Overview

Performance Excellence: Stories of Success from the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology provides concise and effective lessons on a variety of psychological skills and broader concepts within the domains of exercise, sport, and performance psychology. These skills and concepts include team cohesion, dynamics, and leadership; goal-setting, motivation, and adherence; exercise identity, athletic identity, transitions, and self-awareness; mental training; mindset; and facing and overcoming challenges such as anxiety, burnout, and rehabilitation. Each chapter includes a short educational piece that centers on the select concept and subsequent examples that highlight how the concept works in real life. At the end of each lesson a few takeaways are provided. Over 60 stories of real-world examples provide poignant and compelling lessons and make the material come alive. These stories show the reader in an accessible and engaging way how to apply the sport and exercise psychology concepts outside the classroom. Ultimately, Performance Excellence serves as a wonderful resource for students, as well as for sport and exercise practitioners.

Full Product Details

9781538128893

Table of Contents

Reviews

While most books in the area of sport and exercise psychology have extensive reviews of the research literature, and provide an overview of related concepts and theories, it is relatively rare to find a book that applies this literature from the viewpoint of elite athletes. In Performance Excellence, the chapter writers tell their stories in a very personal and compelling way; abstract concepts (e.g., mental skills, leadership, confidence) are transformed into concrete thoughts, emotions, and desirable performance outcomes. The athletes in this book tell their own personalized story, applying concrete experiences and familiar concepts through take home points located at the end of each chapter. Readers will be fascinated by the challenges, obstacles, and innovative ways the performers go from good to great. This book meets a long-standing need in the sport psychology literature by describing how elite level performers effectively apply cognitive-behavioral techniques, and are rewarded by the high status of their achievements.--Mark H. Anshel, Middle Tennessee State University, author of In Praise of Failure

Stories--it's all about stories. Some are first person accounts, while some are about other people; some describe exercise while others are framed around competitive sports; some are academic, others are anecdotal. Throughout, the immediacy of the story will engage and inform those who are learning about mental performance training, those who practice and those who are their clients.--Kate F. Hays, Ph.D., C.Psych., CC-AASP, director, The Performing Edge, Toronto, past president, American Psychological Association's Division of Exercise & Sport Psychology, This thoughtful collection of stories provides a comprehensive view across many major applied sport psychology topics while personal narratives with heartfelt insights describe a multitude of perspectives on success as defined by athletes, coaches, and performers. As a seasoned professional, I have gained additional examples that I never would have thought to use, while students will be exposed to the inner workings of these private sessions which they often cannot access in class or in a typical textbook. I highly recommend this useful book for the classroom and will be using it in my own practice with athlete-performer consultations.--Paul Salitsky, Ph.D., emeriti faculty in sport and exercise psychology, University of California Davis This unique and interesting book is a valuable contribution to understanding sport psychology concepts through real life stories. Each chapter successfully integrates a short personal narrative with major concepts of sport psychology and concludes with highly practical Take Home Points that will be valuable to athletes, coaches, and mental performance consultants. An enjoyable, interesting, and creative approach to learning about sport psychology and its practical applications.--Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., CMPC, Director, Ohio Center for Sport Psychology Whether as a valuable teaching tool or as an excellent template for research to practice in sport consultancy work, Performance Excellence: Stories of Success From the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology provides authentic examples of real-life, powerful stories from both individuals and teams. This book will serve as an outstanding addition to any scholar-practitioner in the field who seeks compelling examples to frame evidence-based, best practice working with clients and to students in sport psychology classes both graduate and undergraduate.--Colleen M. Hacker, Ph.D., CMPC, FNAP, 6-time Olympic Games coaching staff Performance Excellence: Stories of Success from the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology is designed for a diverse array of readers. These include professionals in the field, coaches, athletes, parents, and other individuals who enjoy inspirational stories related to performance excellence. Sachs, Tashman, and Razon have artfully selected vignettes that can serve as teaching tools to illustrate key theories and concepts in the field of sport and exercise psychology. In addition, applied practitioners may choose to pass these stories on to their clients who are encountering similar challenges. I highly recommend this book! It is a joy to read and provides poignant reflections on meaningful topics in both sport and exercise psychology. Performance Excellence is a must-have contribution to the literature!--Bonnie G. Berger, Fellow of AASP, APA, NAK, Professor Emeritus, Sport and Exercise Psychology, Bowling Green State University The editors' fealty to the notion that stories constitute a powerful teaching and learning device is uniformly supported in their work. The book is a worthy addition to the typical sport and exercise psychology library. Its brief and interesting stories and their messages will certainly be of considerable value to students and their teachers alike.--David Pargman, Emeritus Professor, Florida State University While most books in the area of sport and exercise psychology have extensive reviews of the research literature, and provide an overview of related concepts and theories, it is relatively rare to find a book that applies this literature from the viewpoint of elite athletes. In Performance Excellence, the chapter writers tell their stories in a very personal and compelling way; abstract concepts (e.g., mental skills, leadership, confidence) are transformed into concrete thoughts, emotions, and desirable performance outcomes. The athletes in this book tell their own personalized story, applying concrete experiences and familiar concepts through take home points located at the end of each chapter. Readers will be fascinated by the challenges, obstacles, and innovative ways the performers go from good to great. This book meets a long-standing need in the sport psychology literature by describing how elite level performers effectively apply cognitive-behavioral techniques, and are rewarded by the high status of their achievements.--Mark H. Anshel, Middle Tennessee State University, author of In Praise of Failure

