What Can the Sport Psychology Consultant Learn from the Educational Consultant?

1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-153
Author(s):  
Bob LaRose
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Process Performance ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Require Time ◽  
Physical Skills ◽  
Personal Fulfillment

The growth of sport psychology has brought many positive advances and claims for achievement, but it has also brought controversy. Debate has beset the profession concerning classification (psychologist or consultant?), role (clinician or educator?), clientele (coach, athlete, or administrator?), ethics (whose purpose is to be served and who is being threatened?), and process (performance enhancement, winning, or personal fulfillment?). In this paper, the educational consultant in higher education is offered as a role model to help reduce the confusion and refocus attention on a more widely applicable role. Most sport psychologists today deal directly with athletes, usually elite athletes. However, as with physical skills, psychological skills require time and effort to fully develop. In order to address this time factor, this paper takes the stance that there is a growing need to train experts in the field to focus their efforts on the coach rather than the athlete. The consulting role, focus, and process suggested here could be of value to interested personnel at all levels of sport, and could provide a means for all participants to realize their fullest potential.

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.

Performance Enhancement for Ballroom Dancers: Psychological Perspectives

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patsy Tremayne ◽  
Debra A. Ballinger
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Mental Preparation ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Ballroom Dance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Insight Into

Ballroom dance has resurfaced worldwide as a highly popular competitive sport and might be added to Olympic medal competition for the 2012 London Games. This resurgence presents opportunities for sport psychologists to provide psychological-skills and performance-enhancement training for ballroom dancers at all competitive levels. Few sport psychologists have the personal experience, expertise, or an adequate knowledge base about the competitive-ballroom-dance environment to provide meaningful intervention strategies for participants. This article was developed to provide initial guidance for sport psychology professionals interested in working in this environment. An overview of the competitive-dance and ballroom-dance environment, strategies used by dance couples for enhanced mental preparation before and during dance competitions, and excerpts from an interview with an Australian championship-level couple provide readers insight into performance-enhancement strategies for DanceSport.

scholarly journals Theoretical and Empirical Developments of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment(MAC) Approach to Performance Enhancement

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zella E. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Mac Protocol ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Intervention Efficacy ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

As long as athletes strive to attain optimal performance states and consistently reach high performance goals, psychological interventions will be used to assist in the development of skill and the maintenance of performance. In the pursuit of these goals, newer evidence-driven models based on mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches have been designed to achieve these ends. Based upon questionable efficacy data for traditional psychological skills training procedures that emphasize reduction or control of internal processes, mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches develop skills of nonjudging mindful awareness, mindful attention, and experiential acceptance to aid in the pursuit of valued goals. The most formalized and researched mindfulness- and acceptance-based approach within sport psychology is the manualized Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) protocol. In the 8 years since the MAC was first developed and presented, and the 5 years since the first publication on the protocol, the MAC program has accumulated a continually growing empirical base for both its underlying theory and intervention efficacy as a performance enhancement intervention. This article reviews the empirical and theoretical foundations of the mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches in general, and MAC in particular; reviews the accumulated empirical findings in support of the MAC approach for performance enhancement; and presents recent MAC developments and suggested future directions.

scholarly journals Masters Athletes’ Views on Sport Psychology for Performance Enhancement and Sport Lifestyle Adherence

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Tyler Makepeace ◽  
Bradley W. Young ◽  
Scott Rathwell
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Social Contracts ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Masters Athletes

This study explored the views of Canadian Masters athletes (MAs; Mage = 51, range 38–62; three men and five women) from 12 sports (10 individual and two team sports) on sport psychology for performance, experiential, and lifestyle enhancement. Using Braun and Clarke’s procedures for thematic analysis, the authors interpreted data from semistructured interviews deductively in relation to five strategic themes in which psychological skills are applied for performance enhancement. Deductive results demonstrated MAs used goal setting, imagery, arousal regulation, concentration, and self-confidence to enhance performance and obtain competitive advantages. The authors also analyzed data inductively to reveal themes related to experiential and lifestyle factors. Inductive results showed that MAs “placed priorities on sport,” which involved cognitively justifying the priority and framing sport as an outlet and as the embodiment of the authentic self. Social strategies associated with continued sport pursuit included cultivation of supportive social environments, social contracts/negotiations, social signaling, and social accountability. Strategies “to fit sport in” included integrating/twinning, scheduling, and managing commitment. Managing age-related concerns involved mindfulness and compensation strategies. Results show how MAs uniquely apply sport psychology to enhance their performance and to support sport adherence.

scholarly journals COMMERCIALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH MEDIA SERVICES IN PAKISTAN: A CRITICAL REVIEW

2018 ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Habib Elahi Et al.,
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Education System ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Educational Standards ◽  
Education Commission ◽  
Media Services ◽  
The Government

The education system in Pakistan does not cater to the need of the society especially inculcating the unity of thought, skills, and attitudes among the learners. The serious efforts to improve the standard of Higher Education for the commercialization of education especially higher education have not been made by the government. A number of policies were framed for the betterment of the education system but there could not be a single unanimous policy framed and materialized. Pakistan is a country that has invested meager resources in the education sector. The countries which invested in the human resource are now leading the economic arena and are counted as developed countries. With the reasonable allocation of funds and expertise in this field, the priorities can be fixed to correlate with the standards of the higher education of developed countries. Higher Education Commission or the like bodies of developed countries have played a pivotal role in making their educational standards and these are role model for Pakistan. In this respect, some practical suggestions are recommended for enhancing the marketability and commercialization of education in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Virginia Gordon as Servant Leader

