Book Description
Athletes' physiques and conditioning levels have advanced significantly in the past decade. Now, it's time for their mental prowess to catch up.

The Sport Psych Handbook makes significant performance improvement possible through training the mind to parallel the body's enhanced development. Experts covering each facet of the mental game present research-based, field-tested approaches to enhance individual and team performance. More specifically, this comprehensive guide will give athletes breakthrough methods to do the following:

· Optimize inner drive for training and competition· Maintain emotional and mental control for unwavering focus· Improve communication skills for better leadership and teamwork· Avoid and overcome slumps, injuries, and other challenges to a successful season

Complement your physical skills with sharper mental skills. Make The Sport Psych Handbook part of your training arsenal, and start performing to your potential. ... Read more

Book Description
Edited by Joan L. Duda, PhD, this text provides a comprehensive review of measurement approaches within sport and exercise psychology. Over 50 of the world's leading experts in the field contribute to chapters addressing the historical, theoretical, and methodological foundations of existent measures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

metal skills
attentio ... Read more

Book Description
MACH 4 WILL ENHANCE YOUR PERFORMANCE AND CHANGE YOUR LIFEThe MACH 4 Mental Training SystemTM is unique because it teaches how to develop empowering relationships between parents, coaches, and athletes: how to produce an independent, strong, and confident athlete; and how to create a powerful partnership between the mind and the body. Incorporating this easy, fast, fun System into your practice sessions will give you the mental edge to win. Imagine being able to train the mind while training technique. MACH 4 is most powerful when things are not going your way. It keeps you strong and confident in the face of adversity. MACH 4 helps you learn how to eliminate the emotions that cause you to lose. Train with MACH 4, and you will never give away "free points" again. Is there any better way to prepare for athletic competition? If you agree with me, then Mach 4 is the training System for you! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Winning the Mind Game
Review from
The Hypnotherapy Association Journal, December 2003

Winning The Mind Game
By John Edgette and Tim Rowan
Crown House Publishing Limited, Published September 2003

There is no doubt about the fact that during the past decade, hypnotherapy has certainly gained momentum and acceptance and has earned its place in the health care of many people.Techniques are used in a wide variety of problems many of them emotional and medical, but not exclusively so.Hypnosis is a valuable tool that can be used quickly and effectively to create influencing strategies in the subconscious mind to create lasting change within the patient.This can be to reduce anxiety or fight phobias.More and more it is also found to be an invaluable tool in the preparation of sportsmen.It can promote lasting changes within the athlete.

This exciting book contains a wide range of interventions that can be used by the therapist with sportsmen as individuals or as teams to enhance performance, etc.It includes: a clear step-by-step guide for working with sportsmen; a guide to using hypnosis with groups and teams; transcripts of proven successful interventions; detailed case studies; and details on how to promote this side of your business.It is a book ideal for anyone who works with sportsmen and teams with professionally or as a hobby.It also is an excellent guide to anyone who is already in the business of hypnotherapy to expand business into what is more commonly called these days, sports psychology.

This book leaves no stones unturned, no questions unanswered.It has been carefully written by its co-authors and is an immensely readable piece of literature.So much sport, in fact so much of life, is almost entirely dependent upon the way that we think so this book is that guide we have been looking for to help people "win the mind game".The book is easy-to-use and comprehensive and gives excellent step-by-step guidance for its development.I can think of a few football and cricket teams which could do with help at the moment.How about your local ??Well----it may be worth considering!!Highly recommended!! And I am only an armchair sportsman but I can see great potential for its use here.

David C. Slater

Winning the Mind Game
This book is directed towards the ones that coach athletes with the aim to improve performance, and deals with how one in a systematic way can use hypnosis for this purpose.The authors claim that the method they describe can be very successful but that there is a multitude of other ways that works at least as good.This humble attitude is kept throughout the book and contributes to a very pleasant reading atmosphere.The reader gets many interesting perspectives on sport psychology and many case stories can provide a source of inspiration for the coach or psychologist.A strength and weakness with this book is that it is very clear and detailed, sometimes too clear and detailed and even extracted, which perhaps makes the book more suitable for beginners in sports psychology.

Mark:4 (i.e. very much worth reading).

