ABSTRACT
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. Sport psychology is a relatively new area. Both academic and applied development increased at a pace over the next two decades to the point now where sport psychology has received unprecedented media and public attention. In this chapter, the author invites the reader to see the world through the eyes of a sport psychologist and examines the ways in which they conceptualize and approach the kinds of practical questions they are faced with in their work with coaches, teachers, parents, other sport science and sports medicine practitioners and also with the performers themselves. Sport science has generated a great deal of knowledge about the most effective methods of developing these building blocks of performance. Working in applied sport psychology, the practitioner rapidly becomes aware of the many myths and misconceptions that performers, coaches, teachers and parents have about the mental side of performance.
