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Pressure training (PT) strategically increases pressure in training to prepare athletes to perform under pressure. Although research has studied how to create pressure during training, PT's effectiveness may depend on more than creating pressure. A practitioner's delivery of sport psychology interventions can moderate their effectiveness, so the current study explored perspectives of sport psychologists and athletes on the characteristics of effective PT delivery in applied settings. Eight international-level athletes and eight sport psychologists participated in semistructured qualitative interviews in which they described their experience participating in or conducting PT, respectively. Thematic analysis produced four themes relating to effective delivery: (a) collaboration with athletes and coaches: "with," not "to"; (b) integration into training; (c) upfront transparency; and (d) promoting learning before and after PT. The themes provide guidance for planning, conducting, and following up on PT sessions in applied settings. The best practices discussed could increase athletes' receptiveness to PT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention is a key success factor in elite sports. Mindfulness training is suspected to be a determinant of attention. The present study was a wait-list controlled investigation of the effects of a mindfulness-based sport psychology program on sustained and selective attention in young elite athletes (n = 137) and the effects of mindfulness training dosage on improving attention scores. In addition, long-term effects were examined. Selective and sustained attention were assessed in a pre–post design using the Frankfurter Aufmerksamkeits-Inventar 2, a go/no-go task. The results of this study indicate that the Berlin Mindfulness-Based Training for Athletes improved both sustained and selective attention in young athletes and that more training in the same amount of time resulted in higher scores in the assessment. The data also indicate that students who continued to practice independently after the intervention had higher scores in the long-term measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a compilation of research articles in the field of psychology and sports. The articles cover various topics such as the effects of natural environments on self-control, the impact of auditory rhythm on motor timing, and the use of innovative technologies in athlete training. Other articles explore the relationship between sports motivation and physical self-conception in female adolescents, the effects of yoga on relaxation and serving accuracy in volleyball players, and the role of effort and motivation in adolescent athletes. Additionally, the document discusses the risk-taking behavior of rock climbers and the effects of acute training on executive function in college students. The articles provide valuable insights and practical implications for athletes and coaches. Another study in the document focuses on the relationship between coaching styles and athlete perceptions. Male and female student athletes emphasized the importance of the coaching relationship and provided insights into favorable and unfavorable coaching styles. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the emotional aspects of athletics and the impact of coaching on athletes. The article also highlights the significance of different coaching styles, with favorable styles being caring, constructive, and knowledgeable, while unfavorable styles are characterized by coaches who are perceived as not caring, degrading, and negative. Overall, the document emphasizes the importance of understanding the coach-athlete relationship and the implications of different coaching styles. [Extracted from the article]

Joint injury refers to the injury of soft tissue around the joint, such as capsule, ligament and tendon, caused by the joint suddenly moving to one side and exceeding its normal range of motion under the action of external force. It is called joint sprain. Psychological dredging has been widely used in the field of psychology and medicine. Therefore, it plays a very important role in the rehabilitation training of joint injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential aim of this research study is to represent the effects of goal setting also that feedback on motivation and performance in sports. This research study was based on primary data analysis to determine the research study used open- ended also closed-ended questions related to the variables. Goal setting is the main independent variable; the feedback is also independent of motivation and performance. Both represent the dependent variables. For measuring, the research study used SPSS software and generated informative selective results, including descriptive statistics, the one-way ANOVA test analysis, regression analysis, and model variance analysis, also that present the chi components analysis between them. The overall research study found that goal setting shows a positive effect on motivation and performance in sports. The feedback link positively and significantly to motivation and performance in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness and psychological skills training on Saudi Arabian athletes' athletic performance via psychological aspects. Using a convenient sampling technique, applied cross-sectional study, quantitative research approach, and structural equation modeling, a sample of 350 athletes participated (SEM). According to the survey, mindfulness and psychology skills training significantly and favorably improved athletic performance via psychological aspects. In particular, mindfulness skills training considerably enhanced psychological variables such as attention, concentration, and emotional regulation, whereas psychological skills training greatly enhanced psychological factors. This research has significant implications for athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists in Saudi Arabia, stressing the significance of