ABSTRACT

Complex Cases in Sport Psychology offers instructors and students a unique and novel approach to teaching and learning about sport psychology. The book consists of a series of character-driven narratives—set within the context of a university athletic department—which encourage discussion and critical thinking in order to find solutions to issues such as athletes lacking in motivation, introducing mental skills training programs and improving recruitment.

The book begins with a section introducing the teaching cases approach (suggesting further reading and methods for its delivery), the university setting and the issues this context provides for the sport psychologist, and the cast of characters involved. It goes on to detail over twenty cases spread across four parts (organizational performance, team performance, individual performance, and injury and recovery), each based around a piece of theory and including clear learning outcomes, tasks and non-prescriptive guidance on reaching a solution.

With online resources which include topical cases, further guidance on the teaching cases approach and an instructor’s manual, this is an essential supplementary resource for any instructor looking to provide experiential learning and encourage critical thinking in their sport psychology classrooms. Covering a full range of psychological issues in a relevant sporting context, it is also an important, hands-on guide to counselling for any upper-level student of sport psychology.

chapter 1|9 pages

Burnout/self-handicapping

chapter 2|10 pages

Coach–athlete relationship

chapter 5|12 pages

Goal keeping errors during games

chapter 6|9 pages

Coach–athlete relationship conflict

chapter 7|7 pages

Coming out

chapter 8|9 pages

Staying with or leaving a team

chapter 9|7 pages

Hand injury

chapter 10|10 pages

Coach development

chapter 11|11 pages

Transition out of college sport

chapter 12|10 pages

Underperformance

chapter 13|10 pages

Coach personal development

chapter 14|9 pages

Eating disorder

chapter 15|9 pages

Binge drinking

chapter 16|10 pages

On-court aggression

chapter 17|8 pages

Team toughness

chapter 18|10 pages

Team building

chapter 19|10 pages

Team development