Doing Sport Psychology [Paperback]

Mark Andersen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0736000860 | ISBN-13: 978-0736000864 | Publication Date: July 28, 2000 | Edition: 1

"

Many sport psychology texts focus on what to do — relaxation, imagery, etc. This is the first text to focus directly on the how of doing sport psychology.

Doing Sport Psychology involves much more than the standard techniques such as goal setting and positive self-talk. Counselors' personalities, the history of their relationships with athletes, the interaction of individual psychologists and athletes with entire teams—these factors are at least as important as the application of standard procedures. This book reveals in intimate detail the process of sport psychology at work.

The text, edited by psychologist Mark B. Andersen, includes
-details of sessions directed by professionals using a variety of models: cognitive-behavioral, rational-emotive, performance enhancement, developmental, and psychodynamic;

-transcripts of dialogue between counselors and athletes in many different sports, which clearly demonstrate what sport psychology sessions actually sound like;

-descriptive commentaries on why the psychologists chose the therapeutic path they did and what other options they might have chosen; and

-specifics on how a wide variety of people—including coaches, physical therapists, and other professionals who work with athletes and performers—administer sport psychology.
Part I, ""Getting Started,"" details first encounters, intake sessions, and establishment of working relationships. Removing psychological barriers to optimal performance and managing athletes' inevitable stressors are covered here. In every instance, actual session transcripts reveal how counselors related to people in specific situations.

Part II, ""From the Applied Sport Psychology Canon,"" covers traditional topics such as goal setting, relaxation, imagery, and self-talk. But these interventions are not as easy to deliver as some texts imply. The focus here is on how such techniques are applied in real-life situations.

Part III, ""Beyond Performance Enhancement: Working With and Working Through,"" reveals what clinical/counseling sessions with athletes really sound like. Performance-enhancing sessions often expose deeper clinical issues such as personal loss, depression, or eating disorders.

Part IV, ""The Study of Service: From Supervision to Complex Delivery,"" deals with advanced topics. Some of the world's most experienced sport psychologists provide their insight regarding supervising others who deliver psychological services, dealing with interns, and developing long-term relationships with elite athletes.

Part V, ""Branching Out: Other Practitioners, Other Settings,"" provides details of sessions with injured athletes, cross country runners, athletes who are retiring from professional sports, and even a musician (illustrating how sport psychology is broadly applicable to any endeavor where performance is important).

This book provides powerful and revealing insights into how sport psychology is done by the people who do it best.

Mark B. Andersen began this book for use with his own graduate students. It is the book he wishes he had when he was in graduate school. It is now available to all!

"

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark B. Andersen, PhD, is an associate professor at Victoria University's School of Human Movement, Recreation, and Performance and the Centre for Rehabilitation, Exercise, and Sport Sciences. He is the first professional practice editor of The Sport Psychologist and is a leading contributor to the areas of supervision and the education and training of applied sport psychologists. His 1988 article with Jean Williams in JSEP, A Model of Stress and Athletic Injury: Prediction and Prevention, is a modern classic that has formed a foundation for a major line of research.

Currently residing in St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia, Dr. Andersen does cross-country and downhill skiing and also enjoys rollerblading and sailing in his spare time.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics; 1 edition (July 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736000860
• ISBN-13: 978-0736000864
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Sports Psychology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to Sport Psychology Made Easy, August 21, 2001

By 

Dr Manuela H Habicht (Toowoomba, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doing Sport Psychology (Paperback)

Doing Sport Psychology is edited by Mark B. Anderson who has worked with athletes for many years in both Australia and the United States. He is the first and current editor of the Professional Practice section of the international journal The Sport Psychologist. Hence he has a sound practical working knowledge of applied sport psychology. The authors of the book are well respected in the field of sport psychology and the book provides a fantastic opportunity for readers to sample their practical style rather than simply reading chapters on theory and principles. It is invaluable to read about what has and has not worked for other practitioners. The chapters provide learning experiences, which can only be of benefit to readers.

Doing Sport Psychology aimed to focus on the process of delivering sport psychology services to athletes and performers. It covers applied issues such as the planning of and note taking for initial and subsequent psychology sessions, the implementation of skills such as relaxation, self-talk, imagery, goal setting, and addresses problematic issues such as depression, suicide, eating disorders, injury, career transitions, and grief. Furthermore the book outlines supervision arrangements, internship experiences, and working as a sport psychologist at the Olympics. Additionally there are chapters on applying the skills learned in the sport psychology domain to coaching and performing artists.