incorporating mindfulness and psychological skills training into sports psychology to improve athletic performance. Future studies should investigate the impact of mindfulness and psychological skills training on sports performance in various cultural contexts using more significant sample numbers and control groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though goal-directed self-talk is a key element in self-regulated learning, providing instruction and giving feedback during technical skill acquisition, few studies have explored the specific functions with which it might enhance learning and improve performance. Therefore, immediately after a training session, 32 novice Ultimate Frisbee players (Mage = 22.88, SD = 9.71) were asked to report as many self-instructions as they remembered using before task execution, after unsuccessful throws, and after successful throws. A hierarchical content analysis indicated that players used mainly instructional self-talk in all situations. However, instructional self-talk was aimed at technical aspects before their throws; at negative reinforcement, error detection, and technical adjustment after unsuccessful throws; and at positive reinforcement and technical transference after successful throws. Other functions of self-talk were confidence-enhancement and goal-promotion. Overall, we discussed that goal-directed self-talk is a relevant self-regulated learning strategy employed by novice Ultimate Frisbee players when acquiring technical skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the specificity of psychological skills training (PST) interventions, the purpose of the current study was to examine stage of change and gender differences in the combination of transtheoretical model (TTM) constructs (i.e., decisional balance pros and cons, self-efficacy, cognitive and behavioral processes of change) among collegiate student-athletes. Participants (N = 602) completed all TTM measures, and a factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of stage of change and gender on the combination of TTM constructs. No significant interaction effect was identified, yet significant main effects of stage of change and gender were identified. Post hoc tests revealed unique linear combinations of decisional balance, self-efficacy, and processes of change for each stage of change contrast. Taken together, study findings may be used to enhance the specificity of behavior change interventions when delivering PST programs to both male and female collegiate student-athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the factors impacting successful delivery of MST4Life™, a sport psychology informed mental skills training intervention, from the perspective of young people experiencing homelessness. Engaging participants in evaluating programme implementation contributes to developing effective and meaningful programmes and provides opportunities for empowerment and positive development beyond the programme Methods: Qualitative data were collected from 44 participants (female N=20, male N=13, not reported N=11; average age=20.3years), between April 2015 and July 2018. Participants took part in diary rooms to discuss their experiences with MST4Life™ via audio or video recording, or written responses. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were developed: (1) programme content: A move towards meaningful and engaging activities; (2) creation of a supportive, safe, and empowering environment; and (3) challenges and barriers to young peoples' engagement in the programme Conclusions: The environment purposefully created by programme facilitators and frontline staff helped young people to feel supported, valued, and fosters continued programme engagement. Results highlight a strengths-based delivery style, meaningful and transferrable content as key programme components. This study demonstrates the essential nature of process evaluations and how sport and exercise psychologists can enhance accessibility of data collection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on multilayer neural network theory has developed rapidly in recent years. It has parallel processing capabilities and fault tolerance and has aroused the interest of many researchers. The neural network has made great progress in the field of control, especially in model identification and control. It has been quickly applied in the fields of device design, optimized operation, and fault analysis and diagnosis. Neural network control, as an automated control technology in the 21st century, has been fully proved by theories and practices at home and abroad, and it is very useful in complex process control. Sports psychology is a discipline that studies the psychological characteristics and laws of people engaged in sports, and it is also a new development in sports science. The main task of sports psychology is to study people's psychological processes when participating in sports, such as feeling, perception, appearance, thinking, memory, emotion, and characteristics of will and its role and significance in sports. An important feature of multilayer neural networks is to achieve results that match the expected output through network learning. It has strong self-learning, self-adaptability, and fault tolerance. The multilayer neural network system evaluation method is unique with its extraordinary ability to deal with complex nonlinear problems and does not involve human intervention. This article presents a multilayer neural network algorithm, which classifies the samples of athletes, and studies the physical education training process, the psychological characteristics of related personnel in sports competitions, such as the psychological characteristics of the formation of sports skills, and the psychological training of athletes before the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential aim of this research study is to measure the effect of virtual reality and augmented reality on sport psychology. This research study based on the quantitative research and data based on primary