Goal-setting guidelines traditionally promote the use of specific goals in sport. Although specific goals are linked to increased confidence and motivation, and have been associated with improved performance of athletes, they can lead to detrimental outcomes in some circumstances. There is evidence to suggest nonspecific goals could also be associated with positive outcomes, yet these goals have received less attention in comparison to specific goals. Drawing from the growing literature on nonspecific goals, the purpose of this paper is to present information on nonspecific goals that sport psychology practitioners can utilize when considering these types of goals with athletes.
Coaches and athletes make important plans for future performances. A key challenge for these planners is knowing whether their performance plans are actually going to work when it comes time to implement them. To help practitioners in sport address this problem, we describe a premortem technique to enhancing pre-performance planning that has been introduced within industrial and organizational psychology. The premortem is a way of critiquing and identifying potential risks to performance plans, and subsequently strengthening these plans, before there is any attempt to implement them. We offer a step-by-step guide to using the premortem, outline potential pitfalls in employing the technique, and describe two real-world examples of our own use of the premortem.
There exists a strong literature in effective teaching tactics for the college classroom that are primed for adaptation to mental performance workshops with college athletes. Using evidence-based pedagogical practices from adult learning research provides a useful avenue, anchored in empirical evidence, especially for facilitating learning and increasing engagement in larger groups and teams. Authors describe three tools from higher education pedagogy literature and describe how those pedagogical strategies can be utilized during mental performance workshops conducted with collegiate athletic teams. We conclude with practitioner reflections on outcomes and how these strategies can support athletes in future interventions.
International athletes face complex psychological challenges influenced by language, culture, and acculturation. When interpreters are involved, linguistic nuance and cultural meaning can profoundly affect interventions, assessments, rapport, and outcomes. This paper outlines key considerations for sport psychology practitioners, emphasizing idiomatic expression, emotional nuance, practitioner self-reflection, and the potential for misinterpretation in multilingual settings. Recommendations highlight effective cross-language care, such as intentional communication, systemic collaboration, and sensitivity to cultural meaning to ensure ethical, accurate, and athlete-centered sport psychology service delivery.
This study presents a multiple baseline, single-case Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) intervention and process report on "Regulus" (pseudonym), an elite cricketer experiencing anxiety in the preparatory 4 months leading up to an ICC Cricket World Cup. The research critically examines the therapeutic processes within a cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) framework, integrating intervention efficacy analysis with a detailed process report. The objective is to demonstrate the practical application of CBT theory and techniques using a detailed intervention study and process report format. Starting off with a sport specific CBT formulation, the study delivered the intervention using cognitive restructuring through reframing and alternative belief interventions specific to sport. The study employed a single-case, multiple baseline design across 12 sessions over 14 wk. Anxiety and cognitive appraisals were measured pre-, mid-, and post-intervention with a one-month follow-up. Quantitative results demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety (-56.2%), threat-related appraisals (-50%), and loss-related appraisals (-48.66%), alongside increased challenge appraisals (+30%). Qualitative process reports further illustrated reductions in catastrophic thinking and maladaptive coping behaviors, showcasing CBT's effectiveness in refining mental resilience for elite sports performance. We conclude with possible directions for further practice-based evidence directions.
Sport psychology practitioners are increasingly working across organizations and at a systems-level. Within this article, we draw on two examples from our applied practice to describe how we have used relational and systems-led approaches to promote environments for thriving in sport. Specifically, we detail and reflect on our experiences from (i) the Promoting Mental Health through Thriving Environments project and (ii) sport psychology consultancy in high-performance sport in Wales. In drawing together the key insights from this work, to be effective working at a systems-level, we highlight the need for practitioners to: identify, understand, and, when necessary, be prepared to sensitivity deconstruct dominant narratives embedded within the system; have a clear understanding of the organization's capacity and readiness for change; work with the system to understand how best to provide impactful and practical support; and remain patient and accept that now may not always be the best time for the work. For us, establishing a common understanding of language and terminology across organizations, developing shared resources, and ensuring a clear national messaging enabled system-wide impact.
This manuscript offers insight into experiences of sport psychologists adopting a systems-led approach to psychology support in professional sport. We introduce a metaphorical parable to help understand and position the types of work sport psychologists engage in. We define a systems-led approach to sport psychology as one where sense making and support is proactively planned across individual, group and organization. The parable defines systems-led support as upstream, which we describe as slower in its impact and quieter in demonstrating its effects. The more traditional athlete and group focused support is defined as downstream, characterized by its faster delivery and louder, more obviously observed impact. We offer reflections of attempting to work from a systems-led approach and focus on the challenges and benefits of this for sport psychologist and organization. We finish with implications for practitioner psychologists, the hiring organizations and the professional and training bodies for sport psychologists to effectively walk up and down the stream.
Sport psychology practitioners frequently encounter complex challenges within organizational dynamics, requiring skillful relationship management with athletes, coaches, and other and other stakeholders. This paper proposes a practical approach for practitioners in situations that require them to embed themselves within an organization's environment and become part of its life cycle. It presents the Outside-Insider approach, developed from the authors' field experience, and grounded in Functional Contextualism. This approach involves (1) integrating as an essential member in the organization and (2) maintaining a flexible perspective - engaged but not overly identified with it. Strategies for applying this approach are provided, alongside its advantages and disadvantages.