Dan Hasson, PQ Magazine Sweden

Winning the Mind Game
Reviewed by Trevor Silvester - The Hypnotherapy Journal Autumn 2003

There is a growing level of interest amongst athletes in the use of Hypnosis for performance enhancement. Having a performance coach is now an everyday experience for tennis players, golfers and athletes. In a world where success and failure (and millions of pounds) can be measured in slivers of a second, or millimetres of accuracy, anything that can bring an edge - legally - is worth investigating.

This book delivers a step-by-step guide for those interested in working with sports people. Their approach is based on a four step model which allows those new to this field to be clear about what to achieve and how to achieve it. They support this framework with clear case studies, transcripts of particular interventions, and interesting anecdotes.

I found their in-depth exploration of the use of particular trance phenomena in focusing the client on positive outcomes to be especially good. The authors are very much at the 'new hypnosis' end of the profession, not attributing the efficacy of a technique to the trance depth of the client, so the chapter on Alert Hypnosis explains the uses of, and how to achieve, an eyes-open trance state, as well as talking and walking while in hypnosis.

While the book is aimed at sports psychology it has relevance to any field where performance is an issue, and as such is a welcome addition to my bookshelf.

Crown House Publishing
ISBN 190442402-3 ... Read more

Book Description
The seventh edition of the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology once again offers a wealth of information about graduate programs and career opportunities in the very large world of sport psychology. Over the years, the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology has become the indispensable source for exploring sport psychology graduate programs around the world.

In addition to over 100 master's and doctoral degree programs in the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa, the Directory

?presents information about internships and career opportunities,
?details online courses and common research tools in the field,
?delineates the requirements for certification and licensure, and
?discusses ethical issues and concerns in sport psychology.

Perhaps most useful are the contact names, numbers, and email addresses for programs and individuals around the world.

As necessary today as ever, the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology is the ideal resource for individuals interested in pursuing graduate study and a career in sport or exercise psychology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome
This is going to be a great help with my school search! ... Read more

Book Description
Written from a psychologist's perspective, this enlightening study offers a general overview of the application of psychology to sport settings. Examining the diverse array of issues that make up sport psychology today, the book discusses the foundations of sport psychology, explores participation in sport, covers topics related directly or indirectly to athletic performance, examines sport psychology intervention strategies, considers the social psychology of sport, and addresses the psychology of the sports fan and spectator. Unique topic coverage includes a look at research methods in sport psychology, character building in sport, issues relevant to female athletes, role anxiety, relaxation training for coaches, and much more.For professionals in physical education and/or psychology. ... Read more

Book Description
In eight chapters representing a cycling team's eight sessions with a sports psychologist, this book teaches athletes how to cultivate the thoughts, feelings, and insights necessary for optimal cycling performance. It includes breathing techniques for power and emotional control, tips for handling pressure, and four types of imagery. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
This book fills a need for an applied sport psychology book based on credible, published research. A deliberate attempt is made to base application on theory while avoiding scientific and statistical jargon so readers at various levels of education, past experience, and expertise can feel comfortable with the book's content. Sport examples from media publications and from the author's own experiences as a sport psychologist nurture the connection between the professional literature and real-life sport experiences.The opening chapter explains the field of sport psychology, which also encompasses the related field of exercise psychology. Chapter 4 focuses on how coaches and athletes interpret and explain the causes of contest results, and how that plays an important role in future participation. Chapter 5 uncovers the underlying causes of an athlete's emotions just prior to the contest and what one can do about them. To lend additional credence to the application of cited research studies, Chapter 12 includes portions of the author's conversations with many athletes, showing that many ideas believed to be widely held "truths" in the coaching profession often are considered myths by the athletes themselves.For anyone interested in the psychology of sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent information
This book is very good. It's a little verbos but the information provided is useful. There are a lot of specific examples of different aspects of sports and exercise physiology as well as identifying addiction and dependency. ... Read more

Book Description
The updated third edition of Advances in Sport Psychology offers a view of the latest research in the field of sport psychology. The text is written by 34 of the field's most prolific researchers and scholars, including Maureen Weiss, Shane Murphy, and Albert Carron. These contributors extend the boundaries that have defined the field and provide a clear direction for future research.