data analysis. For this purpose, generate different questions related to the variables the virtual reality and augmented reality both are consider as independent variable the sport psychology is main dependent variable. This research study employed smart PLS software to run distinct outcomes connected to the indicators and it was based on primary data analysis. The R square, composite reliability, discriminant validity, the indicator correlation, the total effect analysis and smart PLS Algorithm model present the overall research study. The virtual reality and augmented reality both are play a vital role in sport psychology. According to the result the overall research founded that there are positive and significant impact of virtual reality and augmented reality on the sport psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this consultant and its effect on job performance of all employees related to the athletes' firms. This research study is based on primary data analysis which measures the sport psychology consultant effect on job performance. To data collection, the study uses specific questions related to sports psychology and job performance of athletes' firms. For further analysis for the data, the author uses smart PLS software wherein the summary effect among the factors is calculated using regression analysis. Based on extracted correlation coefficients and normalised regression coefficients, the study examines 85 effect sizes in 100 plus samples selected from studies of sports organisation staff and members. Both, South Korean sport psychology and effectiveness are used as independent variables. The job performance of employees of athletes' firm is the dependent variable of the study. Results found that South Korean sport psychology shows inverse relation between job performances of athletes' firms. The effectiveness shows a positive effect on the job performance of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the variation of student-athletes' identity and motivation across Portuguese and Brazilian universities, accounting for variation in gender, student-athletes' training hours per week, sports level, student-athletes status within each university, and university type. We initially established the validity of the Baller Identity Measurement Scale questionnaire and the Student-Athletes' Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire-based observations among 441 Brazilian and Portuguese student-athletes. Then, the validated version of the questionnaires was applied to a total sample of 765 student-athletes from Brazil (n= 568) and Portugal (n = 197). We further considered individual (hours of training and student-athlete status) and contextual characteristics (university type and country). Multilevel regression and poststratification were used to estimate each student-athlete identity and motivation as a function of his or her individual and contextual characteristics. Overall, the predictions showed that cultural (country), academic (type of university), and athletic (training hours) context likely have a substantial influence on student-athletes' identity and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a method for studying the consistency of coaches' and athletes' situation understanding. Three elite athletes and their coach were video recorded during winter training session, international summer competition, and training session following competition. Postperformance self-confrontation interviews were conducted separately with each participant, who was asked to describe his/her activity in relation to the events observed. Interview data were used to characterize compatible (i.e., similar or the same) information between coach and athlete and modes of compatibility. Results showed compatible situation understanding was based on five information categories: (a) technical elements, (b) athlete's psychological states, (c) organization and safety, (d) performance, and (e) athlete's experience. Results also showed whether coaches' and athletes' information were not compatible, compatible, or mutually compatible. The method used and specific findings are discussed in relation to the analysis of consistency of coaches' and athletes' situation understanding from larger samples of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mental skills training (MST) program for male youth elite rugby athletes. Three focus groups were held with 21 under-16 male rugby athletes and four male coaches involved in the MST program to examine the quality of service delivery, athlete responses to the MST program, the mental qualities used by athletes, and its perceived influence on athlete performance. Following inductive-deductive content analysis, 40 subcategories and 16 categories emerged. Participants believed the MST program to be an interactive, well-planned program that increased athlete understanding of MST methods and awareness of MST strategies to manage rugby performance. Athletes thought it important that their coaches develop a greater knowledge and understanding of MST methods. Finally, athletes perceived the MST skills and methods they learnt through the MST program were transferable to other sports and areas of their life outside of rugby (e.g., school). