Bishop’s University
Dr. Fabian Romero Clavijo
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Post-Doc Dr. Fabian Romero Clavijo: the association between perceptual-cognitive skills and baseball performance

Dr. Fabian Romero Clavijo is a postdoctoral fellow at Bishop’s University whose research examines the association between perceptual-cognitive skills and baseball performance. His academic and professional journey reflects a longstanding commitment to understanding how athletes perceive, decide, and perform in dynamic sport environments.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sport Science from Colombia, where he also worked for seven years as a grassroots soccer coach. His early experiences in coaching sparked a desire to better understand the scientific foundations of performance. Seeking to deepen his knowledge, he pursued a master’s degree and later a Ph.D. in Physical Education and Sport in Brazil. His doctoral research focused on decision making and collective patterns in team sports. During the final year of his Ph.D., he completed an internship at the University of New Brunswick under the supervision of Dr. Tim McGarry, further expanding his research expertise. After completing his doctorate, he worked as a tennis coach for three years, maintaining a strong connection between scientific research and applied sport practice.

Dr. Romero Clavijo’s interest in sport began in childhood, particularly through his involvement in soccer, which he played regularly both informally and in school settings. While completing his undergraduate studies, he worked as a soccer instructor at a grassroots club. In an effort to enhance his coaching effectiveness, he began exploring scientific literature on motor learning and sport performance. Through this process, he recognized that decision making plays a central role in athletic success. This realization became a turning point, motivating him to pursue advanced academic training and research focused on anticipation and decision making in sport.

He chose to continue his graduate studies in Brazil because of its strong soccer tradition, the high quality and accessibility of its public universities, and the opportunity to attend major international sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. The consistent support and mentorship he received throughout his academic formation further solidified his commitment to research in perceptual-cognitive skills.

In 2023, Dr. Romero Clavijo was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at Bishop’s University under the supervision of Dr. Maxime Trempe, in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Romeas from the Institut national du sport du Québec. He first became familiar with Bishop’s through the 2022 Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS), where he connected with researchers working in his area of expertise. The strong alignment between his research background and the postdoctoral project, focused on the relationship between perceptual-cognitive skills and baseball performance, made the opportunity a natural fit.

His current research investigates how visual information supports decision making in sport and how training strategies, including the use of virtual reality, can enhance batting performance in baseball players. Traditionally, sport training has emphasized the refinement of movement mechanics, while comparatively less attention has been devoted to the perceptual–cognitive processes that guide action. These processes such as anticipation, decision making, and pattern recognition, are especially critical in sports characterized by rapidly changing environments, where athletes must constantly adapt their responses.

A key aspect of his work involves the development and application of virtual training environments. These tools can be particularly valuable when real-world practice is limited, such as during injury rehabilitation, periods of increased injury risk, restricted access to facilities, or travel constraints. By bridging applied sport contexts and scientific innovation, his research aims to contribute to both theoretical understanding and practical performance enhancement.

Looking ahead, Dr. Romero Clavijo envisions continued growth in the integration of technology and advanced data analysis within sport sciences. Emerging tools are likely to further refine how performance is monitored, evaluated, and optimized. However, he emphasizes that technological progress should complement—not replace—essential human capacities such as sustained attention, critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. Maintaining this balance will be crucial for the future of the field.

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Joannie St-Germain B.Sc. ’16, M.Sc. (she/her/elle)
RESEARCH OFFICER
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES
819-822-9600 x 2242

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