The main aim of this study was to investigate if exercisers’ personality characteristics were associated with exercise dependence. Specifically, the purpose was to examine if anxiety, obsessive passion, and physical appearance orientation were associated to an increased risk for exercise dependence. Participants were 330 exercisers from exercise groups, sport clubs and university sport science classes in the southwest of Sweden. Data were analysed using CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) analysis. The CHAID analysis indicated that anxiety was the main predictor of exercise dependence. More specifically, 12.7% more exercisers who experienced high levels of anxiety symptoms (i.e. scores above 6), were, in comparison to the exercises experiencing low levels of anxiety, classified as “at risk for exercise dependence”. For exercisers that reported low levels of anxiety symptoms (i.e. scores below 7), obsessive passion for exercise was a positive statistically significant predictor (absolute risk difference = 8.6%). Overall, the results highlight anxiety as a main risk factor behind exercise dependence. Also, the risk of exercise dependence may increase either from obsessive passion or as a coping strategy for anxiety. Furthermore, results may illustrate two types of exercise dependence; “primary” exercise dependence driven mainly by an obsessive passion for exercise and “secondary” exercise dependence where exercise function as a strategy to cope with anxiety. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Acknowledging the importance of longitudinal data to test process-based psychological theories of motivation is critical. The purpose of this study was to use a person-centred approach to identify unique subgroups (i.e. profiles) of youth athletes based on their level of self-reported programme quality (PQ) and basic needs support mid-way through their sport season and investigate potential differences between the subgroups on their self-reported basic needs satisfaction at the end of the sport season. The current study involved 541 Canadian youth athletes (males n = 289; females n = 250; gender-fluid n = 2) within 52 sport programmes over the course of 18 months. Youthathletes ranged in age from 8 through 19 (M = 13.76, SD = 2.61). A latent profile analysis (LPA) in Mplus 8.0 was used to carry out the analyses. The LPA revealed three distinct profiles based on youth athletes’ levels of self-reported PQ and basic needs support. Specifically, athletes who perceived their sport experience to be of higher quality and supported their basic psychological needs midway through the sport season also reported higher levels of basic needs satisfaction at season end. Results from this study contribute to the field of sport psychology through understanding how basic needs theory contributes to the dimensions of programme quality and by informing recommendations for future coach education on how to satisfy youth athletes’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness through programmedelivery. © 2018 International Society of Sport Psychology

The objective of this study was to explore career pathways to athletic success in American professional athletes with low socioeconomic background. Ten African American professional male athletes, who met the criteria of playing at least one year in a professional league and spending their formative years in an American underserved community, participated in the study. Interviews inspired by the cultural praxis of athletes’ careers, lasted 68-137 minutes, and the transcripts were thematically analysed. Four career stages (childhood years, middle/high school years, college years, professional years) and three themes (context, challenges, coping) were visible in the career pathways of the participants. During the first stage the athletes’ athletic foundation was developed by participating in inexpensive, easy to access sports in unstructured sporting environments, while simultaneously relying upon the strength of a mother to keep them safe. An increased susceptibility to the dangers of environmental factors (e.g., drugs, gangs) during the middle/high school years made this period of time the most precarious for the athletes, but was also the most crucial for their athletic development. The college years were a time of “catching up,” whereby the athletes entered a whole new environment for which they were physically (e.g., underweight) and psycho-socially (e.g., racial integration) unprepared, but their hard work and the help of peers and coaches propelled them to success (i.e., professional contract). Finally, the results indicate that coping resources the athletes developed dealing with hardship were perceived as key factors enabling them to endure the difficulties of a professional career. © 2020 International Society of Sport Psychology.

Although dual career (DC) support is important, there is a lack of research on the competencies professional dual career support providers (DCSPs) themselves require to manage specific job challenges. Therefore, current research, that was part of the Gold in Education and Elite Sport (GEES) project, aims at: (1) examining how well DCSPs managed specific challenges (called scenarios) within the European context, (2) identifying the competencies DCSPs need to manage the scenarios, and (3) exploring which variables influence how well they manage these scenarios. The Dual Career Competency Questionnaire for Support Providers with Scenario extension (DCCQ-SPSc) was completed by 288 DCSPs from nine European countries. The scenarios were: (1) Managing a non-supportive environment, (2) Supporting a student-athlete to cope with relocation, (3) Supporting a student-athlete in developing a study plan, (4) Helping a student-athlete to cope with a challenging year, (5) Referring a student-athlete to other professional help, and (6) Dealing with wrong expectations of a student-athlete. Results revealed that each scenario was experienced by more than half of the DCSPs (range 55%–87%) and that in general, they managed these scenarios average up to good. DCSPs prioritised different competency factors depending on the specific scenario. Frequency of experiencing (for the first four scenarios) and possession of the prioritised competency factor (for all scenarios) were significant predictors for the management of the scenarios. This study shows the importance of scenario-specific competency development and can be used in the development of educational curricula for DCSPs. © 2019 International Society of Sport Psychology