This third edition has been completely revised to reflect the advances that have occurred in the field within the past several years. The text provides readers with a complete picture of current research and emerging topics in sport psychology while challenging researchers to examine the factors that keep this discipline growing. Advances in Sport Psychology, Third Edition, provides a fresh look at sport psychology with these features:

• Four new chapters on qualitative research methods, achievement goal theories, self-confidence, and family and peer influences
• Significant revisions of the second-edition chapters, along with more concise overviews of individual topics
• An analysis and synthesis of the state of knowledge for each topic and a discussion of future research directions

Customer Reviews (1)

Good use for class
very good book, sometimes too many studies, which makes it confusing to read in some chapters. However, in general this good provides a good broad overview of sport psychology. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
This book was written for the serious coach who wants to take his or her team's performance to the next level. In an easy-to-read style, the text examines recent research and offers practical guidelines to help coaches get the most from their athletes. Some of the issues explored include developing the coach/athlete relationship, improving team cohesion, controlling arousal and anxiety, implementing attention control training, and preventing staleness and burnout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A better view.
Insightful and easily read. It helps you back up and see into the minds of your players.

Great self-help resource!
This book unravels the mystery behind coaching team sports. From reducing anxiety to enhancing team building, coaches are given the necessary tools to address the often neglected mental side of the game. Ideal for all coaches looking for a psychological edge to get their team to the next level. ... Read more

Product Description
Sports marketing is one of the fastest growing areas of marketing communication. This book advances understanding in this emerging area. It presents sports marketing in a scholarly and comprehensive way, covering major topics of discussion in sports marketing and the psychology of communication. Several new, innovative topics are introduced, such as SportNEST and consumption communities, and many classic topics are brought up to date, including sponsorship, ambush marketing, identification, endorsements, basking in reflected glory, and licensing. Many of the topics that seem to center around sports show up as well, such as sneakers, ethics, risky behavior, and even investments. Utilizing a psychological approach to understanding sports marketing, first-rate authors discuss the most important topics. The book covers all major topics of sports marketing, including: *sponsorship from several different perspectives--the major force in sports marketing;
*ambush marketing--how non-sponsors seek to reap the benefits without paying the price; and
*licensing--using the sale of items, such as t-shirts to increase profit and marketing. ... Read more

Book Description
*Will the athlete you're working with put it all together when everything is on the line?
*What can you do to make sure an athlete performs best when it really counts?
*Are certain conditions more likely to lead to success (or failure)?
*Will he or she be able, and willing, to make the changes required to be more successful?

In today's highly competitive environment, the answers to these questions often spell the difference between success and failure, not only for individuals, but also for entire teams and organizations. At the upper levels of performance, in situations where competing individuals and teams have all the technical skill and tactical knowledge required to be successful, psychological factors become the most important determinants of outcome. The ability to control emotions, to communicate effectively and to perform under pressure, is what separates winners from losers.

Sport psychologists are beginning to uncover the links between thought processes and physiology; as a result, today's testing tools have much greater utility and relevance than ever before. Today, more than ever before, sport psychology professionals must have the skills necessary to bridge the worlds of science and application.

After testing and evaluating athletes, you often hear comments like the following:

**"I can't believe you got all that from a test."
**"Have you been at my practices and games for the past year?"
**"That's exactly what happened yesterday."
**"That's amazing! You described the situation perfectly."
**"Can you imagine where we could be if we'd known this stuff 3 years ago?"

Assessment will become an increasingly valuable part of graduate education in sport psychology. The reason is simple: Sport has become big business. In today's highly competitive sports markets, much is at stake, and winning is what it's all about. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Practical Guide for Working Effectively with Athletes...
Very useful and practical information for enhancing performance. ... Read more

Product Description
Want to be a better bowler? Sport Psychology Library: Bowling - The Handbook of Bowling Psychology is the guide you need for improving your performance. Esteemed Sport psychologist Dr. Eric Lasser, and legendary coaches Fred Borden and Jeri Edwards, have combined their expertise to create a master teaching guide for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level bowlers. This book is designed to push any bowler to the highest level and enable professionals and elite amateurs to stay there.The Handbook is organized into five sections: preparation for competition, routines before and during competition, keys to peak performance, advanced strategies for tough challenges, and team and family dynamics. Each section details information and concerns most important to the bowler,providing techniques for self-evaluation and the development of specificpsychological strategies necessary for that sound mental game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Mental help for any bowler...
I found the book easy to read and understand. I have applied some of the things I read in the book and found them useful and I feel over time the new approach to bowling will improve to my good.

