The Sport Psychologist’s Handbook A Guide for Sport-Specific Performance Enhancement Edited by Joaqu´n Dosil ı The Sport Psychologist’s Handbook A Guide for Sport-Specific Performance Enhancement The Sport Psychologist’s Handbook A Guide for Sport-Specific Performance Enhancement Edited by Joaqu´n Dosil ı Copyright C 2006 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England Telephone (+44) 1243 779777 Chapter 24 c 2006 University of Missouri-St Louis Email (for orders and customer service enquiries): cs-books@wiley.co.uk Visit our Home Page on www.wiley.com All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP, UK, without the permission in writing of the Publisher Requests to the Publisher should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England, or emailed to permreq@wiley.co.uk, or faxed to (+44) 1243 770620 Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners The Publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered It is sold on the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought Other Wiley Editorial Offices John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA Jossey-Bass, 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741, USA Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Boschstr 12, D-69469 Weinheim, Germany John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd, 42 McDougall Street, Milton, Queensland 4064, Australia John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, Clementi Loop #02-01, Jin Xing Distripark, Singapore 129809 John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd, 22 Worcester Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9W 1L1 Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The sport psychologist’s handbook : a guide for sport-specific performance enhancement / edited by Joaquín Dosil p cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN-13: 978-0-470-86355-8 (cloth : alk paper) ISBN-10: 0-470-86355-2 (cloth : alk paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-470-86356-5 (pbk : alk paper) ISBN-10: 0-470-86356-0 (pbk : alk paper) Sports—Psychological aspects—Handbooks, manuals, etc GV706.4.S675 2005 796.01—dc22 I Dosil, Joaquín 2005015432 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-470-86355-8 (hbk) 978-0-470-86356-5 (pbk) 0-470-86355-2 (hbk) 0-470-86356-0 (pbk) Typeset in 10/12pt Times by TechBooks, New Delhi, India Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire This book is printed on acid-free paper responsibly manufactured from sustainable forestry in which at least two trees are planted for each one used for paper production Contents About the Editor ix Contributors xi Foreword xxi Preface xxv Acknowledgments xxvii Part I Introduction to Working with Athletes Chapter Applied Sport Psychology: A New Perspective Joaqu´n Dosil ı Chapter Enhancing Coach–Athlete Relationships: Cognitive-Behavioral Principles and Procedures Frank L Smoll and Ronald E Smith 19 Chapter Providing Sport Psychology Services to Families David N Sacks, Gershon Tenenbaum and David Pargman 39 Chapter An Overview of Interventions in Sport Robert N Singer and Mark H Anshel 63 Chapter Assessment, Evaluation and Counseling in Sport Robert N Singer and Mark H Anshel 89 Part II Team Sports Chapter Using Sport Psychology to Improve Basketball Performance Kevin L Burke 121 Chapter Psychological Interventions with Football (Soccer) Teams Joaqu´n Dosil ı 139 Chapter Focused Baseball: Using Sport Psychology to Improve Baseball Performance Tom Hanson 159 Chapter Thinking Rugby: Using Sport Psychology to Improve Rugby Performance Ken Hodge, Chris Lonsdale and Alex McKenzie 183 vi CONTENTS Chapter 10 Psychological Aspects in the Training and Performance of Team Handball Athletes John M Silva 211 Chapter 11 Skill Learning from an Expertise Perspective: Issues and Implications for Practice and Coaching in Cricket Sean Mă ller and Bruce Abernethy u 245 Part III Individual Sports Chapter 12 The Psychology of Athletics Joaqu´n Dosil ı 265 Chapter 13 Sport Psychology and Tennis Robert Weinberg 285 Chapter 14 Golf: Sport Psychology Challenges Linda K Bunker 301 Chapter 15 Psychology of Cycling Jim Taylor and Jeff Kress 325 Part IV Combat Sports Chapter 16 Application of Sport Psychology for Optimal Performance in Martial Arts Mark H Anshel and John M Payne Chapter 17 Psychological Factors and Mental Skills in Wrestling Brent S Rushall 353 375 Part V Winter Sports Chapter 18 Sport Psychological Consulting in Ice Hockey Wayne Halliwell, Len Zaichkowsky and Cal Botterill Chapter 19 A Mental Preparation Guide for Figure Skaters: A Developmental Approach Eva V Monsma and Deborah L Feltz 403 427 Part VI Water Sports Chapter 20 The Sport Psychology of Olympic Sailing and Windsurfing Ian Maynard 457 Chapter 21 Psychological Aspects of Rowing Michael Kellmann, Gaby BuBmann, Dorothee Anders and Sebastian Schulte 479 Chapter 22 High Performance Thinking for Professional Surfers Michael Martin 503 CONTENTS vii Part VII Motor Sports Chapter 23 Psychological Training in Motorcycling Joaqu´n Dosil and Enrique J Garc´ s de Los Fayos ı e 527 Part VIII Shooting Sports Chapter 24 Psychological Aspects of Archery Kathleen M Haywood 549 Part IX Equestrian Sports Chapter 25 Of Two Minds: Consulting with the Horse-and-Rider Team in Dressage, Showjumping and Polo Grace Pretty and Don Bridgeman 569 Part X Fitness Sports Chapter 26 Sport Psychology and Fitness Activities Diane L Gill 589 Chapter 27 Psychology and Bodybuilding Dave Smith 617 Chapter 28 Sport Psychology in Gymnastics Karen D Cogan 641 Part XI Sports for Atheletes with Disabilities Chapter 29 Providing Sport Psychology Support for Athletes with Disabilities Mark Bawden 665 Part XII Afterword Chapter 30 It’s All About Sport Performance and Something Else Mark B Andersen 687 Index 699 690 THE SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST’S HANDBOOK lives that go to the core of their being Improving performance may be the manifest goal of sport psychology work, but the health, welfare and happiness of athletes are the foundations of why sport psychologists what they Martin’s talk to the exercise physiologists at the Australian Institute of Sport echoes one of the giants in psychology, Sigmund Freud Freud is mentioned here because his discoveries form the basis of some of the arguments below, and because happiness was also his barometer of successful treatment