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Higgins ◽  
Susan M. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Servant Leader ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Higher Education Professionals ◽  
The Many ◽  
Scholarly Inquiry

Virginia Gordon was a teacher, scholar, practitioner, and leader who also served as a role model and mentor to others. Her insight and research informed the many innovative initiatives she pursued on behalf of the student advising experience. Gordon's scholarly and evidence-based approach set the stage for academic advising as a field of scholarly inquiry and helped shape the growth and direction of the profession. Virginia Gordon's work was other-directed. Her goal was always to support the growth and development of others. This qualitative study tried to capture Gordon as understood by the higher education professionals who knew her, worked with her, and/or studied with her. That she was other-directed supports our view regarding Virginia Gordon as a servant leader.

An Integrated, Multifactorial Approach to Periodization for Optimal Performance in Individual and Team Sports

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 538-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iñigo Mujika ◽  
Shona Halson ◽  
Louise M. Burke ◽  
Gloria Balagué ◽  
Damian Farrow
Keyword(s):  
Exercise Training ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Recent Criticism ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Altitude Adaptation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Multifactorial Approach

Sports periodization has traditionally focused on the exercise aspect of athletic preparation, while neglecting the integration of other elements that can impact an athlete’s readiness for peak competition performances. Integrated periodization allows the coordinated inclusion of multiple training components best suited for a given training phase into an athlete’s program. The aim of this article is to review the available evidence underpinning integrated periodization, focusing on exercise training, recovery, nutrition, psychological skills, and skill acquisition as key factors by which athletic preparation can be periodized. The periodization of heat and altitude adaptation, body composition, and physical therapy is also considered. Despite recent criticism, various methods of exercise training periodization can contribute to performance enhancement in a variety of elite individual and team sports, such as soccer. In the latter, both physical and strategic periodization are useful tools for managing the heavy travel schedule, fatigue, and injuries that occur throughout a competitive season. Recovery interventions should be periodized (ie, withheld or emphasized) to influence acute and chronic training adaptation and performance. Nutrient intake and timing in relation to exercise and as part of the periodization of an athlete’s training and competition calendar can also promote physiological adaptations and performance capacity. Psychological skills are a central component of athletic performance, and their periodization should cater to each athlete’s individual needs and the needs of the team. Skill acquisition can also be integrated into an athlete’s periodized training program to make a significant contribution to competition performance.

scholarly journals Special Environments: Altitude and Heat

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philo U. Saunders ◽  
Laura A. Garvican-Lewis ◽  
Robert F. Chapman ◽  
Julien D. Périard
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Training Interventions ◽  
Training Adaptations ◽  
Nutrition And Hydration ◽  
Improve Exercise Capacity ◽  
High Level ◽  
Nutritional Strategies

High-level athletes are always looking at ways to maximize training adaptations for competition performance, and using altered environmental conditions to achieve this outcome has become increasingly popular by elite athletes. Furthermore, a series of potential nutrition and hydration interventions may also optimize the adaptation to altered environments. Altitude training was first used to prepare for competition at altitude, and it still is today; however, more often now, elite athletes embark on a series of altitude training camps to try to improve sea-level performance. Similarly, the use of heat acclimation/acclimatization to optimize performance in hot/humid environmental conditions is a common practice by high-level athletes and is well supported in the scientific literature. More recently, the use of heat training to improve exercise capacity in temperate environments has been investigated and appears to have positive outcomes. This consensus statement will detail the use of both heat and altitude training interventions to optimize performance capacities in elite athletes in both normal environmental conditions and extreme conditions (hot and/or high), with a focus on the importance of nutritional strategies required in these extreme environmental conditions to maximize adaptations conducive to competitive performance enhancement.

scholarly journals The Employability Process of Spanish Retired Elite Athletes: Gender and Sport Success Comparison

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina López de Subijana ◽  
Javier Ramos ◽  
Carlos Garcia ◽  
Jose L. Chamorro
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Classification Tree ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Gender Comparison ◽  
Olympic Athletes ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Work Integration

The aims of the study were: (i) to describe the work integration after retirement in elite athletes, (ii) to compare the working integration of women and men, and Olympic and non-Olympic athletes, and (iii) to specify the factors that affect their employment status and current monthly income. A total of 476 former elite athletes were surveyed. Non-parametric statistics were applied to compare the differences between groups and a classification tree analysis was performed for the dependent variables. The former elite athlete’s unemployment rate was better than the general population. At the gender comparison, a wage gap appeared between women and men. At the comparison between Olympic and non-Olympic athletes, the link to first employment differed in both groups. In the prediction models, finishing higher education arose as a key factor of the working status and the monthly salary. Among those without higher education studies, planning arose as a factor determining their salary, while among those with high qualifications, gender was the key factor. This study supports the importance of a holistic view of athletic career development and it offers practical insights into the process of reaching first employment after retirement.

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