Contemporary sport psychology

This book captures the contributions of world-wide experts, based upon earlier special editions of a peer reviewed sport psychology journal titled Athletic Insight. Most often sport psychology books either contain similar chapters across books pertaining to theoretical concepts or applied practices. On occasion, textbooks also contain a special topics section placed at the very end of the compendium with a few contributions regarded as a special topics issue. The present compilation is built entirely of special topics, where the focus is to forefront diverse perspectives through three distinct sections, each with contributions pertaining to research and practice. Section One is comprised of practical application. Within Section One the reader will find contributions pertaining to applied practice with Olympic and professional athletes based upon the first-hand experiences of elite practitioners from several continents. The intent through Section One is to propose strategies, reflecting several national perspectives that applied practitioners might employ as they enter the field or seek positions with elite sport organisations in the global sport community. Section Two reflects contributions about Cultural Sport Psychology (CSP). CSP is a burgeoning research and practice trajectory within sport and exercise psychology, launched formally through a special instalment of Athletic Insight. Most recently the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, the peer reviewed journal for the International Society of Sport Psychology has also featured a devoted instalment to the topic (Autumn, 2009). Section Two provides the reader with the most current work on CSP written by several highly creditable researchers a the forefront of the trajectory. Section Three is devoted to the intersection of sport psychology and ethics. Within Section Three the authors provide their respective views on the topic, carrying from the role of student practitioners struggling with matters of ethic to consultants of high-risk Olympic and professional sport teams faced with the ethical implications they encounter when working in the field.