A former gymnast, coach, and teacher, Phillip Ward has been involved in gymnastics for more than 25 years. As assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Ward's major scholarly interests include pedagogy, teacher education, and applied behavior analysis.
Before joining the university, Ward was coaching director of the Victorian Gymnastics Association, where he was responsible for coaching education and course development. He was also a gymnast, a coach to beginning and elite gymnasts, a teacher, and a teacher educator.
Ward earned his PhD in physical education from The Ohio State University in 1993. The author of numerous articles and six manuals on gymnastics and gymnastics instructions, he is a member of the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; the American Educational Research Association; and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.