During the last decade I have been employed as a sport psychology practitioner for the Swedish men’s handball team (further – the Team). Pinnacles of my work were psychological preparations for three consecutive Olympic Games (2012-2020). In this presentation I will share my narratives about the psychological preparations for these Games and lessons learned. Major interventions were carried out during the pre-Olympic camps about one month before the related Games. The content was adapted to match the request from the coach and my assessment of players’ needs. Below I organize my experiences in three narratives. The first is “The Team is in crisis, and I struggled to show competence and earn players’ trust”. The players gathered after a heartbreaking defeat in a qualifying match for a future World Championship. The Team were torn, and the 2012 Olympics was approaching fast. The coach highlighted the need for team building to mend the pieces and be able to perform as a unit. I answered the call by conducting group workshops and work with individual athletes clarifying roles and goals. The Team performed over expectations and won a silver medal. I for my part, won trust. The second narrative is entitled “Rio had a sweet melody, but we danced to a different tune”. Preparing for Rio 2016, the coach asked for a copy-paste story to repeat the prior success. The Team felt in harmony, and everything went (too) smooth, few players wanted to prepare for possible adversity. I worked with team dynamics and chose to mainly focus the individual work on potential stressors and coping. Soon I realized I was dancing on my own. Sweden ended last in their group, only winning one match. At the time I am writing this abstract, I plan for the pre-camp for Tokyo 2020 and my narrative so far is “It’s possible to be big in Japan but I’m the worrying kind”. There has been a rejuvenation of the Team and a new coaching staff focuses on the Team values requesting my mainly individual level work. I think we mix apples and oranges by talking about values but not about behaviors and not preparing enough for potential stressors. Here are the lessons learned to share: professional philosophy is dynamic and changes with experiences, the situation in the Team is a key for planning the applied work, and coaches’ requests may bring changes in the practitioner’s approach.

The study was aimed at developing the empirical career model of Swedish professional handball players by means of exploring their career experiences in athletic and non-athletic developments through the lens of the holistic athletic career model. Eighteen Swedish professional handball players (nine men and nine women), who had recently terminated or were finishing their careers took part in semi-structured interviews about their careers from the beginning to the end with an interest in both athletic and non-athletic developments. Thematic analysis initially focused on identifying the handball career structure (i.e. stages and sub-stages). Then, the interviews were analysed inductively to identify shared themes in the players’ experiences relevant to each career stage. These themes were incorporated in the relevant stages, and the empirical career model of Swedish professional handball players (further – the empirical model) was finalised. The empirical model describes careers of Swedish handball players as having four athletic stages – initiation, development (with three sub-stages), mastery (with four sub-stages), and discontinuation – complemented by players’ psychological, psychosocial, academic/vocational, and financial developments. Each stage is also aligned with age markers and contains themes describing players’ career experiences from the holistic perspective. The empirical model contributes to contextualised career research and serves as a basis for developing career-long psychological support services in Swedish handball including player/coach/parent education organised by the Swedish Handball Federation.© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Research on the role of sport as a social integrative agent for migrants has provided equivocal results. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between ethnic–cultural identity and sport environmental factors. Young migrant male athletes from two different societal and sport contexts were studied: migrants from Eastern European countries living in Greece (n=60) and from Latin America living in Spain (n=60). Participants completed measures of ethnic and cultural identity, task-oriented motivational climate, and autonomy- supportive coaching behaviour. Analysis of variance revealed that Eastern European inhabitants of Greece scored higher on fringe and assimilation, and lower on lack of interaction compared to Latin American inhabitants of Spain. In addition, for the former group, a mastery motivational climate and autonomy-supportive coaching predicted an integrative identity, whereas for the latter group, the motivational environment did not predict acculturation patterns. The results suggest that sport may serve different acculturation purposes, thus explaining to a degree the lack of consistent results regarding the integrative role of sport. The study provides preliminary support for the importance of the sport motivational environment for the facilitation of integration. © 2016 International Society of Sport Psychology.