As the distressed mother of a gay son once asked Freud, “Can you cure my son’s homosexuality?” Freud replied something like, “No, Madam, but I can probably help him become a happier homosexual.” If sport psychologists believe that improved performance is the measure of their work, then they have a lot of disappointments ahead of them If they focus on the happiness of their athletes, then they may have considerably more “success” connected to their endeavors Case Study Looking in the Wrong Place There is the story of a man who, passing a friend’s house late at night, comes upon his intoxicated friend on his hands and knees under a street lamp in front of his home, obviously looking for something The man asks his drunken friend, “What are you doing down there?” His friend’s slurred reply is, “I’ve lost my keys, and I can’t find them.” The man, suspecting that the keys could be anywhere, given the state his friend is in, asks, “Do you have any idea where you might have lost them?” The friend replies, “Oh yes, I lost them over there by the door.” Completely confused, the man asks, “Then why are you looking for them here?” As if it was quite self-evident, the ethanolized friend answers, “Because over there by the door it’s very dark, and here there is more light.” That story has relevance for research in sport psychology intervention efficacy and effectiveness (two quite different concepts) A great deal of research in sport psychology, especially in the quantitative realm, has been focused on answering questions as to whether interventions, such as relaxation or imagery, help performance There is substantial evidence, in both practice (effectiveness) and research (efficacy), that many interventions help, but the process by which they help is not really investigated and seems missing from the literature In psychotherapy research it has been established that the one variable always associated with outcome is the relationship between the therapist and the client (Sexton & Whiston, 1994) It really does not matter if one uses psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, gestalt or drum-beating approaches for that matter (maybe an exaggeration there) If the relationship is solid, then people tend to get better but, like the intoxicated friend in the story, researchers are looking in the wrong places Times, distances and other such improvements are measurable and “in the light” for everyone to see, as are visible interventions such as relaxation and goal-setting Relationships and individual misery and happiness are darker, murkier (even scarier), so researchers not look in those directions, but fumble around in the “light” As a summation, one might say that the effectiveness, or what works in the real world of practice, of sport psychology interventions is dependent on the quality of the interpersonal relationships athletes and sport psychologists establish That connection between effectiveness and relationships is why one needs to think and act and interact with athletes on a field of interpersonal respect, trust, and care in order for the “play” of the interventions to become effective IT’S ALL ABOUT SPORT PERFORMANCE AND SOMETHING ELSE 691 But how much time teachers spend training their students to be mindful of the developing relationships they are forming with athletes? Do sport psychology professors and supervisors instruct their students to develop therapeutic, caring, human approaches to their work? In some ways they do; in many ways they not This focus on relationships brings up the psychodynamic concepts of transference and countertransference and the legacy of Freud The Phenomena of Transferring and Countertransferring The terms transference and countertransference (Lane, 1986; Meyers, 1986; Racker, 1968) stem from the work of Freud (Freud 1912, 1915) In the simplest terms, transference describes a process whereby the client begins to respond, on a variety of levels (e.g emotionally, behaviorally), to the therapist in patterns that have roots in past relationships with significant others For example, if a young man had a turbulent time dealing with an authoritarian father, and rebelled and resisted his father, he may in therapy (especially with an older man) begin to see the therapist as an authority figure and start resisting the therapist’s help The therapist may not be acting in any objective authoritarian way, but the major pattern for relationships with older males for a client like this is one of authority and rebellion That pattern then gets projected on to the therapist, and in this case, makes for a block in therapy (Andersen, 2004, p 75) Countertransference is the name for the similar process when practitioners begin to act and respond to clients in similar patterns as they had with past important people in their lives (Epstein & Feiner, 1983; Gabbard, 1995; Greenson, 1992; Stein, 1986; Strean, 1994) As an example, say a male sport psychologist was raised in a household surrounded by females: two sisters, a working mother, and a grandmother who took over a lot of the child rearing He and his father would have been outnumbered He may have fantasised often of having a little brother whom he could tease, beat up, and who would look up to him like the little brothers so many of his friends had That fantasy brother may come back to him sometimes when working with younger male athletes where he might get powerful protective take-care-of-little-brother feelings, even though he never had a brother (Andersen, 2004, p 75) Many in counseling and clinical psychology have misinterpreted these dynamic phenomena as counterproductive Transference and countertransference are universal phenomena and probably form a core of most human interactions Learning how to use them to positive effect is the task of sport psychologists, teachers, coaches, supervisors, athletic trainers and medical practitioners (see Henschen, 1991; Mann, 1986; Ogilvie, 1993; Petitpas, Giges & Danish, 1999; Yambor & Connelly, 1991) Sport provides numerous stories of transference and countertransference Coaches fall in love with athletes; athletes have conflicts with coaches that mirror the dynamics in the family of origin Athletes with abusive parents find the fantasized “good mother” or “good father” they have dreamed about As Andersen (2004) stated: If one reflects on one’s athletes, and how one feels about each of them, that may help