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Sport Psychology

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Sport Psychology Resources

Sport Psychology is an exciting and interesting discipline which is growing in popularity. I hope to provide some useful resources and links for athletes, coaches and students that are interested in learning more.

Contents at a Glance

What is Sport Psychology?
Sport Psychology Professional Bodies
Recommended Sport Psychology Books
New YouTube vids
Sport Psychology DVDs from Virtual Brand...
My Twitter Feed

What is Sport Psychology?

Sport Psychology is not a new discipline, but it is only in the last 20 years or so that it has really started to be seen as an important part of sports performance. It seeks to understand the behavior of people involved in sport, and the mental factors behind their performance (or non-performance).

It is distinct from Exercise Psychology, which seeks to understand and improve participation in physical activity, particularly from a public health perspective.

As an academic discipline, sport and exercise psychology is the scientific study of people and their behavior in sport and exercise contexts and involves such topics as personality, motivation, emotions (such as anxiety or anger), confidence, leadership, and team dynamics.

It is applied not only to individual and team performance, but also talent identification and coach development. Some sport psychologists are also clinically trained, while others will also work at an organizational level.

If you are considering using a sport psychologist, you should always check that they are appropriately certified by a professional body.

Sport Psychology Professional Bodies

These are just some of the professional bodies that might certify or accredit a sport psychologist in your country (or internationally).

Association for Applied Sport Psychology (N. America): Founded in 1986, the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) promotes the ethical practice, science, and advocacy of sport and exercise psychology. AASP is an international, multidisciplinary, professional organization that offers certification to qualified professionals who practice sport, exercise, and health psychology.
American Psychological Association: Exercise and Sport Psychology, Division 47: The APA is the overall licensing body for psychologists in the US.
Sport and Exercise Psychology: The Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology represents the interests of psychologists working in sport and exercise settings and aims to further the development of sport and exercise psychology. It draws its membership from a broad range of psychologists including those working in academic settings and professional practice. The Division ensures that members who practise and offer services within sport and exercise psychology are qualified and trained according to the Charter, Statutes and Rules of The British Psychological Society.
BASES - British Association of Sport and Exercise Science: This is the website of the professional body for all those with an interest in sport and exercise science. The site provides information on the organisation, its mission, objectives, history and membership requirements. BASES remit covers biomechanics, physiology, psychology and interdisciplinary issues and it is divided into three divisions: Education and Professional Development, Physical Activity for Health, and Sport and Performance.
Australian Psychological Society: The APS College of Sport Psychologists is a professional association of psychologists who are interested in how participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity may enhance personal development and wellbeing throughout the life span.

The College of Sport Psychologists develops and safeguards the standards of practice and supervised experience. It sets the quality of service in sport psychology, and advises and makes recommendations regarding the education and training of sport psychologists. The College also acts as a focal point for consumer and other general inquiries relating to sport.

Recommended Sport Psychology Books

Here are some recommended sport psychology books. More sports books can be found at the iStadia Marketplace.

Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Science by Al Kornspan provides a preparatory look at the opportunities and goals in the field of sport and exercise psychology

Foundations of Sport and Exercise Science by Weinberg and Gould, is one of the most read textbooks in sport and exercise science, and is used on degree courses across the world.

Doing Sport Psychology by Andersen is one of the most invaluable resources that a sport psychologist can have when embarking on their professional career.

The Sport Psych Handbook by Shane Murphy makes significant performance improvement possible through training the mind to parallel the body's enhanced development. Experts covering each facet of the mental game present research-based, field-tested approaches to enhance individual and team performance.

New YouTube vids

I've let Youtube pick for me, based on my tags, so let's see if it comes up with anything good!

Sport Psychology DVDs from Virtual Brands

Learn as you watch some of the biggest names in sport psychology in action, consulting with athletes and teaching mental skills.

Learn as you watch some of the biggest names in Sport Psychology at work. Share in their expertise, and gain confidence in your own ability to work with athletes to improve their performance. All available for worldwide delivery.

Mental Skills for Competitive Athletes
Dr. Ken Ravizza identifies specific strategies to help athletes reach optimal performance states and provides essential information for establishing and maintaining confidence.

Five Essential Mental Skills for Sport
Dr. Dan Gould shows you how to enhance motivation, think positively, boost confidence, manage emotional energy, and mentally prepare for competition.

Teaching Mental Skills for Sport
Dr. Dan Gould conducts a sport psychology workshop with athletes, provides tips for teaching mental skills, and demonstrates how to incorporate mental training into sport practices. £10.63

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