Securing long-lasting positive intergroup relations is of high priority in the multi-cultural European Union. Developing and promoting integration within the school context is a matter of interest to both researchers and practitioners. This study investigated the effects of a mastery-oriented motivational climate intervention using the TARGET framework on students’ psychological integration (identification with, and inclusion in physical education [PE] class), in culturally diverse school classes. The intervention was conducted using a quasi-experimental design in 7th to 9th graders over 18 weeks. Two school classes were assigned to an intervention group (n = 38) and three school classes received regular PE instruction. The intervention group was compared with a control group (n = 56). Results indicated a positive effect of the intervention on students’ feelings of inclusion in PE class in the intervention condition compared to the control condition. Mediation analysis revealed that this effect operated through decreased performance climate perceptions. Our findings suggest that such an intervention using the TARGET framework may affect students’ feelings of inclusion within the PE class through differences in performance climate perceptions. Findings highlight the importance of perceived motivational climate in PE for students’ psychological integration in culturally diverse PE settings and suggest the effectiveness of a motivational climate intervention. © 2021 International Society of Sport Psychology.

The specific objectives of this study were: (a) to identify adjustment patterns in the JST based on athletes’ dynamics of adjustment during a two-and-a–half-year period, and (b) to describe the athletes’ demographic, personal and transitional characteristics at the beginning of the JST that were related to the different adjustment patterns. This quantitative longitudinal study consisted of five measurements conducted approximately every six months over a two-and-a-half-year period. One instrument was used to measure the transition variables and three instruments to measure personal characteristics. In the first measurement, 101 club-based Swedish athletes with the mean age of 16.51 (SD = 1.32) took part. The latent profile analysis (LPA) on athletes’ perceived degree of adjustment provided three profiles with different patterns in the JST. Profile 1 had a progressive adjustment pattern, whereas the second profile had a regressive adjustment pattern, and the third profile had a sustainable adjustment pattern. The descriptive statistics and Cohen’s d indicated that there were differences (with variation in magnitude) between the three profiles at the first measurement in terms of how athletes perceived different transitional characteristics. Keeping a primary focus on sport (but also having attention to other spheres of life), high athletic identity and motivation to reach senior level were characteristics relevant for both progressive and sustainable adjustment patterns. © 2016 International Society of Sport Psychology

This consensus statement is the product of an international Think Tank on the initiative of the International Society of Sport Psychology. The purpose of the Think Tank was to unify major sport psychology organizations in a discussion of the current status and future challenges of applied and research aspects of athlete mental health. The contributors present six propositions and recommendations to inspire sport organizations and researchers. The propositions are: Mental health is a core component of a culture of excellence; Mental health in a sport context should be better defined; Research on mental health in sport should broaden the scope of assessment; Athlete mental health is a major resource for the whole athletic career and life post-athletic career; The environment can nourish or malnourish athlete mental health; and Mental health is everybody’s business but should be overseen by one or a few specified members. It is recommended that researchers unite to develop a more contextualized definition of athlete mental health and more comprehensive strategies of assessment, as well as join forces with sporting organizations to investigate sustainable elite sport environments and the role of the mental health officer. Sport organizations are advised to recognize athlete mental health as a core component of a healthy elite sport system and a key indicator of their effectiveness, support research initiatives, and to promote the mental health literacy of all their staff while engaging a mental health officer with the responsibility to oversee a support system. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

In the present paper, we introduce an ecological view of career transitions. We consider an athlete’s development as a journey through various athletic and non-athletic environments that support their striving for career excellence. On this journey, an athlete experiences a multitude of environments and transitions from one environment (e.g., one club, one country or one sport) to another. To develop this understanding, we introduce the concept of a transition environment defined as a dynamic and temporary system that bridges the setting that an athlete is transitioning from and to. We also suggest two working models that in unison can work as a roadmap for transition environment research and practice. The transition environment (TE) model helps to describe the TE and the transition environment success factor (TE-SF) model helps to understand why certain TEs are more successful than others supporting athletes in transition. The models can be used by researchers studying specific transition environments to understand how such environments facilitate or hinder transitions, and by practitioners (coaches, managers, sport psychologists) to support athletes’ transitions by improving their TEs. We hope the idea of an ecology of athlete transitions will find its way into empirical studies of different types of transitions (e.g., to another sport, to another level in sport, to another club or to another country) in multiple cultural contexts and contribute to the development of career-long psychological support services. © 2023 International Society of Sport Psychology.