Great investment
When ever you buy a book containing psychology, you think to say "I knew that!", but this book pinpoints the essens of bowling psychology. I've focused on several things that for sure will make me a better bowler.

very helpful book
I purchased this book to help with my bowling, since as anovice bowler,
I was dismayed by my embarrassing performance when bowling with friends.
I would bowl a strike and then have a string of gutter balls.

I found this book really helpful, not just for bowling, but for achieving excellence
in other sports. I was able to apply the lessons to other challanging areas in my life.

The book gives a comphrehensive overview of this incredibly popular sport.The writers have laid out a step by step mental
plan of action that accounts for most contigencies and can used when someone has to psychologically prepare
onselfto perform at a high level.

The use of acronyms such as RALLY ( react, accept, learn, lean, yes )and the examples
of positive self talk particularly useful.

One of the best bowling books to date
I think this is one of the most up to date and detailed bowling books to date.It dives into the mental game aspect of the game and just helps you with the skills that most bowlers will need to take their game to the next level.

Not just psychological
Very in depth book on all facets of bowling not just the psychologoical aspects. Has good drills and if the drillsare performed, your average will go up. ... Read more

Book Description

How do group members influence each others behaviour in sport and exercise settings?

Can a better understanding of group dynamics raise individual and team athletic performance or improve the outcomes of exercise interventions?

Much human behaviour in sport and exercise settings is embedded within groups where individuals cognitions, emotions, and behaviours influence and are influenced by other group members. Group dynamics in exercise and sports psychology: Contemporary themes explores the unique psychological dynamics that emerge in sport and exercise groups. It provides a clear and thorough guide to contemporary theory and research. Recommendations are also presented to inform applied psychology best practice.

Drawing together the expertise of international specialists from sports and exercise psychology, the text covers core themes as well as emerging issues in group dynamics. The text is organised into four sections:

Part1. The Self in Groups

Part 2. Leadership in Groups

Part 3. Group Environment

Part 4. Motivation in Groups

Group dynamics in exercise and sports psychology: Contemporary themes will be of interest to psychology, kinesiology, sport and exercise science students and researchers, as well as to consultants and coaches.

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

How to Acheive Peak Performances with a Relaxed Mind
At last a really significant book in the field of sports psychology forriders! Ms.Reilly, a Phd highly regarded in her field, offers copingmethods for riders to deal with the pressures of performance. Reillyexplains the traditional pitfalls that beset competitors and offerstechniques that relax and focus the mind. Exercises are provided to helpriders overcome perfectionism, set realistic goals, design performanceroutines and develop self confidence.Having worked with riders of all agesand abilities, from children to professionals, she draws on her vastexperience and shares the method that she has developed to maximize therider's talents using positive, reinforcing thinking.Reilly shows how acalm mental attitude will produce safer and more effective rides leading topeak performance. Treat yourself to a book that will make competing fun! ... Read more

Book Description
THE WINNING EDGE IS MENTAL. If you've ever watched a champion make that impossible three-point shot in the game's final seconds, you know that mental skills are absolutely critical to all-around success, on and off the court.

No one understands this better than coaching legend Dale Brown and renowned sport consultant Dr. Kevin Burke, the co-authors of Sport Psychology Library: Basketball. Together, they share their expertise and techniques to bring the mental aspect of the game under every player's control. They stress preparation, practice, and performance in attaining these vital psychological skills:

CONCENTRATION
TEAMWORK
RELAXATION
CONFIDENCE
STRONG ETHICS AND FAIR PLAY

Sport Psychology Library: Basketball gives players the tools to improve their mental game plan; a way for coaches to teach successful psychology techniques; and a way for parents to be supportive and involved in a player's development. ... Read more

Book Description
Get inside the minds of the stars of the diamond in this extraordinary tour of brain power, psyche, and sheer will.

Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” Even so, the Yankee great may have underestimated the brain power professional baseball players routinely draw on to perform such astounding feats of athleticism as hitting 98-mph fastballs and diving to catch line drives. In The Psychology of Baseball, Mike Stadler goes beneath the surface of the game to explore the psychology behind the actions of the game’s greats—and breaks down legendary moments from baseball history, such as Willie Mays’s full-sprint over-the-shoulder grab in the 1954 World Series.

Stadler begins with the mind’s role in the game’s basic skills, explaining the anticipatory thinking that can make a hitter see a “rising fastball,” the complex muscular coordination required to throw a major league heater, and the intense spatial calculations the brain must perform in a split second in order for a fielder to catch a struck ball. Stadler then discusses the hidden nature of streaks and slumps, explaining why a “hot” hitter is most likely just getting lucky and why there’s no such thing as a clutch hitter, and also looks at the psychological basis of the so-called “sophomore slump” and the effect that a big-money contract has on a player’s performance. He also examines the personality types that are best suited to baseball, and explains what traits are most associated with success at the highest levels.

A revolutionary new look at America’s pastime that will appeal to the many fans of bestsellers like Moneyball and Three Nights in August, The Psychology of Baseball is a must-read book for the serious baseball fan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

For the Fan...or For the Classroom?
I'm not embarrassed to say I quickly got lost and bored reading this book. I started out in earnest, then as Stadler got into the details of his LOT models and strategies, generalized optical acceleration cancellations, coarticulations, psychometrics, physics, even NASA (!)...and beyond, I started skimming pages, then skipping paragraphs and then jumping pages. When I began to skip chapters to "get to the good stuff," I decided to reach for another book.

I can't imagine the kind of baseball fan or player that would take the time to closely read the fatiguing analysis of catching wind-blown flyballs, hitting a monster curve ball, or throwing a tricky, rising (?) fastball, and more...although there must be lots of them who need/want this information. --But it's definitely more fun playing the game!

It's a good, solid work. There's no getting around that, and there are probably plenty of readers beyond psychologist types who would fully understand and enjoy author Stadler's effort. For me, however, a true "died-in-the-wool" baseball fan for over 30 years, it turned out to be quite over my head and beyond my sphere of interest.

Very good
Pros: Fascinating look at the mental intricacies of baseball. Includes a chapter on fan psychology, which was a nice, unexpected touch

Cons: Would have liked more mention of baseball superstitions, like not talking about a no-hitter in progress.

Grade: A-

A very good Psychology Textbook
The research and information present in this book is top notch. This author knows his stuff inside out.

On the flipside it's delivery "paints the corners" of becomming a bone dry Psychology textbook. Young readers curious for a mild read may lose their grip on this one. I found myself skipping pages upon pages of statistical analysis.

Illuminating a different side of baseball
Stadler's book proves to be an interesting read for baseball fans who want to know about the game from a different perspective.
Using a myriad of different psychological studies, Stadler explains many different facets of the baseball world - hitting, fielding and behavior of the fan to name a few - in an understandable manner for the average fan who has very little background in psychology. He uses examples from real-life situations to illustrate his points; in fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the book is its comparison of Billy Beane and Darryl Strawberry. Both players were drafted in about the same position, but their successes on the field were much different, and Stadler examines why this is.
One part of the hitting portion looks closely at how players' eyes track the ball to the plate - or not quite. Stadler cites research that states that a player's eyes cannot follow the ball uninterrupted to the plate, which renders the adage of "keeping your eyes on the ball" useless. He also explores ways players attempt to cut down on uncertainty when batting.
One drawback exists to the book: Stadler relies on play-by-play too extensively at several places in the book. While he does use the instances to make his points, this style of narration can be difficult to get through. The longest stretch of this is about five pages.
However, despite this, the book as a whole remains very readable and interesting. Stadler has done an excellent job with it, and baseball fans should take advantage of it.

Thorough and Interesting Read
"The Psychology of Baseball" is well-researched, thorough, and has greatly enhanced my watching of the game. Stadler combs through a wealth of archival research that explores the psychology and physiology of hitting, pitching and fielding. I now have a new respect for the players, and my love of baseball has taken on a new dimension thanks to this book. Highly recommended! ... Read more