Sport Psychology Insights

"This book focuses on topics such as mental toughness, perfectionism, team dynamics, team building, moral behavior, stress, athletic transitions, attentional focus, environmental influences on performance, coach-athlete relations, athlete affect, and social-physique factors."--Publisher.

In this student-friendly introduction, the authors consider the psychological effects of sport on both the individual and the group. Topics covered include motivation, performance, mental health and leadership, offering a balanced and in-depth resource for students interested in learning more about sport psychology.

Mark B. Andersen examines authentic examples of sport psychologists at work to teach readers how to use their knowledge of sport psychology in an effective and efficient manner.

"The text guides readers through these situations: -Understanding the dynamics of a variety of issues, including alcohol abuse and violence, referral processes, erotic transference and countertransference, and communication problems between coaches and athletes; -Working with diverse clients, including athletes of color, gay and lesbian athletes, and disabled athletes; -Presenting to and working with entire teams; -Plumbing the depths of several complex topics, including eating disorders and injury and identity issues. In addition to covering some of these complex and deeply personal topics, the text details the fundamental issues of applied sport psychology, including developing the consultant-client relationship and connecting with teams, coaches, and individuals. In dealing with relationships a sport psychologist would typically face, Sport Psychology in Practice addresses serious ethical and philosophical issues and asks more general questions about the field and how to work with clients. Sport Psychology in Practice contains insights from an elite list of contributors who explain, using real-life examples, how they successfully and ethically "do" sport psychology. Methods that have worked for the most respected practitioners in the field are presented with an informal, engaging approach and rely substantially on dialogue and actual experiences."--

This book provides a forum for discussion of topics that are relevant to the field of sport psychology. The subjects covered will include theory, research, and practice of sport psychology, as well as social issues related to the field of athletics. Topics discussed include a primer on the development of SEP in North American versus Europe; comparing the effects of different self-instructions on thought and content and tennis performance; technical fouls predict performance outcomes in the NBA; sports-related pain; moderators of the links between shyness and gold performance; and the athlete life quality scale.

Sport, Recovery and Performance is a unique multi-disciplinary collection which examines both the psychological and physiological dimensions to recovery from sport. Including contributions from medicine, neuroscience, psychology and sport science, the book expertly explores the implications for applied and strategic interventions to both retain and stabilize performance, and promote health and well-being. Including chapters written by its leading experts, the book represents an important milestone in this evolving field of study. It covers issues around measuring recovery, the impact of overtraining on sleep and mental health, and addresses topics such as the impact of travel on performance. The book informs not only how managing recovery can improve performance, but also offers insights in how recovery can sustain athletes’ physical and mental health. Citing research from a range of individual and team sports, as well as extreme situations and the workplace, this is an important book that will be widely read across the sport sciences.

In recent years, more students have chosen to study sport and exercise psychology with a view to building careers as applied practitioners. While sport and exercise psychology master’s graduates leave university with the necessary theoretical knowledge to inform their practice, they are often left wanting to know more about creating and navigating a career within the field. Navigating Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology provides readers with an honest and contemporary insight into the work and experiences of trainees and early career practitioners. This book delves further into the more complex and nuanced experiences of being an applied practitioner. Using case studies and reflections, the chapters explore key topics including working within multi-disciplinary teams, maintaining ethics and integral practice during challenging conversations and supporting mental health in high-performance environments. Written by trainees and early career practitioners, this book is vital reading for students, early career practitioners, and anyone interested in sport psychology. Erin Prior is a BPS Chartered, HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist. As an applied practitioner, Erin works with a range of individuals, teams, and organisations across various sports. Alongside her applied practice, Erin is completing her PhD which is focused on athlete mental health, at Loughborough University. Tim Holder, PhD, is an HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, BPS Chartered and a BASES Fellow. He is an applied sport psychology consultant and supervisor to students working towards practitioner status in the UK. Tim is the Programme Leader for the MSc in Applied Sport Psychology at the University of Winchester, UK.