This study examined (a) the developmental trajectories of student-athlete burnout perceptions and (b) the within-person relationship between achievement goals and burnout perceptions. A three-year and six-wave longitudinal study was conducted with 78 student-athletes (30 young women and 48 young men, M_age at T1 = 12.7 years, SD = 0.44), attending a sport compulsory school. The Athlete Burnout Questionnaire and the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire were used. The results from multilevel growth models revealed that burnout perceptions increased for this age group over the three-year period. Furthermore, task orientation was significantly and negatively related to a reduced sense of accomplishment and sport devaluation. The results from this study underline the advantage of considering developmental processes when studying burnout. Furthermore, by focusing on the within-person effect of achievement goals, this study provides findings that support a motivational approach to the longitudinally study of burnout propensity among young student-athletes. The current study suggests that sport school staff should be aware of their student-athletes’ burnout perceptions and that these could change over time. Results also highlights that task-oriented goals might help decrease burnout perceptions, specifically reduced sense of accomplishment and sport devaluation. © 2018 International Society of Sport Psychology

The aim of the study was to examine how players’ perceptions of sociocultural factors and intra- and interpersonal aspects of sporting experiences may have influenced the emotions, cognitions, and behaviours of elite female soccer players prior to the occurrence of ACL injuries. The research questions guiding the study were: (a) how did female elite soccer players perceive that their psychosocial experiences were related to their cognitive, physiological, and emotional states prior to their ACL injuries, and (b) how did the players feel their perceived states influenced their behaviours prior to injury occurrence. The participants consisted of the total population of female players (N = 18) competing in the Swedish women’s elite league, who incurred a total ACL tear during the 2012 season. Using a semi-structured interview guide, all players were interviewed post-season. We represented the data using a storytelling approach of aggregated creative nonfiction. The aggregated stories showed sociocultural rules and expectations of overtraining and placing pressure on athletes to play even if they were not physically or psychologically fit. Responding to pressures with potentially risk-increasing behaviours might raise the probability of becoming injured through a number of pathways. Team managers, coaches, and members of the medical team are recommended to develop environments that stimulate the players to engage in adaptive stress-recovery and risk-decreasing behaviours. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This single-subject case study adopted a narrative approach and focused on two objectives: (a) to explore an athlete’s career development, including the impact of injuries, and (b) to explore that athlete’s injury experiences in detail. The participant was a 26-year-old former elite handball player who had experienced two major anterior cruciate ligament injuries during his career. To guide the research process from the formulation of its objectives to the interpretation of the participant’s narratives, we followed the narrative-oriented inquiry framework. To collect the participant’s stories, a low-structured interview guide consisting of open questions and requests for information about the participant’s handball career and injury experiences was used. The holistic content analysis allowed us to conceptualise injuries as career transition processes embedded in the athlete’s career development. Moreover, the participant’s narratives made it possible to identify four phases of injury transition and the distinct psychological content (demands, resources, barriers, and coping strategies) relevant to each of the four phases. Based on the results of the study, we anticipate that athletes, sport psychology consultants, coaches, and members of sport medicine teams can benefit from greater awareness of the specific demands and barriers relevant to each phase of the injury transition process. This knowledge can be further used to facilitate the development of adequate resources and coping strategies to help injured athletes navigate the rehabilitation process and successfully return to active sport involvement. © 2016 International Society of Sport Psychology

It is accepted that risk factors such a type of sport, equipment, and individual physical and psychological characteristics interact in the genesis of sport-related injuries. The presented review provides an overview of theoretical approaches and empirical findings with regard to the psychosocial antecedents of sport injuries. It also provides an overview of intervention studies that have taken place within the last 15 years. During this period, different models for detecting injury outcome have been developed. It appears that psychosocial variables such as high competitive anxiety, low or high emotional state, high levels of life changes, low coping resources, and low levels of social support are directly or indirectly related to injury outcome. Moreover, empirical prevention studies demonstrate positive results in terms of a reduction in the number of injuries and, in most cases, improvements in mood and reduced stress levels. Many important research variables need further recognition for the advancement of the field. The review offers a selection of future research variables linked to theory and design as well as measurement and analysis. Moreover, implications for practice are also given.

