ABSTRACT
Reflective practice (RP) is a process that enables practitioners to examine and learn from experience which, in turn, can improve and/or facilitate practice (Knowles, Gilbourne, Cropley and Dugdill, 2014). This process has been found to benefit and assist practitioners in many disciplines, including sport, health and education (Huntley, Cropley, Gilbourne, Sparkes and Knowles, 2014). RP is a fundamental aspect of personal and professional development for those involved in sport, including sport psychologists, sports chaplains and athletes, but this outworking of RP appears to have not yet been considered in any detail. The aim of the present chapter is to introduce the use of RP in relation to these populations, both individually and within the different relationship dyads that might occur (e.g., athlete and sport psychologist, athlete and sports chaplain, sports chaplain and sport psychologist). It is argued that as a tool, RP can bridge gaps that may exist in individual development, both personally and professionally, through shared reflections (see also Huntley and Kentzer, 2013). The chapter concludes by suggesting that there is potential for increased awareness between and within these aforementioned populations in terms of the benefits of RP within traditional sports performance consultancy environment.
