Sport Psychology: The Basics: Optimising Human Performance

Description

This comprehensive and accessible textbook covers the key topics in sport psychology, but also addresses current issues such as talent identification, mental toughness, risk taking, NLP, reaction times, sporting injuries and social media. It contains examples for a multitude of sports from around the world, and new developing areas such as strength and conditioning, extreme sports and combat sports. Recognising the importance for students to fully understand the topic in order to apply this knowledge, the book provides a comprehensive overview of each topic before presenting practical applications in the book as well as through online resources. Each chapter focuses around answering a key question integral to this topic within sports psychology, helping students progress in their learning from the theory to the practical. Sports used as examples/case studies include: Football, rugby, tennis, squash, fencing, real tennis, drag racing, free diving, bob sleighing, slalom skiing, weight lifting, mixed martial arts, athletics (track & field), baseball, and American football.

Promotion info

Core sports science textbook offering a refreshing applied approach to the study of sports psychology.

Author description

Dr Rhonda Cohen PhD is Head of the London Sport Institute at Middlesex University, UK, and is a Registered Sport & Exercise Psychologist (HCPC/BPS), specializing in Extreme Sports. She is regularly interviewed about sports psychology by the media, including The Times, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Times Online, Womens Running Magazine, Body Fit Magazine and BBC Inside Sport. She has also appeared on the Channel 4 documentary 'Daredevils: Life on the Edge' on extreme sports and mental toughness.

Table of contents

1. What are the reasons that athletes should seek sport psychology? How do I sell the importance of sport psychology to athletes and teams? \ Part One: Improving Performance \ 2. Too much to look at. How can focus help in controlling distractions?\ 3. Think fast. Are quick reactions needed in sport?\ 4. Picture this. How can training or performance be enhanced through imagery or visualisation? \ 5. I believe I can fly. Why is confidence seen as one of the most important factors in performance?\ 6. What does it mean to be in the zone? \ 7. There is no achievement without goals. How can you prevent goal setting from going wrong? \ 8. No sweat. Don't stress it, but manage it. \ Part Two: Personality \ 9. What does it take to be mentally strong?\ 10. Is there a way we can identify talented athletes through personality? \ 11. Are they crazy? What motivates some athletes to participate in high risk sport? \ 12. The differences between us. Are all athletes the same? \ 13. Anxiety - who needs it? Facilitative or debilitative?\ Part Three: Sports Injuries \ 14. Can psychology be used to predict a sporting injury? \ 15. How can you help someone to overcome a sporting injury? Part Three: New Developments in Sport Psychology \ 16. Don't think about it. Can NLP be used to enhance sport performance? Text me back. \ 17. Using social media to improve and enhance sport psychology. \ 18. Consideration in using psychology. \ Glossary \ Resources \ Index