The aim of the present study was to examine knowledge and experience about sport psychology consulting among coaches for Swedish male and female premier soccer teams, and to identify barriers and possibilities that a sport psychology consultant (SPC) encounters in joining a team. All 28 coaches within Swedish male and female premier soccer leagues answered the “Psychology for Football Questionnaire”. In addition, coaches from two male and two female teams were interviewed. The main findings showed that about half the teams had contacted an SPC. Skills favored by coaches were goal setting and team building, and the biggest barriers to using SPCs were lack of knowledge/skepticism about the field, unclear descriptions of services, and problems integrating with the team. Possibilities for entry were feasible time available, and accessing positive role models. Conclusions pertain to the practical implications for applied research and the provision of sport psychology services within premier soccer.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between self-report measures such as mood state, emotional recovery, and perceived exertion for a runner during a continental run. Second, the purpose was to examine psychological factors that enable an ultra-distance runner during an event. A case study report from a 49-year-old female ultra-distance runner, running a 3641 kilometre adventure event during a 10-week period was made. Data were collected during 15 weeks with three self-report questionnaires – more specifically, an initial report 3 weeks prior to the run, a weekly report during the 10 weeks of running, and, finally, a report 2 weeks after the run. In addition, a follow-up narrative interview was performed nine months after the run was completed. The main result showed that perceived exertion level had a statistically significant negative relationship with negative mood and a positive statistically significant relationship with positive mood. Results also showed a statistically significant difference between the three measurement points based on the variable perceived exertion level. In addition, the runner's narration suggested four main categories of psychologically assisting attributes: motivation, group cohesiveness, self-awareness, and mental stamina. The findings highlight the complex balance between extreme physical load and feelings of comfort and elevated mood. Another finding is that the joint effect of different psychological factors – especially the runner's high self-awareness, strong-minded attitude, and ability to use humour in problematic situations – was helpful during the run. Practical and methodological implications, as well strategies for further research, are provided. © 2015 International Society of Sport Psychology

Research into athletes' dual careers has been guided by two main approaches. The holistic developmentalapproach has increased our understanding of the demands student-athletes' face and the competences needed tobalance their DC. The holistic ecological approach has shifted the attention to the developmental context andhow DC development environments (DCDE) support or hinder student-athletes' development. So far, DCDEsand their functioning have been described and deemed effective based on general outcome measures (e.g.,sport and academic achievements, dropout rate), but without a clear link to the student-athletes' actual demandsand supportive needs. In this study we explored how a DCDE facilitated student-athletes' transition to, and firstyear adaptation at university level, by combining the holistic ecological and holistic developmental approachesand considering DC balance as a primary concern for DC support. A mixed-methods intrinsic case study wasimplemented to explore the complexity and uniqueness of a specific bounded case, that is, a Scandinavianuniversity-based DCDE and student-athletes' development within it. Inspired by the holistic ecologicalapproach and the DC-environment success factors (DC-ESF) working model we explored the case usingmultiple sources of data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the transition experiences ofnine student-athletes and the perspectives on the environment and support from four key support providers.This was complemented by documents analysis and a quantitative monitoring of the student-athletes' transitionexperiences (e.g., perceived DC balance, demands, and coping) throughout the educational year. Findings arepresented in a joint display by merging the qualitative and quantitative data in an empirical version of the DCESFmodel. The student-athletes experienced a challenging transition with both athletic and non-athleticdemands. The environment was well-coordinated with support providers centered around a mission of "abalanced and synchronized whole" and targeting empowerment of the whole person. There was convergenceacross sources of information with qualitative and quantitative data showing that the student-athletes improvedin their sport and study, and in their ability to balance their DC while also developing their DC competences.By integrating the holistic ecological and the holistic developmental approaches we were able to situate theenvironment in the student-athletes' development and explicitly show the fit between student-athletes' needs(i.e., perceived demands) and support provided in the DCDE. Based on our finding we believe effectiveenvironments are those that work to optimize their structure and culture to meet student-athletes' needs, helpstudent-athletes develop their DC competencies and maintain their DC balance. © 2021 International Society of Sport Psychology

The paper presents the Swedish data on university student-athletes’ dual career (DC) competences and coping, from the European project “Gold in Education and Elite Sport” (GEES). A cross-sectional quantitative design was implemented with the objectives to explore: (a) the student-athletes’ perceived need to develop DC competences in order to successfully combine sport and study, (b) if the student-athletes experienced and how they coped with specific DC scenarios, and (c) the magnitude of the association between the student-athletes’ possession of prioritized DC competences for each scenario and their scenario-specific coping. Seventy-one university student-athletes with a mean age of 25.21 completed the DC competency questionnaires developed within the GEES. The student-athletes reported their perception of importance and possession of 38 DC competences (e.g., cope with stress, prioritizing), as well as coping with seven DC scenarios (e.g., miss significant days of study), and selected the five most important competences (from the list of 38) to cope with each scenario. The results revealed that the student-athletes: (a) perceived a need to develop more than 70% of the DC competences to successfully combine sport and studies, (b) had experienced and coped average-to-good with the DC scenarios, and (c) possession of the top five prioritized competences was moderately-to-strongly related to their coping in three scenarios. The study extends understanding of Swedish university student-athletes’ DC competences and has contributed to development of Swedish National Guidelines for elite athletes’ dual careers (2018). © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Supervision enhances professional functioning, helps ensure quality services, and fills a gatekeeping function for the profession. This International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) Position Stand synthesises the most pertinent literature on supervision practices relevant to sport psychology (SP), builds on the collective supervision experience of the authors and the present ISSP Managing Council, and offers recommendations for competent, ethical, and culturally safe supervision. Specifically, after defining supervision and describing supervision models and their relational features, we review the scholarly contributions in the areas of supervision content and methods (including tele-supervision), along with cultural, linguistic, ethical, and legal considerations. We conclude with a set of nine postulates that are further operationalised through recommendations for competent supervision practices. © 2023 International Society of Sport Psychology.

