Sport undoubtedly provides a vehicle for participants and spectators alike to experience moments of pure elation, ecstasy and even self-fulfilment. Performers of varying levels and standards have reported positive mood states and emotions whilst engaging in sport tasks and events. Research suggests that many athletes discover a real sense of enjoyment through competitive sport (Balageur et al. 1999), develop higher levels of self-esteem and intrinsic motivation (Ntoumanis and Biddle 1999) and achieve deeply satisfying moments of flow (Jackson and Csikszentmihalyi 1999). Empirical evidence also exists to support the view that health enhancing physical activity and exercise programmes (Crone-Grant et al. 2005) are associated with improvements in a number of psychological factors. This tendency of sport and exercise psychology to emphasise the beneficial dimensions of sport participation is consistent with the tenor of the parent discipline of psychology during the past forty years. Following the acceptance and growth of humanistic psychology in the 1960s, many psychologists became more interested in positive concepts like love, creativity and self-actualisation, and there was less attention given to negative behaviours and destructive emotions.