to get a feel for transference and countertransference In an ideal world, we should treat and respond to all clients in the same manner, with respect, unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness But we don’t, and why don’t we? The answer to that question lies at the heart of transference and countertransference (p 74) 692 THE SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST’S HANDBOOK Case Study Here is an example of a sport psychologist and two of her clients that illustrates the power of transference and countertransference Melissa in these examples is not a bad sport psychologist; she is a human one, and her different responses to her clients are deeply human responses Melissa is a sport psychologist in the USA She has an older brother and a younger sister Her mother is an accountant, and her father is an alcoholic who abandoned the family and disappeared when she was 14 years old All during her childhood and early adolescence, Melissa never felt safe It was a toss-up which father would be home, the mean drunk physically abusing her mother, or the regretful sober father When her father finally left, Melissa’s constant background anxiety began to abate Melissa is heterosexual, but her older brother, who physically defended her mother against her abusive father, is gay Her older brother remains her hero to this day Melissa has a client, Freddy, a diver, whom she looks forward to working with every week They have a great time during their sport psychology sessions They laugh a lot and tell stories Freddy is gay, and part of why Melissa and Freddy work so well together is that Freddy knows Melissa has a gay brother and is sensitive to the gay community and the difficulties gay and lesbian people face, especially in sport So Freddy can be himself and be frank and talk about anything on his mind For Melissa, talking with Freddy is like being with her older brother, so she has many good sibling feelings towards him Also, Freddy flirts shamelessly with Melissa in a teasing but jovial manner Many straight women enjoy the flirtations of gay men because they are playful, safe and fun So, these two people get along well with each other What is happening is a dance of positive transference and countertransference that is helping the sport psychology service process Melissa’s other client, William, a swimmer, is uncommunicative, surly and sometimes comes to sessions with bloodshot eyes and smelling of marijuana (some sport psychologists may be surprised how many swimmers, even elite ones, smoke marijuana) He comes to Melissa primarily because the coach mandated his attendance Melissa dislikes working with him, is also relatively uncommunicative, goes about the relaxation exercises methodically, and gets the job done as quickly as possible So why does Melissa have empathy and unconditional positive regard for Freddy, yet for William she is almost a robot and hardly human? Many children of alcoholics develop strong aversions to anything that smacks of substance abuse, and often have little tolerance of those who abuse substances William evokes countertransferential responses in Melissa that are tied to both her father’s alcoholism, the physical abuse of her mother and, oddly enough, her being abandoned by her father There is a jumble of emotions that William evokes in Melissa, and in order to handle them Melissa shuts down and goes cold, getting rid of William as fast as possible Freddy is like someone Melissa loves; William is like someone who has seriously hurt her There are few better lessons learned in sport psychology than the ones that start with the questions: “Which athletes I really like?”, “Which athletes I dislike?”, “Why I interact with athletes differently?”, and “What am I bringing to my interactions with those athletes that influences my responses?” Sport psychologists have two powerful instruments that they bring to treatment and interactions with clients They have their knowledge and their IT’S ALL ABOUT SPORT PERFORMANCE AND SOMETHING ELSE 693 cognitive-behavioral interventions skills, and they have their personalities Unfortunately, the number of hours sport psychologists spend during their training and practice examining their second instrument (their personalities) and the quality of their interactions with clients is unknown, but it is most assuredly low The emphasis on self-reflective practice and examining the self in service does not have the tradition in sport psychology that it does in clinical and counseling psychology Case Study Transference and countertransference bring out a variety of responses—love, hate, desire, identification, projection, regression, and really the whole gamut of human reactions Here is a story about an applied sport psychology student the author supervised The student gave his permission to tell this tale Trevor had begun to develop a close relationship with a young Australian Rules football player Substantial good big brother–little brother transference and countertransference was happening They had worked some on performance enhancement training together, and they really liked each other One day they were sitting in the bleachers on the practice field having a chat, and the athlete leaned over to Trevor and said what was really troubling him: “You know, there has been a lot of death in my life recently.” It happens more often than not that once the gears of transference and countertransference start rolling, sport issues and performance enhancement work take a back seat, and the concerns of central importance begin to emerge Trevor helped him tell his story of four deaths in the last few months of parents of a good friend, of a horrible death in a car accident, and of the suicide of a friend’s brother Needless to say, the athlete was confused, hurt, angry, sad—a jumble of mixedup emotions These stories brought up in Trevor his unresolved reactions to a death in his life of a fellow friend and athlete, a cyclist who was killed on a road in Vancouver, a place where Trevor still trains when he goes home to Canada He knows the spot well and the heartache it evokes every time he cycles by Trevor then related that story and all his confusion and sadness to the athlete Then it began to rain, and they moved into a small shelter on the field Trevor sat down first, and then the football player sat next to him They both, without thinking, drew their knees