The historically unprecedented pace of internationalising sport industry and transnational movement of athletic talent in the last 20 years has heightened the need for developing new competencies in research and daily practice of sport psychology professionals. While academic literature in cultural sport psychology and praxis has been increasing, sport professionals and local organisations seem to give scant time and resources to stay abreast of complex social changes in transnational industry and to the development of cultural competencies. Stemming from the continuing need for qualified athletic personnel to support transitioning athletes and to achieve intercultural effectiveness in daily practices, our objectives in this position statement are to critically review and analyse the growing scholarship pertinent to various forms of transnational mobility and acculturation of athletic migrants, and subsequently provide recommendations for further use in research and applied contexts. © 2017 International Society of Sport Psychology

In this paper we examine the Soviet notion of volitional preparation through the lens used by the prominent sport psychologist Avksenty Cezarevich Puni (1898 – 1986). First, we provide an English translation of Puni’s theoretical and practical tutorial on volitional preparation in sport. Then we discuss how Puni’s model was grounded in the socio-political and cultural particularities of his era and suggest some ways it might be used to stimulate future research and theorizing on the development of mental toughness. Finally, we offer some possible applications of the model for practitioners in preparing athletes for the rigors of competition.

The multicultural landscape of contemporary sport sets a challenge to rethink sport and exercise psychology research and practice through a culturally reflexive lens. This ISSP Position Stand provides a rigorous synthesis and engagement with existing scholarship to outline a roadmap for future work in the field. The shift to culturally competent sport and exercise psychology implies: (a) recognizing hidden ethnocentric philosophical assumptions permeating much of the current theory, research, and practice; (b) transitioning to professional ethics in which difference is seen as not inherent and fixed but as relational and fluid; and (c) focusing on meaning (instead of cause) in cross-cultural and cultural research projects, and cultural praxis work. In the paper, we first provide an overview of the concepts of cultural competence and ethics of difference. Second, we present a step-by-step approach for developing a culturally competent project rooted either within cross-cultural or cultural research. Third, we focus on cultural praxis as a project that blends theory, research, and lived culture of practice. Finally, we summarize main points in nine postulates and provide recommendations for enhancing cultural competence in the field of sport and exercise psychology. © 2013 Copyright International Society of Sport Psychology.

The aim of this paper is twofold: (1) to integrate several theoretical perspectives into a novel Meta-model of Adaption in Sport (MAS model) and (2) to support the MAS model with a narrative literature review on change-provoking events and related adaptation processes, factors involved, and outcomes. The MAS model is designed to account for two potential tracks of adaptation – fast and prolonged – that are situated along the continuum of adaptation experiences in sport. In each track, sport performers experience various types of sport-related events (i.e., acute events or change events) that are associated with specific sets of demands and perceptions related to self-efficacy beliefs and challenge-threat appraisal. Accordingly, the performer responds to these events by using the mechanisms which determine his/her adaptation process and outcomes. We present a narrative review of the literature related to both adaptation tracks that provide empirical support to the MAS model and conclude by offering reflections on the MAS model and its potential applications in sport psychology research and practice.  © 2023 International Society of Sport Psychology.

Athlete mental health, though long present within research and practice, has recently become a central topic area within the sport and exercise psychology field. The International Society of Sport Psychology has been at the forefront of these discussions, evidenced by a foundational position stand in 2018 and subsequent consensus statements derived from international think tanks. Within this position stand, contributors from the international community spanning five continents collaborated to present key, updated ideas and emerging concepts relating to clinical understandings of athlete mental health, trends in athlete mental health status, the role of the sport environment, mental health in relation to athlete careers, the global treatment of athlete mental health, cultural considerations in relation to understanding this topic, and nine synthesising postulates. © 2024 International Society of Sport Psychology.

