An Examination of the Experiences of Practitioners Delivering Sport Psychology Services within English Premier League Soccer Academies

Abstract

Sport psychology has become increasingly recognized and accepted within professional sports, including soccer. To date, there is a lack of research that examines the provision of sport psychology within elite soccer, particularly from the experience of applied practitioners working within the field. The current study adopted a qualitative, inductive approach, to examine the experiences of practitioners responsible for sport psychology delivery within elite soccer academies in England. Seven participants (four females; three males), working within academies in the English Premier League, took part in semi-structured interviews about their experience of delivering sport psychology services within elite soccer academies. Results demonstrated that the provision of sport psychology is continually evolving, yet there are a number of factors that appear to inhibit the full integration of the discipline into academy soccer. Six key themes were identified: The breadth of sport psychology provision; what is sport psychology; the stigma surrounding sport psychology services; psychological literacy; the elite youth soccer environment; and the delivery of sport psychology under the Elite Player Performance Plan. Participants identified a lack of psychological literacy among coaches and academy staff, as well as a low level of guidance regarding the provision of psychology within the England Football Association’s guiding document—the Elite Player Performance Plan—leading to considerable variation in the nature of the sport psychology provision. Future research would do well to also sample from a range of staff working within English soccer academies, in order to assess their perception of the level of provision and understanding of psychology.

A Typology of Martial Arts Scholar–Practitioners: Types, Transitions, and Tensions in Capoeira

“…Indeed, there tend to be different types of martial artists engaging in research and various forms of researchers engaging in martial arts, but very often, this entails an overlap: What has become known as the scholar-practitioner examined in this special edited collection on Sport, Physical Culture, and Education. We can first breakdown the notion of the practitioner, which differs to how the term is used elsewhere, as in "a sport psychology practitioner" [1,2] or "a sport coaching practitioner" [3]. Martial artists often refer to themselves as practitioners because of the fact that they are chiefly concerned with practicing their evolving skill sets towards the endless goal of technical mastery.…”

“…Sara Delamont is an example of a supportive scholar. Despite not actively participating in training, in the course of her research process, Sara has been welcomed by the Capoeira community, receiving a nickname (doutora/doctor) from the master, Claudio Campos (the "Achilles" character in her earlier publications) 1 . She has become involved in marginal but fundamental Capoeira practices such as singing and clapping at rodas-the famous circle involving singing, clapping, and chanting in unison to raise the axe (atmospheric vibe or energy) of the game of Capoeira.…”

Special Issue “Talent Identification and Development in Youth Sports”

“…Furthermore, several studies included in our Special Issue suggest that future directions should consider longitudinal tracking of interacting factors [26], such as the quantity, quality, and type of practice during sport participation [27], as well as monitoring biological maturation [28,29], physical performance [30,31], technical skills [32], and psychological profiles [33,34]. Evaluating how stakeholders communicate and implement these theoretical findings into applied settings will also be important for future research to ensure they are adequately deployed (e.g., [35][36][37]). Finally, it is vital for future research to consider the contextual and methodological implications of COVID-19 in youth sport (see [38] for an overview), since the immediate, short-term, and the long-term impact of a global pandemic on the identification and development of young athletes remains relatively unknown and could have enduring consequences [39].…”

Analysis of the Sports Psychological Profile, Competitive Anxiety, Self-Confidence and Flow State in Young Football Players

“…In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the significance of developing psychological skills in athletes, as they constitute a fundamental element in achieving athletic success and advancement [ 1 ]. These skills empower athletes to adapt more effectively to competitive environments, even in high-stress and anxiety-inducing situations [ 2 , 3 ].…”