Understanding Sport Psychology

Being successful and staying well in competitive sport requires athletes to develop and harness their physical and mental skills. Sport psychology has a long history that demonstrates how research and theory can be applied to support athletes in the development of mental skills. This collection has been brought together to further promote an understanding of sport psychology. Divided into seven chapters that reflect recognisable fields within sport psychology, the 43 sections, when read either separately or collectively, should provide the reader with a thorough overview of key issues that currently engage those who work in the field. Furthermore, for those who work with teams and athletes directly, it is hoped that the contributions will help give you a grasp of what sport psychology can contribute to your sport organisation, your team, your athletes.

Our aim was to give an insight into both practical and theoretical considerations but to present the material in a style that was accessible to those new to sport psychology and the seasoned psychologist alike. Each chapter gives insight into how the field has developed, what are the major priority areas today and what are key findings that can help inform both theory and practice. We have endeavoured to bring together contemporary international literature under titles that are each discrete, easily recognisable and, in combination, we hope provide coverage of the many fields and perspectives that define modern-day sport psychology. We hope you enjoy this collection; we have certainly enjoyed putting it together.