In every chapter the authors identify the relevant and prevalent issues for the topic and provide insight into their experiences working with the issue. This process is complimented by the inclusion of dialogue from their own case studies. These case studies provide a reference that very few, if any, sport psychology texts provide. Anderson (2000) has used Doing Psychotherapy by Basch (1980) as model in developing this book and it has proven to be successful. The book is extremely easy to read. The language used is clear and concise. The authors write in a relaxed and natural way that makes reading enjoyable.

The main strength of this book is its practical nature. This is vital for psychology students who are trying to specialise in the sporting domain. Moreover it can provide refreshing advice for psychologists currently practicing in the field. The emphasis on dialogue promotes the importance of the working relationship between psychologist and coach, athlete or allied health practitioner.

Throughout the book Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was discussed and utilised, however it is important to point out that other therapeutic techniques such as a psychodynamic approach were advanced. The application of alternative approaches is often an overlooked concept from postgraduate training in sport psychology and thus their inclusion promotes a multidimensional field. Despite the clear importance of the dialogue and the brief mention of alternative therapeutic approaches, the quantity of dialogue may be excessive at times, especially as it does not provide examples of therapist-client interactions that are unique to the sporting domain. The dialogue would be enhanced by reducing the superfluous exchanges and demonstrating a variety of therapeutic approaches.

The differentiation between sport psychology and other branches of psychology was beneficial in clarifying the unique circumstances that sport psychologists can experience during their work. Despite the apparent differences the book still emphasises the importance of adhering to ethical standards. These words of advice are very useful for students who are undertaking their internship or externship placements. A particular aspect of the book which was simple but had practical relevance to sport psychology was the concept of asking yourself why a particular method or intervention was chosen. Furthermore self-monitoring was another concept that is a particularly helpful tool in the practice of sport psychology.

Doing Sport Psychology is aimed at students, supervisors, and practitioners of sport psychology. This book is valuable to students undertaking specialised education and training in sport psychology. In particular, the book is useful for those students who have limited practical experience. There are examples throughout of how service delivery is accomplished. Doing Sport Psychology is a valuable resource for each of the aforementioned target groups.

References Basch, M.F. (1980). Doing Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Doing Sport Psychology" Opens the Door to Sport Psych, January 15, 2001

By 

William B. Strean, Ph.D. (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doing Sport Psychology (Paperback)

"It is the first book to accurately depict the complex and dynamic work of everyday sport psychology. . . The most impressive quality of this book is that it focuses on the process of sport psychology interventions," wrote Shane Murphy in the Afterword of this excellent text. This is a ground-breaking book that lets the reader in on sessions conducted by a variety of sport psychology practitioners. I found myself captivated by the discussions of professional and substantive issues raised by the twenty-two contributors and their editor. The chapters gave me ideas and caused me to reflect on my own work with clients. The attention given to the specific actions and choices we make with clients was intriguing. In a few instances, authors referred to the notion of "biblio-therapy," or giving a book to a client as part of the intervention. Doing Sport Psychology could be viewed as "biblio-supervision" or as an essential learning tool for developing practitioners. Remarks on the back cover state that this is the book that Andersen wishes he had when he was in graduate school, and I echo his sentiments and recommend this volume highly for graduate applied sport psychology courses. As Murphy suggested, it is somewhat surprising that our field has not had a book of this kind until now. It is a much welcomed addition to the literature. A great strength of the writing is that authors showed their human side, their mistakes, and vulnerabilities. For graduate students and new practitioners, this is a rich learning ground. Although the authors varied in the extent to which they revealed themselves, the overall work takes much of the mystery out of what sport psychologists do. Many of us got involved in sport psychology out of an interest in people and the processes they go through in sports. The sundry case studies give us a window into individuals' dynamics and the work being done. "Doing Sport Psychology is about what practitioners have found to be helpful out there on the playing fields, and it focuses more on the effectiveness side of the ongoing debate in treatment outcome research" (p. xv)

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What Can I Say, October 28, 2008

By 

William R. Matthews (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doing Sport Psychology (Paperback)

The book arrived in the condition promised in a timely fashion. I didn't find the book as useful as I had hoped, but that's not the shipper's fault. I have no reservations about ordering from them again, and definitely recommend them.