up to their chests and pulled their arms around their knees, like two 10-year-old boys, looking out at a dark and rainy world in sad wonder and confusion They both needed a hug, but guys don’t that in Aussie Rules, so they hugged themselves, and by proxy hugged each other They had both regressed to that earlier childhood time, and they stayed there in shared silence for quite a while Their sibling transference and countertransference, and their shared hurt, sadness and confusion helped them truly “be” with each other, separate on the bench by a centimetre, but together in being human There is not a better picture of a therapeutic encounter than that one To be is to be related The athlete, a bit later, said to Trevor, “Girls have it easy, they can just have a hug and a good cry.” It is heart-breaking, but in such a sweet way This beautiful transference and countertransference is only one example These processes can move beyond shared confusion and pain into the realm of the erotic 694 THE SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST’S HANDBOOK Erotic Transference and Countertransference Case Study Here is a story one can use with sport psychology students to illustrate erotic transference and countertransference Sport psychologists work with a great-looking population, usually dedicated, fit people, often very physically attractive To deny the erotic is to deny being human If any readers have ever worked on pool deck with swimmers and divers, the erotic atmosphere is obvious What does one with those erotic responses? Well, here is a tale of Jake and Johanna that is summarized from a previous in-depth case study (Andersen, 2005b) Jake was being supervised in an applied sport psychology practicum He was a former wrestler, short, with an asymmetrical, sort of goofy-cute face, with evidence of his wrestling career left on his ears He was intelligent, enthusiastic, hard-working, and seriously wanted to become a good sport psychologist His supervisor knew Jake had not had many positive experiences in the romantic area with women, and he had hopes that Jake would find a nice young woman and be able to offer her all the caring and love the supervisor could see inside him Jake was helping with a women’s volleyball team The supervisor had worked with the team doing group psychoeducational sessions, and he knew the members well Jake had been assisting in those sessions and was attending all the practices to get to know the squad Johanna was a player who showed great potential in practice, but in competition she had problems with anxiety that interfered with her performance She was tall, beautiful in body, and with a lovely spirit One day the supervisor was at practice, and she asked him if she could get some one-on-one sessions, and he suggested working with Jake She agreed and they arranged for them to meet In retrospect, unconscious processes were in operation The supervisor had a substantial parental countertransference to Jake, wanting the goofy guy to beat out all the other handsome male jocks and run away with the homecoming queen There was also a regressive identification with Jake in that the supervisor had been a goofy semi-jock swimmer himself, 30-plus years previously, and had resented the big handsome swimmers who got all the attention For Jake, his supervisor had turned into a matchmaker Jake and Johanna did some great work together, and her competition performance was improving About four weeks after they started working together the supervisor was at practice and Johanna came up to him and said, “Thanks so much for giving me Jake, he’s wonderful.” That phrase, “giving me Jake”, is a worrisome one Red flags should have been flying, but denial is a wonderful thing The supervisor was basking in his narcissistic interpretation that he was such a good supervisor, producing effective young sport psychologists He should have seen the erotic rearing its affectionate head, but self-delusion was one of his strong suits As stated, Johanna was gorgeous in body and soul and had probably been approached by men constantly Then there was Jake, a very proper young man, paying much attention to her, wanting the best for her, helping her in her sport with good results, and not even a trace of masculine swagger or hints of wanting seduce her What’s not to love? A good question to ask students is, “If you wanted to a really intelligent job of seducing someone, how would you behave?” Many of the IT’S ALL ABOUT SPORT PERFORMANCE AND SOMETHING ELSE 695 answers they come up with (e.g pay a lot of attention, communicate your interest and care, let the person know their happiness is your only agenda, have unconditional positive regard) sound suspiciously like what good psychologists Psychological service is designed, albeit not intentionally, for seduction A few weeks later, Johanna had a tremendous competition where her skills in play matched her practice performances The next day in supervision Jake said, “Did you see Johanna last night? She was awesome!” The supervisor directed the session to the issue of being in “awe” of clients and all that implies and how it might affect the quality of service delivery He ignored the erotic flavour of Jake’s awe Jake was smitten, and the supervisor stayed in denial About two days later, the supervisor received a phone call from Jake He sounded distressed and asked if they could have an extra supervision session immediately The supervisor was free, so he told Jake to come over at once Jake arrived, slumped in the comfortable supervisee chair, sighed hugely and said, “She kissed me.” Then, for the supervisor, all the pieces of the puzzle fell together Jake had been helping put away equipment after practice, and everyone had left the gym except Johanna She had walked up to him and said, “Thanks so much for everything You’re the best” and planted a kiss right on his lips, and then turned back to the locker room saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” The event was only about 20 minutes old, and Jake was still shaking Jake and his supervisor explored his responses to the kiss, and he was quite frank and honest when the supervisor asked about his first response He said, “I just wanted to rip our clothes off and it right there on the gym floor.” He was ashamed of that response The supervisor tried to help him move from shame to fascination “Of course you wanted to make