Thrown to the Wolves: A Student’s Account of Her Practicum Experience

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Tonn ◽  
Robert J. Harmison
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Theoretical Orientation ◽  
Junior College ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
Women's Basketball ◽  
Psychology Service ◽  
Practicum Experience

This article provides an account of a trainee’s initial sport psychology practicum experience. Experiential knowledge gained by the trainee performance enhancement consultant with a junior college women’s basketball team is shared via a self-narrative in the form of a log she kept during the season and self-reflections. The log entries and self-reflections are organized around several themes that emerged over the course of the trainee’s practicum. The narrative outlines the trainee’s theoretical orientation and philosophy, highlights her experiences with the team, and reveals her thought processes related to the various situations she encountered. A better understanding of the process of sport psychology service delivery by a trainee is offered to guide other aspiring professionals during their initial training experiences.

Supervision in the Education and Training of Sport Psychology Service Providers

1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark B. Andersen ◽  
Brian T. Williams-Rice
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Transference And Countertransference ◽  
Psychology Service ◽  
Collegial Supervision ◽  
Clinical And Counseling Psychology ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
Applied Sport Psychology

Supervision plays a central role in the training of sport psychologists, but little discussion of what constitutes adequate supervision of trainees and practitioners is available in the applied sport psychology literature. Broader issues of supervision, such as the training of students to become supervisors, metasupervision, and career-long collegial supervision are rarely discussed. This paper will present models of general supervision processes from training the neophyte to collegial supervision, derived primarily from clinical and counseling psychology. Included are supervising the delivery of performance-enhancement services, identifying trainee and client needs, helping the student understand transference and countertransference phenomena, and suggestions for examining the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. Suggestions for improving supervision include course work and/or practica in supervision processes for applied sport psychology graduate programs along with continuing education workshops at sport psychology conferences.

scholarly journals “Caught in the Headlights”: A Reflective Account of the Challenges Faced by a Neophyte Practitioner Working With a National Squad

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
Barnaby Wren ◽  
Christopher R.D. Wagstaff ◽  
Alessandro Quartiroli
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Presentation Of Self ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
National Team ◽  
Organizational Issues ◽  
First Time ◽  
Applied Sport Psychology

This article provides a neophyte practitioner’s account of providing psychological support to a national team for the first time. The practitioner felt “caught in the headlights” due to his lack of preparation for the range of organizational issues he encountered. In this confessional tale, experiential knowledge gained by the practitioner is shared through the presentation of self-reflections from the 6-month period when he supported the squad. While the practitioner’s time with this national squad was limited, it gave him a sense of the micropolitical landscape of the sporting organization and illuminated some of the complexities and dilemmas that characterize applied sport psychology practice. These reflections are offered to guide other aspiring professionals during their initial training experiences.

Becoming a Sport Psychologist: Experiences of a Volunteer

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 77-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena-Mădălina Mărgărit
Keyword(s):  
Motivational Interviewing ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
Thought Process ◽  
Rhythmic Gymnastics ◽  
Sport Psychologist ◽  
Practicum Experience ◽  
Practical Experiences

Reflective practice is a tool that sport psychologists use in order to make sense of their experiences, manage themselves personally and professionally, and ultimately improve their consultancy effectiveness. Nonetheless, the final product of reflections offers important resources of knowledge-in-action, so much required in the sport psychology field (Anderson, Knowles, & Gilbourne, 2004). Thus, this article provides an account of a volunteer’s sport psychology practicum experience, making the case for reflective practice. The paper reports on the application of a selfdetermination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000) and motivational interviewing (MI; Rollnick & Miller, 1995; Miller & Rollnick, 2002) based intervention with a rhythmic gymnastics trainee coach. The experiential knowledge gained by the volunteer is shared via a narrative in the form of a case study. The narrative is organized in different sections, offering an overview of the setting, the coach and her athletes, the intervention and self-reflections. The theoretical and practical underpinnings of the intervention, as well as the thought process which accompanied the work described are highlighted. A more in depth understanding of the process on how sport psychology services are delivered by a volunteer/trainee is depicted to guide other volunteers or aspiring professionals during their initial practical experiences.

