Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology: Applied Theories of Performance Excellence

Most existing applied sport psychology literature has focused on interventions and techniques. Rather than rework the questions of what to do, the second edition of Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology: Applied Theories of Performance Excellence illuminates the questions of who, when, why, and how. The answers to these questions reside in the theories that seasoned practitioners have developed about the psychological, emotional, and behavioral skills and conditions that facilitate optimal performance. Edited by Artur Poczwardowski and Mark W. Aoyagi, the second edition features a diverse collection of 21 distinguished practitioners in the field of sport psychology. Each chapter is an autobiographical and personal perspective on how these preeminent experts developed their authentic and distinctive approaches to the practice of sport psychology with real-life examples and case studies. Their rich cultural and educational backgrounds are reflected in ethnicity, international origin, gender, age, and sociocultural perspectives and experiences. Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology serves as a master class by those who have helped advance the field―preserving the knowledge and contributions of the founders and intellectual leaders of applied sport psychology, while also presenting the contemporary innovators of the field. The collective wisdom passed on within this book will be immensely beneficial to both those practicing and studying sport psychology.