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brackground: Pre-competitive anxiety is one of the most studied themes among psychological factors for performance in high performance competitions. When it comes to grassroots categories this pressure can be higher considering the psychic structure and age of these little athletes. Objective: The objective of this report is to discuss theoretically the concepts of pre-competitive stress and anxiety, describing an experience of acquiring participants' techniques and behaviors through a training of mental skills on the day of competition. Methods: This study was conducted from the observations of four athletes between 11 and 13 years old at the Brazilian Judo Championship in 2018, after a seven-month period of mental skills training, performed in an intervention project in Sports Psychology. Results: Through reports and observations, it was observed the use of strategies and techniques for anxiety reduction, used by the four athletes participating in the project. Conclusion: The results showed that situational factors such as somatic body sensations and dysfunctional thoughts, denoted the main ways anxiety was experienced by these children. The techniques learned in the mental training experienced by the athletes were applied in competition and had a positive impact on the control of cognitive and somatic anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to gain a thorough understanding of the high school sport captaincy experience. Thirteen university freshmen (7 males, 6 females) who were high school sport captains the previous year participated in 60-90 min semistructured interviews. Hierarchical content analysis of the data revealed that the majority of participants believed that their captainship experience was positive, but also cited difficult aspects such as having responsibility/being held accountable, being scrutinized/meeting expectations, and staying neutral in conflict situations. The majority of captains also reported receiving little to no training from coaches for their captaincy role and indicated that they learned to lead largely from previous life experiences, such as by observing significant others and learning through trial and error. Results on perceived roles and duties, perceived effectiveness, attitudes toward formal leadership training, and recommendations for future captains are also provided. Implications for designing youth sport leadership development interventions and advancing research on youth leadership are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a strategy that combined self talk and performance feedback. Therefore, three groups of adult tennis players performed a forehand groundstroke task. The first group (n = 16) applied an instructional self talk and self feedback combination, the second (n = 16) used regular instructional self talk, and the third (n = 16) performed without any specific aid. The hypothesis was that the performance and concentration scores of both self talk groups would improve from the pretest to the posttest, while the scores from the control group would remain unchanged. The analysis of variance with repeated measures confirmed this hypothesis. Further, the players who used self feedback perceived the effectiveness of their intervention to be significantly higher compared with the other intervention group. Overall, the combination of self talk and feedback seems to be an alternative to the original instructional self talk intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation is defined here as the end point in a process, when people respond in a positive manner to hardship, threat, and challenge, including monumental sport tests, such as international tournaments. Recently, there have been formal research investigations where adaptation has been considered as a provisional framework, with a more formal structure of pathways. Sport scholars have studied Olympic and professional athletes, provided support for a theoretical framework, and identified provisional substrategies for each pathway. In this article the authors situate adaptation within a larger discourse of related interventions, including coping and self-regulation. Subsequently, adaptation is proposed as a comprehensive intervention strategy for elite athletes during monumental sport environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-modeling involves the observation of oneself on an edited videotape to show a desired performance (Dowrick & Dove, 1980). While research has investigated the effects of self-modeling on physical performance and psychological mechanisms in relation to skill acquisition (e.g., Clark & Ste-Marie, 2007), no research to date has used a qualitative approach to examine the thought processes athletes engage in during the viewing of a self-modeling video in a competitive sport environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the self-regulatory processes of ten divers who viewed a self-modeling video during competitions. After competition, the divers were asked four questions relating to the self-modeling video. Zimmerman's (2000) self-regulation framework was adopted for deductive analysis of the responses to those questions. The results indicated that a number of self-regulatory processes were employed, and they were mainly those in the forethought (75%) and self-reflection (25%) phases of Zimmerman's model. Directions for future research in self-regulation and self-modeling are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore sport psychology consultants' experiences of using hypnosis in their practice. Specifically a better understanding of hypnosis utilization as a performance enhancement technique in applied sport psychology was sought. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with six sport psychology consultants (all PhDs) who each possessed training and experience related to hypnosis. Analysis of the interview data revealed a variety of major themes and subthemes related to the guiding interview questions: (a) hypnosis training and experience, (b) stereotypes and misconceptions related to hypnosis, (c) utilizing hypnosis as a performance enhancement technique, (d) advantages and disadvantages of using hypnosis with athletes, and (e) cultural considerations related to using hypnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the issue of systematic evaluation of mental skills training programs (MSTP) in applied sport psychology in the United States. Effort to develop an objective body of knowledge to guide applied services; Stages of change approach to MSTP evaluation; Importance of psychological process within sports and life.

Describes aspects of the delivery of sports psychology to combat sport athletes in squad training sessions in Poland. Discussion on the methods used; People who conduct training sessions; Exercises performed; Directions for further development.

