The Sport Psychology Consultant: Analysis of Critical Components as Viewed by Canadian Olympic Athletes

Orlick, Terry; Partington, John T.

doi:10.1123/tsp.1.1.4

Cited by 106 publications

(56 citation statements)

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“…They also acknowledged the problems of reflective practice when conducted alone: that the practitioner is limited by their own self-knowledge and does not have the resource of another trusted, well-intentioned and skilled practitioner to offer challenge and support. Petitpas et al (1999) outlined the importance of self-awareness in the practitioner-athlete relationship in successful sport psychology delivery, supported by previous research (Danish, 1985;Orlick & Partington, 1987). They advocated the importance of self-knowledge and the examination of many of the assumptions that practitioners hold about themselves and the world.…”

Section: The Importance Of Self-awarenessmentioning

confidence: 73%

Countertransference and the Self-Aware Sport Psychologist: Attitudes and Patterns of Professional Practice

Winstone

Gervis

2006

The Sport Psychologist

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The literature in psychotherapy and sport psychology has supported the importance of self-awareness and countertransference management (Ellis, 2001;Leahy, 2001;Van Raalte & Andersen, 2000) and its applicability in all psychological settings (Hayes, 2004). This study was an audit of (n = 58) accredited UK sport psychology practitioners that explored the importance they attached to self-awareness and their behavior in practice that supported the management of these concerns. Results indicated that practitioners regarded self-insight and self-integration as important (Mdn = 4), but relied upon themselves and informal peer networks rather than regular supervision for professional support. Most practitioners never (Mdn=1) used counseling or therapy for personal support. Recommendations are made for piloting post-accreditation professional supervision in sport psychology and developing the provision of general counseling and sport psychology sessions for trainees.There have been growing concerns within sport psychology that the traditional approach to research and practice has paid "maximal attention to the intervention (treatment) and minimal attention to the human deliverer of that intervention" (Andersen, 2000, p. xiv). In marked contrast, the literature and training in psychotherapy and counseling has paid considerable attention to developing self-aware practitioners through training, individual counseling, and ongoing supervision throughout professional practice (Hayes, 2004;Leahy, 2001;Rowan & Jacobs, 2002). While the sport psychology literature has supported the notion of a selfaware sport psychologist, there has been no evidence to date that has informed us how sport psychologists develop and maintain their self-awareness in professional practice.

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Section: The Importance Of Self-awarenessmentioning

confidence: 73%

Countertransference and the Self-Aware Sport Psychologist: Attitudes and Patterns of Professional Practice

Winstone

Gervis

2006

The Sport Psychologist

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“…The participants suggested that getting this balance between intervening and being in the background is not PREPARING ATHLETES AND TEAMS FOR THE OLYMPICS 28 always straightforward, and does develop with experience. It is important for neophyte practitioners to learn this lesson, since athletes and coaches have suggested that the best sport psychology consultants are knowledgeable enough to meet an individual's needs, yet can implement interventions in an applied and flexible manner, identifying when support is necessary (Orlick & Partington, 1987;Statler, 2001). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing athletes and teams for the Olympic Games: Experiences and lessons learned from the world's best sport psychologists

Arnold

Sarkar

2014

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

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As part of an increased effort to understand the most effective ways to psychologically prepare athletes and teams for Olympic competition, a number of sport psychology consultants have offered best-practice insights into working in this context. These individual reports have typically comprised anecdotal reflections of working with particular sports or countries; therefore, a more holistic approach is needed so that developing practitioners can have access to -and utilise -a comprehensive evidence-base. The purpose of this paper is to provide a panel-type article, which offers lessons and advice for the next generation of aspiring practitioners on preparing athletes and teams for the Olympic Games from some of the world's most recognised and experienced sport psychologists. The sample comprised 15 sport psychology practitioners who, collectively, have accumulated over 200 years of firsthand experience preparing athletes and/or teams from a range of nations for six summer and five winter Olympic Games. Interviews with the participants revealed 28 main themes and 5 categories: Olympic stressors, success and failure lessons, top tips for neophyte practitioners, differences within one's own consulting work, and multidisciplinary consulting. It is hoped that the findings of this study can help the next generation of sport psychologists better face the realities of Olympic consultancy and plan their own professional development so that, ultimately, their aspirations to be the world's best can become a reality. Winning an Olympic gold medal is typically recognised as the ultimate accolade of a successful athletic career and arguably the most demanding challenge an athlete can pursue (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012;Gould, Dieffenbach, & Moffett, 2002). This is, in part, due to the unique occurrence of the Olympics which takes place only once every four years. It is this infrequency of the event, combined with its magnitude and the globalisation of the sport industry, that ensures worldwide interest in and fascination with athletes' performances. This intense scrutiny, however, brings with it enormous pressure and only those who can manage the stress that accompanies sport at this level will be successful. It is no surprise, then, that there has been an increased effort to understand the most effective ways to psychologically prepare athletes and teams for Olympic competition (see e.g. Gould & Maynard, 2009).Over the past three decades, there has been a growth in the number of sport psychologists helping athletes and teams prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Furthermore, research on the individual consultants has provided insight into different philosophies when working with Olympic athletes and teams, including an educational mental skills approach (Halliwell, 1989), a broad spectrum systems theory approach (May & Brown, 1989), and a preventative medicine model approach (Murphy & Ferrante, 1989).Although the sport psychology literature has greatly increased our best-practice knowledge of the most effective w...

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“…Within the introduction, the researcher explained the purpose of the investigation, the format of the interview and how the results might be used. The questions contained within the protocol were based upon those used by Orlick and Partington (1987) to evaluate consultant services and covered four general areas: (1) knowledge and awareness of sport psychology (e.g. When did you first hear about the use of sport psychology within soccer?…”

Section: Interview Schedulementioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and perceptions of sport psychology within English soccer

Pain¹,

Harwood²

2004

Journal of Sports Sciences

112

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The aim of the present study was to examine knowledge and perceptions of applied sport psychology within English soccer. National coaches (n = 8), youth academy directors (n = 21) and academy coaches (n = 27) were surveyed using questionnaire and interview methods. Questionnaire results revealed a lack of knowledge of sport psychology that appeared to underpin some of the most significant barriers to entry for sport psychologists. These included lack of clarity concerning the services of a sport psychologist, problems fitting in and players' negative perceptions of sport psychology. Overall, however, lack of finance was the highest rated barrier. Six barrier dimensions emerged from the interview data: negative perceptions of psychology, lack of sport psychology knowledge, integrating with players and coaching staff, role and service clarity, practical constraints, and perceived value of sport psychology. These findings were broadly compatible with the survey data, with finance emerging as a major barrier and misconceptions of sport psychology being common. Our conclusions are discussed in relation to the practical implications of the study for both applied research and the provision of sport psychology services within English soccer.

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The Sport Psychology Consultant: Analysis of Critical Components as Viewed by Canadian Olympic Athletes

Cited by 106 publications

References 1 publication

Countertransference and the Self-Aware Sport Psychologist: Attitudes and Patterns of Professional Practice

Countertransference and the Self-Aware Sport Psychologist: Attitudes and Patterns of Professional Practice

Preparing athletes and teams for the Olympic Games: Experiences and lessons learned from the world's best sport psychologists

Knowledge and perceptions of sport psychology within English soccer

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