Sport psychology is expanding in how it might be utilised to benefit human activity and social life. Performance enhancement remains central to the field; however, there is growing interest in how sport psychology practices and sport contexts can be crafted to enable social missions. The classification of social missions through the context of sports might vary from one sport development agency or scholar to the next, and could relate to health and well-being, sport for peace, social development, disease prevention, and positive youth development. This position stand has been conceived to situate the International Society of Sport Psychology within sport for development for the betterment of people in communities, countries, and regions. This ISSP Position Stand is structured into a historical overview of sports as social missions, sport for cultural exchange and social justice, sport for health and well-being, sport for positive youth development, sport for peace, and postulations and recommendations. © 2015 International Society of Sport Psychology

Mental health is a major resource for athletes in relation to their performance and development. Concurrently, athletes experience additional mental health risk factors compared to non-athletic population, such as high training loads, tough competitions, and a stressful lifestyle. Contemporary statistics demonstrate a substantial growth in athletes’ mental health-related problems, such as concussion, overtraining, and identity crisis. Therefore, the International Society of Sport Psychology through this Position Stand provides support to sport psychology researchers, practitioners, sport participants, and stakeholders in understanding: (a) mental health phenomenon based on continuum-type models outlining mental illness (prevalence vs. absence) and mental health in association with peak performance, (b) major findings of research dealing with athletes’ performance, career and personal (e.g. identity) development in relation to mental health issues, and (c) interventions aimed at monitoring and maintaining athletes’ mental health as well as preventing various forms of mental ill-being. Five major sections reflect the logic outlined above (i.e. from definitions and theories to research and practice), complemented by 10 postulates summarising the International Society of Sport Psychology message intended to spur further discussions on how to make athletes healthier and, thus, more resourceful for (and through) sport. © 2017 International Society of Sport Psychology

The Canadian Olympic Men's Boxing Team was once among the most successful contingents in the world in its sport discipline but then lost this prominent status. At present, Canada's Boxing Team has begun preparation for the 2016 Olympics with the “Own the Podium” (OTP) Program providing financial support to the National Boxing Team and targeted Olympic candidates expected to podium at the 2016 Olympic Games. The authors reveal in this paper the first step of the project “Psychological Support for the Canadian Olympic Boxing Team in Meta-Transitions through the National Team Program” aimed at planning for the boxers' progressions through the 2013–2016 Olympic cycle. Integral to this program, the athletes' progressions are supported through the development of a system of National Team Psychological Support Services (NT-PSS). Within this submission, the authors further develop a vision of the 2016 Olympic Games as a career transition and consider how the Canadian Men's Boxing Team's staff, located within a broader national sport system, proactively map six meta-transitions for the boxers throughout the 2013–2016 Olympic cycle and plan the NT-PSS' content accordingly. The forthcoming meta-transitions are seen as turns between the phases of progressing Olympic cycle: (A) entering the National Team Program, (B) entering major international tournaments, (C) Olympic qualification, (D) focused preparation for the Olympics, (E) to the Olympic podium, and (F) to the post-Games. © 2014 International Society of Sport Psychology.

There is a growing need to understand the association and interaction of psychological factors with an athlete’s competitive standard and mental well-being. John Henryism is defined as a coping mechanism that involves the expenditure of extreme efforts in response to prolonged exposure to psychosocial and environmental stressors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether John Henryism, fear of failure and the John Henryism × fear of failure interaction (JH×FF) could predict an athlete’s competitive standard, as well as mental well-being. A cross-sectional design was employed; 250 athletes (52% male, 48% female, Mage= 29.36 years) completed an online questionnaire. Hypotheses were partly supported. Results revealed that John Henryism predicted an athlete’s competitive standard, with individuals reporting high John Henryism more likely to compete at an international level than a regional, third tier or national level. Fear of failure was only significant in distinguishing national and international level athletes, with those reporting high fear of failure more likely to compete at a national level. JH×FF did not predict an athlete’s competitive standard. Further, John Henryism and fear of failure predicted mental well-being, but JH×FF did not. Specifically, while fear of failure negatively predicted mental well-being, as expected, John Henryism positively predicted mental well-being, contradicting expectations that factors aiding competitive standard are likely to deter mental well-being. Given these findings, future research should evaluate if interventions aimed at easing fear of failure or encouraging more active coping (i.e., John Henryism) benefit the well-being of athletes competing nationally or internationally. © 2022 International Society of Sport Psychology.