Evaluating Sport Psychology Service Delivery for Elite USA Track and Field Athletes: Findings and Recommendations

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lennie Waite ◽  
Chris Stanley ◽  
Brian Zuleger ◽  
Anne Shadle
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Common Core ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Track And Field ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Psychology Service ◽  
Managing Stress ◽  
And Training

In preparation for the 2020–2024 Olympic cycle, members of the USA Track and Field sport psychology (SP) subcommittee investigated the SP service provision needs and preferences of 88 elite Olympic-level athletes. A mixed-methods needs analysis was employed, which consisted of surveys, interviews, and a focus group, to help understand current SP usage and shape future SP services for USA Track and Field. Findings highlighted a lack of knowledge and exposure to SP services and a desire for increased contact with SP professionals among athletes, exposing gaps and room for improvement in service delivery. Athletes cited flexibility in terms of service delivery mode and shared common core preferences for mental training, including help managing stress, pressure, emotions, and other challenges of competition and training. The results are discussed in relation to strengthening the effectiveness of service provision through increasing visibility, accessibility, and education regarding the benefits of SP services.

Systematically Reviewing the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Enhanced Athletic Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Sappington ◽  
Kathryn Longshore
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Sport Performance ◽  
The Body ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Quality Of Research

The field of applied sport psychology has traditionally grounded its performance enhancement techniques in the cognitive-behavioral elements of psychological skills training. These interventions typically advocate for controlling one’s cognitive and emotional processes during performance. Mindfulness-based approaches, on the other hand, have recently been introduced and employed more frequently in an effort to encourage athletes to adopt a nonjudgmental acceptance of all thoughts and emotions. Like many applied interventions in sport psychology, however, the body of literature supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based approaches for performance enhancement is limited, and few efforts have been made to draw evidence-based conclusions from the existing research. The current paper had the purpose of systematically reviewing research on mindfulness-based interventions with athletes to assess (a) the efficacy of these approaches in enhancing sport performance and (b) the methodological quality of research conducted thus far. A comprehensive search of relevant databases, including peer-reviewed and gray literature, yielded 19 total trials (six case studies, two qualitative studies, seven nonrandomized trials, and four randomized trials) in accordance with the inclusion criteria. An assessment tool was used to score studies on the quality of research methodology. While a review of this literature yielded preliminary support for the efficacy of mindfulness-based performance enhancement strategies, the body of research also shows a need for more methodologically rigorous trials.

Reflections on a 5-Year Consultancy Program with the England Women’s Cricket Team

1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Bull
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Mental Skills ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Mental Skills Training ◽  
Evaluation Form ◽  
The World ◽  
Psychology Service ◽  
Informal Feedback

This paper documents a 5-year sport psychology consultancy program with the England Women’s Cricket Team. The paper describes the method and content of sport psychology service provided and distinguishes between four phases of delivery: introduction and education in mental skills training, competition preparation and thinking, preliminary World Cup preparation, and final World Cup preparation and on-site provision. Service delivery was evaluated by the use of the Consultant Evaluation Form (Partington & Orlick, 1987), ongoing informal feedback from players and coaches, and a formal interview conducted after the World Cup. Reflections on successful and unsuccessful aspects of the program are provided. Overall, the sport psychology program was very well received and was considered instrumental in achieving the stated goal of winning the World Cup. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for delivering extended sport psychology services to an international team.

A Sport Psychology Service Delivery Heuristic: Building on Theory and Practice

1998 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Poczwardowski ◽  
Clay P. Sherman ◽  
Keith P. Henschen
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
The Self ◽  
Service Program ◽  
Professional Boundaries ◽  
Psychology Service ◽  
Unique Style

This article outlines 11 factors that a consultant may consider when planning, implementing, and evaluating psychological services. These factors are professional boundaries; professional philosophy; making contact; assessment; conceptualizing athletes’ concerns and potential interventions; range, types, and organization of service; program implementation; managing the self as an intervention instrument; program and consultant evaluation; conclusions and implications; and leaving the setting. All 11 factors represent important considerations for applied sport psychology professionals. Although consultants each have their own unique style and approach, these 11 factors are prerequisite considerations that form the foundation of a consultant’s effective practice. These guidelines may provide direction for a practitioner’s professional development, and as such, need time and commitment to be realized.

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