While most books in the area of sport and exercise psychology have extensive reviews of the research literature, and provide an overview of related concepts and theories, it is relatively rare to find a book that applies this literature from the viewpoint of elite athletes. In Performance Excellence, the chapter writers tell their stories in a very personal and compelling way; abstract concepts (e.g., mental skills, leadership, confidence) are transformed into concrete thoughts, emotions, and desirable performance outcomes. The athletes in this book tell their own personalized story, applying concrete experiences and familiar concepts through take home points located at the end of each chapter. Readers will be fascinated by the challenges, obstacles, and innovative ways the performers go from good to great. This book meets a long-standing need in the sport psychology literature by describing how elite level performers effectively apply cognitive-behavioral techniques, and are rewarded by the high status of their achievements.--Mark H. Anshel, Middle Tennessee State University, author of In Praise of Failure The editors' fealty to the notion that stories constitute a powerful teaching and learning device is uniformly supported in their work. The book is a worthy addition to the typical sport and exercise psychology library. Its brief and interesting stories and their messages will certainly be of considerable value to students and their teachers alike.--David Pargman, Emeritus Professor, Florida State University Performance Excellence: Stories of Success from the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology is designed for a diverse array of readers. These include professionals in the field, coaches, athletes, parents, and other individuals who enjoy inspirational stories related to performance excellence. Sachs, Tashman, and Razon have artfully selected vignettes that can serve as teaching tools to illustrate key theories and concepts in the field of sport and exercise psychology. In addition, applied practitioners may choose to pass these stories on to their clients who are encountering similar challenges. I highly recommend this book! It is a joy to read and provides poignant reflections on meaningful topics in both sport and exercise psychology. Performance Excellence is a must-have contribution to the literature!--Bonnie G. Berger, Fellow of AASP, APA, NAK, Professor Emeritus, Sport and Exercise Psychology, Bowling Green State University Whether as a valuable teaching tool or as an excellent template for research to practice in sport consultancy work, Performance Excellence: Stories of Success From the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology provides authentic examples of real-life, powerful stories from both individuals and teams. This book will serve as an outstanding addition to any scholar-practitioner in the field who seeks compelling examples to frame evidence-based, best practice working with clients and to students in sport psychology classes both graduate and undergraduate.--Colleen M. Hacker, Ph.D., CMPC, FNAP, 6-time Olympic Games coaching staff This unique and interesting book is a valuable contribution to understanding sport psychology concepts through real life stories. Each chapter successfully integrates a short personal narrative with major concepts of sport psychology and concludes with highly practical Take Home Points that will be valuable to athletes, coaches, and mental performance consultants. An enjoyable, interesting, and creative approach to learning about sport psychology and its practical applications.--Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., CMPC, Director, Ohio Center for Sport Psychology Stories--it's all about stories. Some are first person accounts, while some are about other people; some describe exercise while others are framed around competitive sports; some are academic, others are anecdotal. Throughout, the immediacy of the story will engage and inform those who are learning about mental performance training, those who practice and those who are their clients.--Kate F. Hays, Ph.D., C.Psych., CC-AASP, director, The Performing Edge, Toronto, past president, American Psychological Association's Division of Exercise & Sport Psychology, This thoughtful collection of stories provides a comprehensive view across many major applied sport psychology topics while personal narratives with heartfelt insights describe a multitude of perspectives on success as defined by athletes, coaches, and performers. As a seasoned professional, I have gained additional examples that I never would have thought to use, while students will be exposed to the inner workings of these private sessions which they often cannot access in class or in a typical textbook. I highly recommend this useful book for the classroom and will be using it in my own practice with athlete-performer consultations.--Paul Salitsky, Ph.D., emeriti faculty in sport and exercise psychology, University of California Davis