There is increasing demand for mental health and performance support across a variety of domains, including military, arts, business, and sport. While individual consultation has demonstrated effectiveness for enhanced well-being and performance of athletes, the approach is limited in recognizing systemic influences impacting the individual, reflecting a missed opportunity for sport psychology practitioners (SPPs) to boost well-being and performance at scale in a sustainable way. Organizational sport psychology (OSP) represents an expanded scope of mental health and performance service delivery that reflects a dynamic interplay between an individual, group/team, and organization in context. To address this shift, this manuscript describes a context-based psychological service delivery approach in a collegiate sport environment. The purpose of this manuscript is five-fold: (1) situate the service delivery approach and authors in a relevant context; (2) provide an overview of The Service and its development; (3) present the five central pillars of The Service; (4) offer guidelines for practitioners who would like to implement or otherwise adapt the approach to fit their respective setting; and (5) reflect on the process of development and use of The Service.
In this Guest Editorial for the special issue on organizational and systemic approaches to sport psychology practice, I reflect on the recent practice developments in this sub-field, incorporate related lines of work, clarify key terms, and offer a call to action for the sport psychologists to move beyond the athlete bubble and to embrace organizational, relational and systems-led approaches to practice.
The dynamic nature of sport organizations requires sport, exercise and performance psychology practitioners (SEPPPs) to continually assess how they have impact and support organizational development. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a collaborative, strengths-based approach to organizational change that might be valuable for SEPPPs to incorporate into their service delivery. In this article, we briefly describe the history of AI and consider how AI might be useful for SEPPPs working in sport organizations. We provide an overview of the principles and processes involved with conducting AI interventions, and how AI might be applied effectively to have meaningful impact within sport contexts, drawing on our experiences of using AI in sport organizations. Key recommendations and reflective questions are provided to aid SEPPPs in considering how they might apply the principles and processes of AI within their own practice to create lasting and meaningful change in the context of their own organization.
The changing psychological needs of Generation Alpha and Generation Z demand innovation and adaptation of contemporary training methods in sport psychology. This paper presents an innovative analogue gamified experiential (AGE) training toolkit designed to enhance engagement, sustain interest, and improve learning outcomes in psychological skill development. Grounded in experiential learning principles, these methods combine active participation, reflection, and real-world relevance while incorporating analogue gamification elements such as competition, randomization, time constraints, immediate feedback, and tangible rewards. The fully offline, flexible format allows adaptation across diverse populations, including grassroots athletes, elite performers, teams, and youth programs. By fostering deeper cognitive, emotional, and behavioural engagement, the toolkit extends beyond values education to include leadership, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. Assessment approaches include self-reports, psychometric evaluations, performance observations, and coaches’ feedback to measure learning impact. This original practitioner-oriented design contributes an applied framework to sport psychology practice and research.
This study aimed to develop the first Individualized Mental Toughness Program (IMTP) to improve Hong Kong non-elite shuttlecock youth athletes' MT under pressure in competition. The program identified the individual differences and examined whether mental toughness (MT) program with pressure training (PT), may lead to greater MT. A total of 14 shuttlecock athletes, aged 16-23, and 1 head coach participated in a 14-week intervention with psychological skills training (PST) and pressure training (PT). One-way repeated MANOVA (1 group x 2 time points) was applied to examine the changes. Results reported there were statistically significant in Detrimental Mental Toughness (DMT), passing errors in pressure training (PT) and mental toughness (MT). However, the study's small sample size and lack of control group limit generalizability. This study presented the flow of implementing the IMTP with 3 steps (Assessment, Intervention and Evaluation).
Intervision practice has been supported by various psychology organizations and practitioners. Such need is rarely reinforced by everyday sport psychology practice with relevant literature limited in applied journals. Having organized an international intervision group for more than five years now - the first of its type to the best of our knowledge - we are suggesting a mode of operation serving the cause of such monthly online intervision meetings. In the current paper, each member discusses their current practices, personal views and aspirations around the operations of this Internation Intervision Group (IIG). Based on a thematic analysis of these views, members provide clear suggestions on what works best (structure, topics, size, etc.) and how similar groups could be formed in the future. Collaboration, synergy, a noncompetitive ethos, genuine care, clear norms and freedom of speech are some of the cornerstones expressed by the group members. Opportunities for best practices and cross fertilization of ideas using the international nature and frequent discussions of this IIG under an enthusiastic organizing leadership were also discussed, recommended and commended throughout this position statement related to works of this group of professionals.
The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a rationale for adopting strategies to promote self-compassion for cultivating mental toughness and general well-being in athletes and coaches. A description of self-compassion and its underlying components (i.e. self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness), as well as support for the benefits of self-compassion in athletes and coaches is discussed. Finally, three strategies that coaches can apply personally and with their athletes to promote a self-compassionate environment are presented. Specifically, the strategies include reframing critical talk to be more compassionate, learning to coach through self-compassionate mentorship and feedback, and mindfulness breath breaks to promote self-compassion. Each of these strategies can be tailored to any competition level of coach or athlete to promote invisible mental toughness.
