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Career tracking in sport and performance psychology (SPP) is critical in understanding how to best prepare students for careers in the field. Currently, there is little information regarding how SPP professionals progress throughout their career. The present study expanded upon a quantitative project (Fitzpatrick et al., 2016) that explored the experiences of SPP graduate students in the United States transitioning from graduate school into their early career. Analysis of qualitative data (n = 13) resulted in four themes: personal characteristics, reflections on education, experiences seeking and gaining employment, and perceptions of the field of SPP. Exploration of participants' experiences offers insight into how graduate programs can best prepare students for career transitions and reinforces the need for continued exploration of SPP professionals' progression throughout their career.

In endurance sports, there is one element that all athletes who wish to excel must confront ... exertion pain. The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the nature and effects of the cognitive strategies former Olympic cyclists used to cope with exertion pain during performance. Nine participants were asked to describe exertion pain and how they managed it. Two hundred twenty-two quotes formed the basis for the analysis. The quotes were coalesced to six higher-order themes. The following conclusions were extracted from the themes: (1) the degree of pain was purely a perception, (2) pain varied depending upon the satisfaction the athlete received from the experience when all physiological variables were held constant, (3) cognitive skills such as goal setting, imagery, and positive self-talk were routinely used, (4) the mind and body were viewed as a dualism when performing, (5) pain was a positive experience and part of sport and an individual's identity, and (6) riding in a position of control tended to lessen the perception of pain. The results revealed that former Olympic cyclists used a myriad of cognitive strategies to cope with endurance pain while training and competing and that all of them attended to the pain rather than attempting to ignore it., In endurance sports, there is one element that all athletes who wish to excel must confront ... pain. There are three types of pain: emotional, injury related, and pain as [...]

The models of practice of four sport psychology consultants (Jon Metzler, Mark Aoyagi, Alex Cohen, and Artur Poczwardowski) are presented. While each model is distinct, collectively they illustrate the benefits of theoretically-grounded foundations to practice. The practitioners represented derive their models from multiple disciplines associated with sport psychology. Pure Performance emphasizes precise definitions of key terms and components while utilizing deliberate practice to develop authentic skills. Mental FITness is based on focus, inspiration, and trust to conceptualize and facilitate performance excellence. The P.A.C.E. model incorporates Perception, Activation, Concentration, and Execution and applies these elements to Performance Readiness Planning. The “5 Rs” model comprises Respond, Release, Replay, Recharge, and Refocus. The models are presented here for the purpose of demonstrating the breadth with which performance excellence can be conceptualized and facilitated. Implications for practitioners include examples of how theory guides the development of service delivery programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of functionally equivalent imagery on absolute and explosive force production. Twenty five male subjects were asked to make three visits to the lab. The first visit consisted of familiarization with the equipment and procedures. During the following two visits, the subjects completed a countermovement jump (CMJ) and a mid-thigh isometricpull under control or experimental conditions. For the experimental condition, the subjects listened to a 30-sec specific imagery script immediately preceding the tasks. For the control condition, the subjects read a passage on the sliding filament theory for 30 sec immediately preceding the tasks. Results demonstrated that ground reaction force in the isometric-pull was significantly greater than the control, but there was no significant difference in the CMJ performance. The isometric-pull was a novel task for most subjects. Therefore, imagery may have allowed subjects to rehearse and become familiar with the new movement as well as increased motivation and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]