Within this paper we address the importance of historical and socio-cultural contexts in research and practice of athletes’ career development and transitions. We stress that not only sport participants, but also sport psychology researchers and consultants are infused by their historical and socio-cultural contexts. This is illustrated by evolutions of career development and transition research and practice in two different countries, Russia and Germany, where cardinal historical and social changes during the last decades illuminated the salience of the contextual factors. We use our European Perspectives on Athletic Retirement Project (e.g., Alfermann, Stambulova, & Zemaityte, 2004) to exemplify the contributions of recent cross-cultural studies to a better understanding of athletes’ career termination and adjustment to the post-career, and discuss the lessons learned from the Project. In conclusion, we propose how contemporary methodological approaches in cultural and cross-cultural psychology may help to develop more contextually sensitive career research and assistance to athletes.

The ISSP Position Stand on Career Development and Transitions of Athletes draws attention to viewing athletes from the perspective of their career development and their broader historical and socio-cultural contexts. The particular focus of this paper is on career transitions as turning phases in career development. Successfully coping with transitions in and outside of sport allows greater opportunity for an athlete to live a long and successful life in sport as well as being able to adjust effectively to the post-career. Alternatively, failure in coping with a transition is often followed by negative consequences (e.g., premature dropout from sport, neuroses, alcohol/drug abuse, etc). Therefore, helping athletes to prepare for and/or cope with career transitions should be of primary concern for coaches, managers, athletes’ parents, and sport psychology consultants. In this paper we emphasize the role of contextual factors in career development/transition research and practice. Based on the literature review, we propose six statements and related recommendations for athletes and their significant others, as well as for researchers and consultants.

The objectives of this study were (1) to explore the Transition Monitoring Survey (TMS) for assessing athletes’ transition from junior to senior sports, (2) to describe the transition from junior to senior sports in Swedish athletes based on the TMS data, and (3) to explore how the transition variables contribute to the athletes’ perceived degree of adjustment to the senior level and to their sport and life satisfaction. The TMS was developed based on career development/transition frameworks (Stambulova, 1994, 2003; Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004) and previous qualitative research on the transition from junior to senior sports. Altogether 416 participants organized in three samples were involved in this exploratory study. The study illuminated the strong points of the TMS as a theoretically based and culturally adapted instrument, but it also shed a light on some deficits of the TMS that should be eliminated in its further use in transition research. © 2012 Copyright International Society of Sport Psychology.

This paper is a comprehensive update of the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) Position Stand on career development and transitions of athletes issued a decade ago (Stambulova, Alfermann, Statler, & Côté, 2009). A need for updating the 2009 Position Stand has grown out of the increasing inconsistency between its popularity and high citation, on the one hand, and its dated content that inadequately reflects the current status of athlete career research and assistance, on the other. During the last decade, sport psychology career scholars worked on structuring the athlete career knowledge and consolidating it into the athlete career (sport psychology) discourse (ACD). The aims of this paper are to: (1) update the decade-long evolution and describe the current structure of the ACD, (2) introduce recent trends in career development and transition research, (3) discuss emerging trends in career assistance, and (4) summarize in a set of postulates the current status and future challenges of the ACD.  © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Our aim in this invited commentary is to stimulate discussion among sport psychology researchers and practitioners regarding the unique developmental challenges and possibilities that Olympic and Paralympic athletes are undergoing during their final–extended year of the Tokyo 2020 quadrenium. We begin the commentary with COVID-19 pandemic (C-19) context setting, proceed with discussing transitional and holistic perspectives on athletes’ Olympic/Paralympic journey, outline three potential pathway scenarios and “C-19 as a possibility-provider” coping (meta-) scenario for Olympic/Paralympic athletes, and finalise our commentary with a summary of messages intended to invite further discussion and collaboration. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study reports the effects of a goal-setting intervention on fear of failure in young elite athletes. Using the hierarchical model of approach and avoidance motivation as a theoretical vantage point, a goal-setting intervention using mastery-approach goals and existing goalsetting recommendations was used as intervention. The goal-setting group (n = 33) attended 12 weekly, one-hour goal-setting sessions, while the control group (n = 16) did not. A Danish version of the short form of the Achievement Motives Scale-Sport was tested with a confirmatory factor analysis and showed good fit. It was used to measure fear of failure at baseline, at the end of intervention and at follow-up, 12 weeks after intervention had ended. Results showed that in the goal-setting group, fear of failure decreased significantly from baseline to end of intervention, but increased again from end of intervention to follow-up. This indicates that fear of failure is an achievement motive disposition that can be changed through certain achievement experiences. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. © 2014 International Society of Sport Psychology.