ABSTRACT
Sport psychology has been defined as the scientific study of human behaviour in the sport and the practical application of that knowledge (Weinberg and Gould, 2007). With this general objective in mind, sport psychology researchers strive to understand why athletes, coaches, officials and spectators behave the way they do. They generally do this by examining one of two general questions: (1) What effect do psychological factors have on the athlete’s and team’s performance (e.g., How does a goal-keeper’s confidence influence his play? What effect does a team’s cohesion have on performance? Do players who use stress management perform better than their counterparts who do not?); and (2) How does participation in sport influence the player’s psychological development and functioning (e.g., Do athletes develop higher self-esteem than their non-athletic counterparts? Is teamwork taught through participation in football? Does playing football build one’s character?).
