., St Quinton, T., Webster, L. and Barwood, M., 2022. A systematic review of environmental risk factors for drowning.

Others

  • Hills, S., Barrett, S. and Russell, M., 2019. Spotlight on substitutes: what do we know?. Football Medicine & Performance Magazine. Published.

PhD Students

  • Nicola Johnston. Investigating drowning risk factors, (In progress)
  • Kalvin Brookes. Tailored nutrition for team sports players

Invited Lectures

  • 24 Sep 2020 more
  • 15 May 2020 more
  • Applied research: Match-day strategies, Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy, 23 Jan 2019 more

Grants

  • Weather conditions and UK drownings: Progressing data reporting and targeted water safety policy (Bournemouth University ACORN (internal), 01 Feb 2022). Awarded

Internal Responsibilities

  • Ethics Champion, Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Science
  • Member, Science, Technology & Health Research Ethics Panel
  • Member, Bournemouth University Research Ethics Committee

Conference Presentations

  • National Water Safety Conference, The Water Incident Database (WAID) 2012 to 2019: a systematic evaluation of the documenting of UK drownings, 18 Nov 2021, Online
  • Annual Conference of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), PERFORMANCE AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES ACROSS ACADEMIC YEARS IN COLLEGIATE DIVISION I WOMEN SOCCER PLAYERS, 07 Jul 2021, Florida
  • Exercise and Sports Science Australia Twitter conference, Body temperature and physical performance responses are not maintained at the time of pitch-entry when typical substitute-specific match-day practices are adopted before simulated soccer match-play, 16 Nov 2020, Exercise and Sports Science Australia (via Twitter)
  • World Congress on Science and Football, A MATCH-DAY ANALYSIS OF THE MOVEMENT PROFILES OF SUBSTITUTES FROM A PROFESSIONAL SOCCER CLUB BEFORE AND AFTER PITCH-ENTRY, 04 Jun 2019, Melbourne, Australia

Attended Training

  • Doctoral supervisor development - Bournemouth University, 08 Sep 2021
  • Postgraduate researcher supervision training - University of Leeds, 25 May 2021

Qualifications

  • PhD in Sports Science (University of Leeds, 2020)
  • MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Science (Sheffield Hallam University, 2017)
  • LLB (Hons) in Law (Durham University, 2015)

Memberships

  • Higher Education Academy (HEA), Fellow,

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