The literature suggests that, despite some challenges in their implementation, player/athlete-centred, inquiry-based approaches to teaching games and coaching team sport can improve game playing ability, increase player/athlete motivation and provide positive affective experiences of learning. A range of these approaches, including Teaching Games for Understanding, Game Sense, Play Practice and the Tactical-Decision Learning Model vary in detail but share enough in common to be referred as game-based or game-centred approaches. This includes the central role that dialogue, reflection and purposeful social interaction play in facilitating learning and the deep understanding that they can promote. While these approaches are widely referred to as instructional models for teaching and coaching consideration of the common pedagogical features they share offers an alternative conception that creates possibilities for promoting the same positive learning outcomes in sports beyond team games. In this article, we examine the concept of Positive Pedagogy as an extension of Game Sense pedagogy beyond games and team sports to explore what it has to offer coaching across a range of sports. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of the present study is to review the effects of warming up with music on moods and training motivation among Kurdistan province's female handball players0 for this purpose, 24 handball players of premier league of Kurdistan province were selected as the research subjects through a random sampling method. In this study a pretest-posttest design is applied by which 12 subjects have been selected as control group and 12 as experimental group. The latter group performed warm ups free from music. For the purpose of estimation of motivation of subjects, the questionnaire of sports motivation was made use of. In addition, for investigation of the moods variable, the questionnaire of athletes' moods was used. Research results using the statistical test of Mann-Whitney showed that no significant difference existed between the experimental and control groups' motivation and moods after performance of the warming up program (P: 0.124). This was while there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups' moods prior and post to execution of Training program (P= 0.003). In general, it may be concluded that playing music doesn't have any significant effects on athletes' motivation while their moods can undergo significant changes through listening to music during warming up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report presents a summary of the I Symposium of Elite Performance in Combat Sports held in Madrid, May 27, 2017. The symposium, organized by the Faculty of Sport Sciences-INEF of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, aimed to bring science closer to practice. A panel of highly successful athletes involved in karate, fencing and taekwondo shared their experiences. The speakers presented crucial topics for an optimal preparation and high level performance such as strength training, sport psychology, brain maturation, sports nutrition, competition planning, sport injuries and perceptual-decision making training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With this article, we aim to offer a conceptual synthesis of some of the most important developments in past decades on the subject of talent in sport, while also helping sports stakeholders, particularly managers and coaches, to recognize and apply these conclusions in their practices. The article starts with a brief historical review, which explores how there has been a shift from a talent detection perspective to a talent development perspective and to a holistic vision of athletes and their background context. Secondly, the article presents an overview of the main theoretical models put forward in literature on sport psychology, including career-transition-based models and talent-and-expertise-based models. Finally, as the conceptual model most widely referred to in literature, a detailed analysis of the Development Model of Sports Participation (Côté, Baker & Abemethy, 2007), is made, especially with regard to development processes relating to standards of practice (e.g. diversification and specialization) and psychosocial influences, aspects that form the basis of all-round athlete development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between the pre-competitive physical and psychological training sessions load, estimated by the training time, heart rate (HR) and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), with the physical performance of players in the competitive match. To do this, in 21 professional players from the English Football Association Championship Division, HR, RPE, the training time and the specific training time in the high intensity zone were monitored during all the training sessions through all the 5 previous days before the match. It was also recorded the total distance covered and the total distance covered in the high intensity zone for each player in 22 official matches using the multi-camera computerised tracking system ProZone®. The results indicate that the RPE values correlate with the pre-competitive training volume and intensity, and therefore it is a valid tool to quantify the training load. However, within multiple variables involved in the competition, the RPE or the average HR data recorded during the pre-competitive training sessions do not seem to be variables that can predict the players' conditional performance during the official matches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I will provide an insight into the Oral Assessment Interview (OAI) from an Assessor's perspective. My overall aim is to help young practitioners feel more confident and ready to engage with the OAI by detailing