love right there You are working with a wonderful young woman who thinks the world of you, and if I hadn’t been so blind, I should have seen this all coming, so your supervisor screwed up on this one.” The supervisor explained to Jake his countertranferential responses to him and his unconscious regressed fantasies about Jake getting the girl and how that blinded him to what was going on and all the signs he had missed The supervisor modelling his own fallibility with humour and self-acceptance helped Jake take a step back and see how complex, scary and fascinating this world of helping athletes is Now, what to about Johanna? No one gets out of this sort of situation without being hurt How was Jake going to talk to Johanna the next time he saw her, minimize the hurt and keep the working alliance viable? Jake and the supervisor spent a long time discussing how to go about his next encounter with Johanna They role-played several scenarios of the possible ways the meeting could go The story of how all that went is a long one, with a happy ending, and the details can be found in Andersen (2005b) The erotic is everywhere It is just that many sport psychologists, when talking with athlete-clients, have these lacunae in their vision “How awful, how awkward, if the athlete becomes attracted to the sport psychologist, or, God forbid, how unethical if the professional become attracted to them.” One could counter those negative responses with “How perfect! How much does that tell us about the person? How much about ourselves? And how much about the dynamics of the therapeutic sport psychology encounter?” The erotic opens up huge windows into the lives of sport psychologists and others, but when eyes are closed tightly, it is difficult to see anything 696 THE SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST’S HANDBOOK Connected to the story of Jake and Johanna is an issue that does not get addressed much in sport psychology, and that is the question of self-disclosure In some schools of psychotherapy, students are warned self-disclosure is a slippery slope that has the potential to feed therapist narcissistic needs and evoke unhealthy fantasies in the client and, thus, is to be avoided The classic rigid response to a client who asks about the therapist’s personal life is to turn the focus back on the client’s need to know things about the therapist and what that means When the client asks, “What did you get up to over the weekend?” the therapist may respond with, “Well, let’s examine why you want to know those things.” The assumption is that a neurotic transference is behind the question If a sport psychologist said that to his athletes, they might respond, “Oh, piss off” and go find a more human therapist Admittedly, self-disclosure can have negative countertransferential sources and serve the pathological narcissistic needs of the therapist or sport psychologist, but many requests for information are attempts to balance relationships, get closer to the sport psychologist, and help enhance the feeling that we are in this thing together (and promote the building of positive transference and countertransference) In working with students who are in training to become sport psychologists one should encourage them to keep building the relationship with their clients by answering their personal questions, and also self-disclose to their clients how their stories are affecting them That is what humans with each other; they transfer and countertransfer all the time Supervisors should the same with their students, modeling self-disclosure by letting them know what is going on with them in their interactions It is all about open, honest, and caring relationships A FINAL METAPHOR A useful metaphor in teaching future sport psychologists is that of a “gift” An athlete comes to a sport psychologist with a gift wrapped in a box In that box there are hopes, fears, dreams, desires, frustrations, secrets, joys and unhappiness The athlete can a lot of things with that gift He can keep it hidden in his pocket She can place it on her knee and talk about it, but never put it out on the table It is an odd package, this gift; it does not adhere to the laws of physics If the gift is opened, it can suddenly become quite large and scary, almost filling the room with threat and pain (e.g a history of sexual abuse) Or, it can, once it is opened, become quite small and manageable (e.g a misinterpretation of coach communication that can be easily resolved) Even so, the gift, and the giving of the gift to another usually involves some level of risk, and often the gift is set on the table but never opened fully and only talked about in a superficial (and safe) manner Sometime the gift has a card on it that says “performance”, but the contents say much more Too often sport psychologists only read the card or look at the colourful wrapping For example, the athlete may say, “I get so nervous before each match that I throw up every time.” Metaphorically, the athlete has made a small tear in the gift’s wrapping paper The sport psychologist then brings forth a bit of sticky tape (e.g relaxation exercises) and proceeds to repair the rip in the wrapping without actually taking the paper off and looking into the box to find what is behind the anxiety (e.g the horrible equation that good performance = good person, fears of losing parental love) When the rip in the wrapping is made by the athlete, the sport psychologist could also say, “OK, let’s slowly start to take the paper off this gift and see what there is here I’ll be with you all the way.” IT’S ALL ABOUT SPORT PERFORMANCE AND SOMETHING ELSE 697 The sport psychologist also has a gift (cf Yalom, 2003) And that gift contains her expert knowledge, her personality, her genuineness, care, empathy, appreciation for beauty, compassion for human frailty, the ability to handle the athlete’s gift with unconditional positive regard and, yes, even love The handling of both gifts between these two people can be a model for the finest there is in human relationships The core of the working alliance, the collaborative empiricism between athlete and sport psychologist, is how both these gifts are presented, examined and accepted This final point seems to be a good stopping place for this Afterword The editor and the contributors to this book deserve a great deal of thanks They are excellent practitioners who