Sport Psychology Essentials

Dave Collins, PhD, earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Surrey in 1990. He is currently the director of Grey Matters UK, a performance-focused company that offers applied consultancy services in sport, business, performing arts, and more. He is also a professor at Edinburgh University, an institution ranked in the world’s top 20 by QS World University Rankings. Dr. Collins has written over 350 peer-reviewed publications and has authored or contributed to 80 books. His research interests include performer and coach development, expertise, and peak performance. As a practitioner, Dr. Collins has worked with more than 70 world-class athletes or Olympic medalists as well as professional athletic teams and performers. He is the director of the Rugby Coaches Association and is a fellow of the Society of Martial Arts, a fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), and an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. Dr. Collins is a former Royal Marine and a fifth-degree dan in karate. Andrew Cruickshank, PhD, earned a doctorate in sport psychology from the University of Central Lancashire in 2013. He has led or contributed to more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and book projects, all with direct relevance to elite performance. He is a former professional footballer who now works with Grey Matters UK as a senior performance psychologist. Within his applied activities, Dr. Cruickshank is currently working with performance directors, coaches, support staff, and athletes in international golf; Olympic, Paralympic, and national judo; and professional rugby. Previous consultancies have included work in a range of other elite-level sports, including soccer, cycling, motor sports, and hockey, as well as other performance domains, including business and policing. Dr. Cruickshank is also a qualified coach and an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, and he supervises psychologists working toward professional accreditation.

Part I. Making Sport Psychology Work
Chapter 1. Blending Mental Training Into a Performance Program
Dave Collins and Andrew Cruickshank
Chapter 2. Case Conceptualization: Strategies for Assessing and Conceiving
Amanda Martindale
Chapter 3. Integrating Athlete- and Performance-Centered Approaches
Andreas Küttel
Chapter 4. Putting Into Practice a Sound Philosophy of Sport Psychology
Artur Poczwardowski

Part II. Enhancing Athletes’ Performance Mindset
Chapter 5. Motivation
David Shearer
Chapter 6. Confidence
Denis Hauw
Chapter 7. Imagery and Mental Practice
Geoff P. Lovell and John K. Parker
Chapter 8. Self-Regulation
Tynke Toering
Chapter 9. Concentration, Focus, and Attention
John Toner
Chapter 10. Reflection and Balance
Carlos Eduardo Gonçalves and Humberto Moreira Carvalho

Part III. Enhancing Team Performance Potential
Chapter 11. Leadership
Andrew Cruickshank
Chapter 12. High-Performing Cultures
Geir Jordet and Rune Giske
Chapter 13. Shared Mental Models
Pam Richards and Dave Collins
Chapter 14. Macrostructures and Microsystems
Dave Collins

Part IV. Preparing Individuals and Teams for Optimal Performance
Chapter 15. Program Integration
Tom Willmott
Chapter 16. Motoric Considerations
Maurizio Bertollo and Antonio De Fano
Chapter 17. Talent Development
Áine MacNamara
Chapter 18. Practice and Transfer to Competition, Peaking, and Performing
Boris Blumenstein and Iris Orbach
Chapter 19. Staying Motivated: Countering Slumps, Injury, and Ill-Being
Andreas Stenling and Andreas Ivarsson

Epilogue. Getting Help: What to Look for and What to Expect in a Consultant
Andrew Cruickshank and David Collins