While most books in the area of sport and exercise psychology have extensive reviews of the research literature, and provide an overview of related concepts and theories, it is relatively rare to find a book that applies this literature from the viewpoint of elite athletes. In Performance Excellence, the chapter writers tell their stories in a very personal and compelling way; abstract concepts (e.g., mental skills, leadership, confidence) are transformed into concrete thoughts, emotions, and desirable performance outcomes. The athletes in this book tell their own personalized story, applying concrete experiences and familiar concepts through “take home points” located at the end of each chapter. Readers will be fascinated by the challenges, obstacles, and innovative ways the performers go from “good” to “great.” This book meets a long-standing need in the sport psychology literature by describing how elite level performers effectively apply cognitive-behavioral techniques, and are rewarded by the high status of their achievements. -- Mark H. Anshel, Middle Tennessee State University, author of In Praise of Failure The editors’ fealty to the notion that stories constitute a powerful teaching and learning device is uniformly supported in their work. The book is a worthy addition to the typical sport and exercise psychology library. Its brief and interesting stories and their messages will certainly be of considerable value to students and their teachers alike. -- David Pargman, Emeritus Professor, Florida State University Performance Excellence: Stories of Success from the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology is designed for a diverse array of readers. These include professionals in the field, coaches, athletes, parents, and other individuals who enjoy inspirational stories related to performance excellence. Sachs, Tashman, and Razon have artfully selected vignettes that can serve as teaching tools to illustrate key theories and concepts in the field of sport and exercise psychology. In addition, applied practitioners may choose to pass these stories on to their clients who are encountering similar challenges. I highly recommend this book! It is a joy to read and provides poignant reflections on meaningful topics in both sport and exercise psychology. Performance Excellence is a must-have contribution to the literature! -- Bonnie G. Berger, Fellow of AASP, APA, NAK, Professor Emeritus, Sport and Exercise Psychology, Bowling Green State University Whether as a valuable teaching tool or as an excellent template for “research to practice” in sport consultancy work, Performance Excellence: Stories of Success From the Real World of Sport and Exercise Psychology provides authentic examples of real-life, powerful stories from both individuals and teams. This book will serve as an outstanding addition to any scholar-practitioner in the field who seeks compelling examples to frame evidence-based, best practice working with clients and to students in sport psychology classes both graduate and undergraduate. -- Colleen M. Hacker, Ph.D., CMPC, FNAP, 6-time Olympic Games coaching staff This unique and interesting book is a valuable contribution to understanding sport psychology concepts through real life stories. Each chapter successfully integrates a short personal narrative with major concepts of sport psychology and concludes with highly practical “Take Home Points” that will be valuable to athletes, coaches, and mental performance consultants. An enjoyable, interesting, and creative approach to learning about sport psychology and its practical applications. -- Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., CMPC, Director, Ohio Center for Sport Psychology Stories—it’s all about stories. Some are first person accounts, while some are about other people; some describe exercise while others are framed around competitive sports; some are academic, others are anecdotal. Throughout, the immediacy of the story will engage and inform those who are learning about mental performance training, those who practice and those who are their clients. -- Kate F. Hays, Ph.D., C.Psych., CC-AASP, director, The Performing Edge, Toronto, past president, American Psychological Association’s Division of Exercise & Sport Psychology, This thoughtful collection of stories provides a comprehensive view across many major applied sport psychology topics while personal narratives with heartfelt insights describe a multitude of perspectives on success as defined by athletes, coaches, and performers. As a seasoned professional, I have gained additional examples that I never would have thought to use, while students will be exposed to the inner workings of these private sessions which they often cannot access in class or in a typical textbook. I highly recommend this useful book for the classroom and will be using it in my own practice with athlete-performer consultations. -- Paul Salitsky, Ph.D., emeriti faculty in sport and exercise psychology, University of California Davis

Author Information

Michael Sachs is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, College of Public Health, at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. He is co-editor of Applied Exercise Psychology: The Challenging Journey From Motivation to Adherence, and is associate editor of Psychology of Running and coeditor of Running as Therapy: An Integrated Approach. He also co-wrote The Total Sports Experience for Kids: A Parents' Guide to Success in Youth Sports. He is a co-editor of the 12th edition of the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology. Sachs is a past-president of both the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and Division 47, the Society for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, of the American Psychological Association (APA). He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with AASP. Lauren S. Tashman, PhD, CMPC, is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), providing mental performance coaching, leadership advising, and team/organization consulting in sport, exercise, and non-sport performance settings in New York City and worldwide. She has consulted with a variety of sports, such as golf, softball, baseball, gymnastics, soccer, rowing, swimming and diving, tennis, basketball, and volleyball at a variety of levels including youth, collegiate, professional, and national/Olympic. Tashman was previously an associate professor in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (SEPP) as well as Coordinator of the Master’s program in SEPP at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. She also served as the Coordinator of Sport Psychology Services, providing mental performance coaching to the Barry athletes, coaches, and teams as well as supervising the master’s students with their practicum experiences. She is the co-editor of two books: Becoming a Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Professional: A Global Perspective (2014) and Global Practices and Training in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (2016). Selen Razon is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, College of Health Sciences at West Chester University. She is co-editor of the recently published Applied Exercise Psychology: The Challenging Journey from Motivation to Adherence. Razon’s research interests focus on exercise promotion in underserved populations and the effects of exercise on cognitions and affects.

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