have been out there in the real world doing good work They have brought their experiences back from the locker rooms, pool decks and playing fields and have reported on what works and doesn’t work in applied service It takes some measure of courage to put oneself and one’s work out in the public domain for scrutiny Their efforts are much appreciated, and I believe this book will be used for years to come by students and practitioners alike REFERENCES Andersen, M.B (2004) Transference and countertransference In G.S Kolt & M.B Andersen (eds), Psychology in the Physical and Manual Therapies (pp 71–80) Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone Andersen, M.B (2005a) Coming full circle: from practice to research In M B Andersen (ed.), Sport Psychology in Practice (pp 287–298) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Andersen, M.B (2005b) Touching taboos: sex and the sport psychologist In M.B Andersen (ed.), Sport Psychology in Practice (pp 171–191) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Epstein L & Feiner A.H (1983) Countertransference: The Therapist’s Contribution to the Therapeutic Situation Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Freud, S (1912) The dynamics of transference In: J Strachey (ed and trans.), The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol 12 (pp 97–108) London: Hogarth Press Freud, S (1915) Observations on transference-love: further recommendations on the technique of psycho-analysis III In J Strachey (ed & trans.), The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol 12 (pp 157–173) London: Hogarth Press Gabbard, G.O (1995) Countertransference: The emerging common ground International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 76, 475–485 Greenson, R.R (1992) Countertransference In A Sugarman, R.A Nemiroff & R.R Greenson (eds), The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis, Volume II: A Memorial to Ralph R Greenson Madison, CT: International Universities Press Henschen, K (1991) Critical issues involving male consultants and female athletes The Sport Psychologist, 5, 313–321 Lane, F.M (1986) Transference and countertransference: definition of terms In H.C Meyers (ed.), Between Analyst and Patient: New Dimensions in Countertransference and Transference (pp 237–256) Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press Mann, J (1986) Transference and countertransference in brief psychotherapy In H.C Meyers (ed.), Between Analyst and Patient: New Dimensions in Countertransference and Transference (pp 119–129) Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press Meyers, H.C (ed.) (1986) Between Analyst and Patient: New Dimensions in Countertransference and Transference Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press Murphy, S.M (2000) Afterword In M.B Andersen (ed.), Doing Sport Psychology (pp 275–279) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics 698 THE SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST’S HANDBOOK Ogilvie, B.C (1993) Transference phenomena in coaching and teaching In S Serpa, J Alves, V Ferreira & A Paulo-Brito (eds), Proceedings of the VIII World Congress of the International Society of Sport Psychology (pp 262–266) Lisbon, Portugal: International Society of Sport Psychology Petitpas, A.J., Giges, B & Danish, S.J (1999) The sport psychologist-athlete relationship: implications for training The Sport Psychologist, 13, 344–357 Racker, H (1968) Transference and Countertransference London: Karnac Sexton, T.S & Whiston, S.C (1994) The status of the counseling relationship: an empirical review, theoretical implications, and research directions Counseling Psychologist, 22, 6–78 Stein, M.H (1986) Acting out—transference and countertransference: technical considerations In H.C Meyers (ed.), Between Analyst and Patient: New Dimensions in Countertransference and Transference (pp 63–75) Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press Strean, H (1994) Countertransference New York: Hawthorn Press Yalom, I.D (2003) The Gift of Therapy: Reflections on Being a Therapist London: Piatkus Yambor, J & Connelly, D (1991) Issues confronting female sport psychology consultants working with male student-athletes The Sport Psychologist, 5, 304–312 Index Accountability, 223–25 Achievement Goal Theory and Coaching, 30–33 Goal Orientations, 30–31 Motivational Climate, 31–33 Activation, 467–69 Activity regulation, 653 American Coach Effectiveness Program (ACEP), 21 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), 436, 593 Anger, 163 Anxiety In archery, 553 In athletics, 274 In athletes with disabilities, 673 In gymnastics, 643, 647–48 In handball, 223–25, In motorcycling, 535 Applied Learning Programmes (ALPs), 9–14 Clinical ALP, 12–14 Field ALP, 9–12 Arousal, 72, 141 Control and Direction, 72 In archery, 553 In athletics, 275 In golf, 307–9 Association of Natural Bodybuilders, 618 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), 504 Athletics events, 265–69 Athlete’s Psychological Level, 6–8 Attention Focussing in motorcycling, 536 In archery, 557–58 In athletics, 275 In fitness activities, 608 In golf, 305–7 In gymnastics, 653 Styles, 466 Attitude, 410–11, 459 Attribution, 72 Training, 72 Beach observations, 515–16 Behavioural approaches, 600–3 Behaviourally-Anchored Rating Scales (BARS), 99 Biomechanical Cues, 509–10 “Blank mind” exercises, 536 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), 560 Bodybuilding lifestyle, 620–22 Body image, 596 Body Mass Index (BMI), 438 Body perception, 596 Body satisfaction, 596 British Horse Society, 574 Burnout In basketball, 128 In bodybuilding, 622–23 Catastrophe Theory, 555 Categories in motorcycling, 530–31 Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), 590 Child sport, 361 Clinical Applied Learning Programme (Clinical ALP), 12–14 Coach-athlete Interactions, 25 Coach Effectiveness Training (CET), 21–24 Coach the Coach, 487–89 Coaching Principles and Procedures, 24–30 Achievement Goal Theory, 30–33 Adjustments, 377 Rules, 488 Coaching Behaviour Assessment System, 23 Cognitive control skills, 606–8 Communication skills, 538, 679–80 Competition Card, 280 Competition simulation, 653 Competitiveness, 359 Competitive stress, 274 Competitive structure, 529–34 In archery, 561–63 In bodybuilding, 624–26 In dressage, show jumping and polo, 570–71 Concentration In athletics, 275 In bodybuilding, 633–35 700 Concentration (Continued ) In football, 141 In golf, 305–7 In motorcycling, 535 In sailing and windsurfing, 464–67 With disabled athletes, 672 Confidence In archery, 558–59 In baseball, 170–72 In golf, 309–11 In gymnastics, 644, 651 In martial arts, 359 In wrestling, 389 Intervention, 83–84 Loss of, 125–26 Consistency, 172–77 Consulting/Consultation individual/team, 129–33 In basketball, 129–33 In rowing, 489–99 Contingent Negative Variation (CNV), 628 Control, 579–81 Controllables, 669–70 COPE Model, 103, 105–7, 369–70 Coping behaviours, 396–97 Counselling Process, 101–14 Athlete’s personal needs, 103 Brief Interventions, 105–6 Case Study, 106–7 Environmental Conditions, 104 Ethical Issues, 112–14 Interviews and Sessions, 104–5 Referral Process, 108–9 Relationships and trust, 102–3 Countertransfering phenomena, 691–96 Cricket batting, 247–52 Critical Action Response Strategy (CARS), 190 Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD), 423 Critical Response Time, 219–21 Cue Controlled Relaxation (CCR), 648 Cues in surf, 509–13 Cycling events, 326–28 Debriefing, 490–93 In surf, 522–23 Model, 491–93 Decision making, 538–39 Decision theory, 598 Deep breath, 169–70, 397, 647–48 Desired shooting form, 550 Disabled athletes Factors for working with, 675–78 Principles of consulting with, 678-81 Disordered eating, 440–41, 645–46 Dressage, 575–78 Drugs, 347 INDEX Earned Run Average (ERA), 161 Eating disorder interventions, 655–58 Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), 440 Economic factor, 533 Educational approach, 606, 655 Effectiveness, 688–96 Electroencephalography (EEG), 627 Electromyographs (EMG’s), 550, 557, 560 Emotional control, 415–417, 537–38, 608–9 Emotional Outbursts, 127 Emotional skills, 408 Emotionality, 576 Empathy, 680 Enjoyment, 434–35 EPO, 347 Erotic transference and countertransference, 694–96 Ethics, 361 European Federation of Sport Psychology (FEPSAC), 45 Excellence, 78–80 Characteristics, 79–80 Exercise adherence, 601–2 Exercise behaviour – theories and models, 597–600 Expertise, 78–80, In batting, 250–52 External circumstances, 161–62 Family and expertise, 48–49 Athletic Family, 39, 56–58 Behaviour, 43–44 Involvement, 45–48 In motorcycling, 533 Parental Pressure, 42 Sport Parenting, 44–48 System, 49–51, 55–56 With an Athlete, 39, 56–58 Family Assessment Device, 55 Family Assessment Measure, 55 Family Environment Scale, 55 Family-Related Practice, 51–55 Case Studies, 51–55 Fatigue, 163 Fear, 162–63 In baseball, 166 In cycling, 335–40 In gymnastics, 644–45, 654–55 Feedback, 681 Field Applied Learning Programme (Field ALP), 9–12 FIFA, 140 Figure Skate, Structures, 428–33 Competition Structures, 430–33 Testing Structures, 429–30 INDEX Fitness activities, 589–93 Fitness activity pyramid, 591–92 Fitness and health, 590–91 Fitness psychology, 593–94 Fitness psychology theories/research, 595–605 Flow State, 72, 188, 221 Focus, 168–69, In gymnastics, 643 Focused baseball.com, 178–81 Football coach interventions, 145–46 Direct, 145–46 Indirect, 145–46 Frustration, 163 Game simulation, 204–5 Gamer, 164–66 German Rowing Association, 487 Giro de Italia, 326 Global Performance Evaluation, 539–40 Goal Orientations, 30 Goal-Setting, 72, 81–82, 314, 461–64, 606–7, 630–33, 653, 670 Golf Performance Survey (GPS), 319 GP motorcycling/motorbikes, 530–31 Grand Prix, 529 Grass-roots football, 142–44 Group cohesion, 275 Group dynamics, 146 Gymnastics events/basics, 643 Hall of Fame, 122, 172 Harmony, 575–78 Health, 361 Health Belief Model, 597 Heart rate patterns, 555–56 Horse sense, 571–72 Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Humour, 134 Ice Dancing, 432–33 Ideal performance state, 183, 188–89 Imagery, 82–83, 331 In archery, 559 In bodybuilding, 627–29 In figure skating, 447–49 In fitness activities, 608 In golf, 316–18 In gymnastics, 649–51, 653 In motorcycling, 537 In sailing and windsurfing, 470–71 In wrestling, 389 Intervention, 82–83 Injury in basketball, 128–29 in figure skaters, 441–42 Intensity in cycling, 329–31 701 Internal circumstances, 162–63 International Rowing Federation (FISA), 489 International Skating Union (ISU), 428 Interventions in Sport, 63–70 Assessment, 66–68, 89 Definition, 64 Diagnosis, 89 Effectiveness, 90–92 Future of, 133–34 Models, 68–69 Performance Enhancement, 80–86 Planning, 66–68, 377, 514 Purpose, 64–66 Skill Acquisition, 72–78 Special Interventions, 65 Specific, 422–24, 442–51 Teams and groups, 85–86 Uses/Misuses, 69–70 Inverted-U Hypothesis/Notion, 554 IZOF Model (Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning), 554 Macro cycle, 272 Manual of Equitation, 574 Marketing, 14 Martial arts (forms of), 354–56 Judo, 355 Karate, 354–55 Kendo, 355 Kickboxing, 355 Taekwondo, 355–56 Measures, 96–101 Behavioural, 97–99 Cognitive/Affective, 97 Outcome, 96 Media, 142 Men’s eight (rowing), 484–87 Mental game, 159 Mental “road map”, 513 Mental Peak Performance, 3, Mental Plan, 103, 366 Mental Preparation Strategy (PREP), 172–76 Mental rehearsal, 470–71, 505, 674–75 Mental relaxation, 648–49 Mental states, 287–89 Mental toughness, 163–77, 183–84, 187, 196 In baseball, 163–77 In martial arts, 358 In rugby, 183–84, 187, 196 Mental Training/Skills, 4–5 In athletics, 275–76 In Figure Skating, 444–49 In Ice Hockey, 407 In tennis, 289–98 In wrestling, 377–80 Micro cycle, 271 702 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), 94 Monthly cycle, 271 Mood words, 394–95 Moral reasoning, 45, 361 Motivation, 72 In athletics, 274 In handball, 216–17 In martial arts, 257–58 In rugby, 206–7 Motivational Climate, 31–33 Multidimensional Anxiety Theory, 554 National Amateur Bodybuilding Association, 618 National Basketball Association (NBA), 122 National Coach Training Programs, 20–21 National Hockey League (NHL), 404, 405, 406 National Institutes of Health (NIHs), 113 National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA), 21 Negative Approach, 26 Negative thoughts, 163, 644, 651 Objectives In motorcycling, 538 OMSAT, 412 Optimism, 133–34 In golf, 313 In martial arts, 358–59 Optimum Arousal Level, 535 Overall Model of Fitness Behavior, 594 Overtraining In cycling, 340–45 In bodybuilding, 622–33 Pain, 226–28 In cycling, 331–35 In rugby, 226–28 Paralympic Games, 665 Parental Pressure, 42 Parents, 659 Peak Height Velocity (PHV), 436 Peak performance, 189 Profile, 192–95 Skills worksheet, 192–93 The eight C’s, 189 Performance profiling, 187, 461–63 Performance