the processes that are involved and by emphasising the importance of reflecting on each key role before the interview itself. I will first outline at a more general level the value and expectations of the OAI, before discussing some of the more specific considerations that we have when conducting a viva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofeedback and neurofeedback training procedures are often different for athletes than for clinical patients. Athletes come to improve performance whereas patients come to reduce symptoms. This article outlines factors that distinguish work with athletes from work with clinical patients. The differences in training include the purpose of training, the nature of the participant in training, session design, and covert factors underlying the training. Unlike clients, athletes often do intensive transfer of learning training, between 2 and 6  hours of daily sport practice across days, weeks, and months. Although biofeedback and neurofeedback are important factors for enhancing peak performance, there are many covert and overt factors producing performance success such as motivation, intensity of training, ''A-ha'' experiences, experimental expectancy, behavioral consequences, and mastery learning. The training process with athletes is illustrated through a case example of a young tennis player who mastered control of his anger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The aim of the study was to examine whether training with mild levels of anxiety helps in maintaining performance under higher levels of anxiety. Methods: Novices practiced dart throwing while they were hanging low on a climbing wall either with or without mild anxiety. After training, participants were tested under low, mild, and high anxiety (in the latter case high on the climbing wall). Results: Despite systematic increases in anxiety, heart rate, and perceived effort from low to mild to high anxiety the group that had trained with anxiety performed equally well on all three tests, while performance of the control group deteriorated with high anxiety. Conclusion: It is concluded that practicing perceptual-motor tasks under mild levels of anxiety can also prevent choking when performing with higher levels of anxiety. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the empathic accuracy of sport coaches in relation to feedback of information. Coaches'' experience and qualification level were also considered. Method: Sixty badminton coaches were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. All coaches watched a video of an athlete''s technical training session with her coach. At designated segments of the video all coaches were asked to make inferences about what the athlete''s thoughts and feelings had been. Only the coaches in the experimental group were given corrective feedback on the athlete''s thoughts and feelings following their inference. Empathic accuracy was estimated by comparing these inferences with the athlete''s own self-reported thoughts and feelings. Results: It was shown that both groups'' empathic accuracy improved over the course of watching the video; however, the experimental group improved significantly more. It was found that coaches'' experience was significantly associated with empathic accuracy for the control group only. Conclusions: The results suggest that continued exposure to an athlete increases a coach''s empathic accuracy and that this can be significantly improved with accurate feedback about that athlete. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback (BFB) is a relatively new approach for helping athletes to regulate competitive stress. To investigate this phenomenon further, a qualitative case study examined the impact of HRV BFB on the mood, physiology, and sport performance of a 14-year-old golfer. The golfer met once per week at a university lab for 10 consecutive sessions of HRV BFB training that included breathing at a frequency of 0.1 Hz. The format and duration of sessions followed the HRV BFB protocol outlined previously by Lehrer, Vaschillo, and Vaschillo. Acute increases in total HRV low-frequency HRV and amplitude of oscillation at 0.1 Hz were observed during biofeedback practice. This effect became stronger across sessions, suggesting increases in baroreflex gain. Following HRV BFB, the golfer achieved his personal record score for 18 holes of golf, and his mean golf score (total number of shots per 18 holes of golf) was 15 shots lower than in his previous golf season. The golfer received no golf instructions during HRV BFB training. The results of this case study suggest that HRV BFB training may help the athlete cope with the stress of competition and/or improve neuromuscular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for the occurrence of multiple-role relationships is increased when professors also consult with athletic teams on their campuses. Such multiple-role relationships have potential ethical implications that are unclear and largely unexplored, and consultants may find multiple-role relationships both difficult to deal with and unavoidable. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the nature of teacher–practitioner multiple-role relationships. Participants ( = 35) were recruited from Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) certified consultants (CCs) who were also affiliated with a university ( = 68). All participants completed a 28-item survey exploring the incidence and relevant issues pertaining to multiple-role relationships. Chi-square analyses revealed that licensed mental health practitioners (i.e., psychologists and counselors) were more likely than nonlicensed AAASP CCs to believe that multiple-role relationships were never appropriate in sport psychology, χ2(1, = 30) = 12.80, < .001, and to have never taken part in a multiple-role relationship, χ2(1, = 33) = 12.44, < .001. Independent samples tests revealed that mental health practitioners also reported that they would have higher levels of concern for both the practitioner, (30) = –2.77, = .009, and the client, (30) = –2.50, = .018, in such a relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing sport psychology services to athletes and coaches before and during the Olympic Games presents a number of ethical concerns and challenges for the practitioner. These challenges are amplified by the nontraditional way in which sport psychology services are delivered, requiring careful attention to maintaining ethical behavior no matter the setting. The purpose of this article is, from the perspective of sport psychology consultants employed by the U.S. Olympic Committee, to outline specific challenges, including prolonged travel with teams, multiple relationships, and such Olympic Games-related issues as dealing with the media, team identification, servicing multiple teams simultaneously, and practitioner self-care. Strategies for coping with these challenges, as well as questions to ponder, are also presented as a way to increase awareness of this field's unique challenges for the aspiring practitioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has consistently demonstrated that the ability to make faster and/or more accurate decision making choices is a perceptual-cognitive skill known to separate skilled from lesser skilled performers (Williams, Davids, & Williams, 1999). The methodology employed in such research has typically presented video of segments of play from the sport of interest and required the participant to decide what they would do if they possessed the ball at the instant the footage is occluded. These video sequences are filmed from an elevated position providing the participant with an aerial, or bird's-eye, view of the evolving pattern of play. The present study adopted a within-group design to determine whether viewing perspective influenced decision-making performance. Specifically, patterns of play from water polo were presented to participants from an aerial view, common to most previous research, or from a player view, or what participants would see if playing the game. Twenty-two members of the Australian women's water polo team watched attacking game situations from both viewing perspectives in a counterbalanced order. Their task was to select whom they would pass the ball to at the moment of footage occlusion by indicating their choice on a response sheet. Additionally, the players rated their confidence in each choice made. A paired samples t test revealed that the aerial perspective (M = 66.28%, SD = 8.39) resulted in superior decision-making accuracy relative to the player-view perspective (M = 59.00%, SD = 10.76) t(20) = 3.65, p < 0.05. Confidence scores revealed no significant differences across the two viewing perspectives t(20) = 1.61, p > 0.05. The superiority of decision making from the aerial perspective contrasts with what might be expected from a specificity standpoint. It is reasoned that the athletes' extensive exposure to the aerial perspective through coaching activities mediated this specificity effect. Furthermore, an aerial view provides a clearer view of the key spatial information required for accurate decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goalkeepers play a very specific and crucial role in water polo. They rely on advanced perceptual–cognitive (P–C) skills to make fast and accurate decisions. However, their daily training environment often lacks stimulation and representativeness of game demands. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, where noncontact practices became the "new normal." In the Canadian Women's National Team preparation for the 2020 Olympics, goalkeepers' P–C training was made a priority. Led by the team's mental performance consultant and experts from transdisciplinary fields, the initiative began with an evaluation of a broad range of P–C skills in goalkeepers. Leading up to the Olympics, a series of P–C activities (i.e., anticipatory training using video occlusion, eye–hand coordination, and visuomotor drills) were adopted based on ecological dynamics principles. Virtual reality technology and constraints-focused tools were used to enrich and diversify the goalkeepers' daily trainings environment. This case study reports the evaluation of P–C skills, the context, and the way in which the P–C activities were implemented, as well as their holistic impact on goalkeepers. Reflections and limitations are also shared to encourage interdisciplinary efforts in sport psychology and increase awareness among mental performance consultants about the importance of psycho-perceptual-motor skill training for mental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the practice of sport psychology focusing on the benefits for sport psychologists of working with elite performers or athletes for their training. The author mentions a work by sport psychology trainee about the importance of effective identification of boundaries of expertise and competence with clients.

The article offers the author's insights on the Oral Assessment Interview (OAI) which is used to assess and defend the competence of trainee before the Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology (QSEP) can be awarded. The author says that OAI gives the assessors time to determine that the work of trainee has been completed. He relates the commentaries from assessor Chris Harwood and trainee Alastair Storie who provide some useful tips on OAI.

Presents information on a study which examined the role-related satisfactions and stressors of USOC sport psychologists in working with Olympic athletes. What the study was designed to identify; What results of the study indicated.