Sport psychologists working with athletes, teams and sports performers are only as effective as their professional techniques and competencies will allow. This is the first book to offer a detailed and critical appraisal of the conceptual foundations of contemporary professional practice in sport psychology. The book presents a series of reviews of the most up-to-date academic and professional literature on professional practice, exploring issues that all psychologists face when working with clients in sport and offers important evidence-based recommendations for best practice. Key topics covered include: models of practice and service delivery counselling and clinical intervention working with teams working with young performers providing life skills training managing career transitions working with special populations enhancing coach-athlete relations. With contributions from leading sport psychology consultants in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and continental Europe, this is a comprehensive and thought-provoking resource that bridges the gap between research and application. It is vital reading for all advanced students, researchers and professionals working in sport psychology.

"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."--

Despite the rapid advance of the academic study of coaching science, there is a dearth of evidence on contemporary progressions within the coaching profession itself, particularly around the wide-ranging challenges that coaches face. Professional Advances in Sports Coaching constitutes an essential collection of the most innovative, up-to-date reviews and research on professional issues in sports coaching and coaching psychology. Seeking to assess and challenge contemporary conceptual and theoretical research around the evolving nature of the coach’s role, issues associated with athlete and coach welfare, and societal demands of the coach, the book covers topics as diverse as: gender and spirituality within sports coaching; working in culturally diverse environments and disability sport; understanding hazing, mental health issues, and disordered eating in athletes; moral behaviour and safeguarding; high performance coaching and talent development; communicating with athletes in the age of social media, and managing cliques. Written by leading experts from around the world, every chapter clarifies and defines key concepts, gives an up-to-date and comprehensive review of literature within the area, and examines the implications for future research and applied practice. This is a critical resource for any upper-level student enrolled in sports coaching science or practice classes, sports coaching academics with an interest in professional practice, and practicing sports coaches.

This is a practical guide with a step-by-step process for establishing and maintaining a consulting practice for today's sport and performance psychology professionals. Editor Jim Taylor and a talented team of authors provide a foundation of knowledge and skills necessary to establish and maintain a consulting practice and explore the gamut of issues including understanding the progression of professional development, creating a performance model, writing a business plan, using social media, and much more. Each chapter includes a summary and exercises to review and further explore relevant topics covered in the book.

This book provides a detailed look at all facets of the education process from training requirements to certification to developing a mental training program. Intended for those seeking to become sport psychology professionals, and unlike any other counselling text, this book supplies the student with the information, tools, and essential steps needed to become a fully certified sport psychologist.

This practical and extremely useful guide is written for mental health professionals who want to apply the techniques of sport psychology to current clients with presenting problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress using techniques such as motivation, mild exercise, and self-talk. In addition, a new population of clients, including both serious and recreational athletes, women, seniors, and kids at all levels of skill and experience can be recruited. The author, a successful clinical and sport psychologist, gives detailed advice on the best way to include sport psychology in an existing practice. He also demonstrates how to apply cognitive-behavioral and social learning theories within a sport psychology context.