criteria, 575, 578–79, 581–82 PETTLEP Model, 629–30 Physical Self Description Questionnaire (PSDQ), 439, 596 Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP), 595 Polo, 581–83 Positive Coaching Alliance, 21 INDEX Positron emission tomography (PET), 627 Practice Session Coaching Performance Assessment Form (PSCPAF), 383–85 Pre-heat Checklist, 517 Pre-heat Surf, 516–17 Pre-performance routine/plans, 75–77, 652–53 Pressure, 125, 141, 187, 513 Problem Solving, Program for Athletic Coaches Education (PACE), 21 Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), 648 Psychological barriers, 267 Psychological demands, 142–45, 214–15 In archery, 553–61 In bodybuilding, 620–26 In dressage, show jumping and polo, 570–75 In fitness activities, 593–94 In football, 142–45 In golf, 304–18 In gymnastics, 643–47 In handball, 214–15 In motorcycling, 534–40 Psychological flexibility, 221–23 Psychological Guidance and Intervention Programme (PGIP), 8–9 Psychological guidance in football, 145–53 with coaches, 145–46 with directors, 149–50 with other staff members, 151–53 with parents, 147–49 with players, 146–47 with physical trainers, 147 with referees, 150–51 Psychological Intervention Levels, 6–8 Basic Mental Skills Training, 6–7 Mental Peak Performance, 6–8 Solution of athletes’ problems, 6–7 Psychological Intervention/Counselling Types, Clinical intervention, Field Intervention, On-line Intervention, 5, 132–33 Mixed Model, 5, 156–57 Psychological Peak Performance Training, Psychological preparation Competition, 278–83, 297–98, 367–70, 385–98, 392–98, 420–22, 473–74, 543–44 Match time, 237–40 Plans, 296–298, 473–74 Post-match/competition, 240–42, 298, 370–72 Pre-competition, 234–37, 296–97, 361–67, 386–92, 506–14, 541–43, 652–53, 671–72 INDEX Pre-season, 228–31, 418 Training environment, 231–34, 276–78, 380–85, 540–41 Psychological skills Assessment, 191–92 Training programme (PST), 183, 189–91, 201–7, 595, 605–10, 626–35, 647–53, 667–75 Psychosocial pro-ways of thinking, 45 Psychosocial processes, 45 Punishment, 600 Rapport, 680 Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour Theories, 598 Recovery, 340–41, 498–99 Recovery-stress Questionnaire for Athletes, 499 Referees, 141 Reinforcement, 600 Relapse prevention model, 605 Relaxation, 467–69, 494–95, 670–71 Restricted Environmental Simulation Technique (REST), 560 Reversal Theory/Model, 555 Rider-motorbike interaction, 532 Rider-team interaction, 532–33 Risk assumption, 536 Risk reduction strategies, 656–58 Risky situations, 273, 528 Role Playing, 12 Routines, 176–78 In baseball, 176–78 In wrestling, 388–89, 391–92 Royal Yachting Association (RYA), 457, 459, 460 Rushing, 509 RYA “World Class” programmes, 459 World Class Potential, 459 World Class Start, 459 Season, 153–57 Planning in athletics, 271–73 Planning in sailing and windsurfing, 475 Planning in wrestling, 377 Psychological planning/evaluation, 153–55, 417–20 Psychological preparation of training and competitions, 155–57 Self-belief, 519 Self-confidence In athletics, 274–75 In motorcycling, 539 Self-control In football, 141 In martial arts, 359 Self-determination theory, 598 703 Self-discipline, 225–26 Self-monitoring, 449–50 Self-monitoring Checklists (SMCs), 99, 365 Self-talk, 169, 331 In figure skaters, 445 In fitness activities, 608 In golf, 311–14 In gymnastics, 653 In martial arts, 368 In rowing, 496–98 In surfing, 505, 518–19 In wrestling, 387, 395–396 Self-perception/concept, 595–97 Self-reflection, 681 Sensory feedback, 450–51 Seven Rs, hockey refocusing plan, 413–15 Skate Canada, 428 Skating Programs, 445–47 Blueprinting, 445–46 Floor Walkouts, 446–47 Skills, 66, 72–75 Acquisition, 72–74 Basketball, 123–24 Cricket, 252–59 Development, 73–74 Facilitative, 188, 190 Foundation, 188, 190 Ice Hockey, 405–17 Performance, 188, 190 Rugby, 189–92 Tennis, 289–98 Wrestling, 377–80 Show jumping, 578–81 SMART Goals, 463–64 Social cognitive theories, 598–99 Social cohesion, 197–99 Social influences, 270–71 Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), 596 Social support, 603–4 “Soft Athletes”, Specific Psychological Interventions, 422–23 Sport Parenting, 44–48 Sport Psychologist, 64 Role, 64, 124–29, 247 Strategies Behavioural, 364–66 Cognitive, 362–64 Competition, 392–98, 473–74 Stress Management, 72, 190 In athletics, 274 In figure skaters, 434–35 In fitness activities, 609–10 Training, 103 Subjective Scale of Mental Toughness, Surf manoeuvres, 506–9 704 Surf Psychologist, 505 Synchronized Skating, 431–32 Tactical thinking, 505, 517–18 Talent, 144, 442–43 TARGET, 32 Target Panic, 562–63 Task cohesion, 199–201 Task relevant thinking, 393–94 Teach road map, 514 Team-building, 85–86, 131–32, 196–201, 659 Interventions, 86, 196–201 Team performance, 196 In polo, 582–83 Roles in cycling, 345–46 Structure in motorcycling, 534 Team profiling, 200–201 Team Spirit, 486–87 Teamwork, 471–73 Technical jargon, 528 Technical thinking, 505, 507–9 Technical training, 528 Temper, 127 Testing, 92–96 Psychometric, 93 Self-reports, 92 Trait and State, 99–101 Use/Misuse, 93–96 Validity/Reliability, 92 Thinking rugby, 183, 207 INDEX “Tough Athletes”, Thought Replacement, 649 Thought Stoppage, 537 Thought Stopping, 635, 648 Tour de France, 326, 328, 335, 336 Trainee Sport Psychologist, 9–13 Transfering phenomena, 691–96 Transtheoretical Model, 604–5, 610–11 Trust, 680 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), 336 United Status Figure Skating Association (USFSA), 428 US Department of Health and Human Services, 590, 593 Victim, 164–65 Video simulation, 256 Virtual surfing, 516 Visual Perceptual Skills, 256–57 Visualization, 167–168, 470–71 Vuelta a España, 326 Websites Basketball, 135 Golf, 320 Health and fitness, 590 World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), 347 World Health Organisation (WHO), 590 World Motorcycling Federation, 530 ... The Sport Psychologist’s Handbook A Guide for Sport- Specific Performance Enhancement The Sport Psychologist’s Handbook A Guide for Sport- Specific Performance Enhancement Edited by Joaqu´n... was awarded the Luther Halsey Gulick Medal from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in 2004 Dr Bunker was the 2001–2002 AAHPERD Alliance Scholar,... Houston Astros professional baseball organisation and has served as a team counsellor for the Seattle Mariners He has also served as a training consultant to the Oakland Athletics Baseball Club and