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The authors review the historical context of sport psychology to explore the present state of sport psychology and make suggestions for the future of the field. The origins of sport psychology are rooted in efforts to improve athletic performance. However, the label "sport psychology" has been used to describe two different service delivery models: performance enhancement and therapy with athletes. Presently, advancements have been made in terms of organizational structure, but there has been little impact on the applied profession. In order to advance the profession, protect the public, and resolve confusion, sport psychology is examined. The authors identify performance excellence as the unique aspect of sport psychology and propose the field be identified as "performance psychology." In order to practice performance psychology competently, four areas of training are identified: (a) performance excellence, (b) mental health counseling, (c) consulting psychology, and (d) performance specialty domain(s). Finally, the authors recommend that a licensure specific to performance psychology be developed.In many significant ways sport psychology has been ahead of its time. When psychology was largely focused on pathology, sport psychology identified growth and psychological enhancement as worthy goals. When physical education was trying to isolate motor pattems, sport psychology expanded to mind-body connections. When academic departments were becoming increasingly specialized and segregated, sport psychology established interdisciplinary collaborations.Yet, in many significant ways sport psychology has lagged behind the times. While psychology distinguished itself from the medical field and established its own licensure and accreditation, sport psychology is still searching for its own unique identity. While physical education evolved into sport science and created applied professions, such as certified strength and conditioning coach and certified athletic trainer; sport psychology is struggling to identify and gain widespread acceptance in its target markets.

Ethical principles developed for clinical/counseling psychologists are a useful, but incomplete, guide for sport and performance psychology (SPP) practitioners. Positive and virtue ethics are introduced to the SPP ethical literature as an additional resource. Positive ethics focus on practitioners' reaching their fullest potential rather than avoiding risk (Knapp & VanDeCreek, 2006). Virtue ethics emphasize the character of the professional rather than situational variables (Newman, Robinson-Kurpius, & Fuqua, 2002). The context in which SPP practice occurs is described and commonly resulting ethical dilemmas are identified. The aspects of SPP context explored are: the domain of performance, SPP settings, SPP interventions, and expectations. The ethical issues discussed are: multiple relationships (including boundaries and dual agency), confidentiality, and self-regulation. Drawing from positive and virtue ethics as well as small community and military psychology, advice for managing the issues is provided. The inclusion of character and fitness requirements in training programs is explored to address the selfgovernance necessitated by the professional isolation of SPP practitioners. Suggestions for future professional practice and research are offered.

Competition, a topic closely associated with outstanding performance, continues to be a contentious topic ( Bonta, 1997 ; Murayama & Elliot, 2012a , 2012b ), particularly in the realm of education and schooling ( D. W. Johnson & Johnson, 1987 , 2009 ). Is competition a useful or detrimental strategy for promoting outstanding performance? Does competition contribute positively to performance or should it be avoided? In this article, we took on the challenge of exploring the relationship between competition and high performance and making recommendations about how competition can be used in promoting adaptive youth development. We begin by defining competition and outstanding performance. We then discuss competition in the context of the positive psychology movement, followed by brief reviews of literature showcasing how competition is related to enhanced performance in sport, organizational settings, and academic domains. Next, we discuss competition's relationship to creativity. The article closes with a discussion of the implications of this work for practice and research. It is our hope that this work will result in increased attention to high performance psychology as an important focus for scholarship and application in a wide range of arenas, from schools and the workplace to athletic and artistic venues.

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