ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

#TeamOUsport academics Dr Caroline Heaney, Dr Nichola Kentzer and Professor Ben Oakley have recently published a new book ‘Athletic Development: A Psychological Perspective’. The book examines some of the psychological factors that can help or hinder the development of participants in sport. It shines a unique psychological perspective on the athlete’s development through sport and explores a range of contemporary themes that influence athlete’s development including:

• An introduction to athletic development which orientates a holistic, psychological perspective of the athletic development process.
• Social influences on athletic development, which explores the impact of varied social influences (e.g., coach, family, peers, school) on sports participation and performance from a psychological perspective.
• Athlete wellbeing, which explores various aspects influencing mental health and welfare as an athlete progresses through their sports career.

The book features contributions from experts in the field including #TeamOUsport central academics Jess Pinchbeck and Candice Lingam-Willgoss and associate lecturers Jo Horne and Iain Greenlees and is a core resource in our new module E312 Athletic Development: A Psychological Perspective.

The book comprises fifteen chapters as outlined below.

Section I: Athletic Development: A Holistic View of the Journey Ben Oakley

1. What Is Athletic Development? Ben Oakley
2. How Did We Get Here? Exploring the Evolution of Athletic Development Perspectives Ben Oakley
3. Transitions on the Athlete Journey: A Holistic Perspective Robert Morris
4. Retirement from Sport: The Final Transition Candice Lingam-Willgoss
5. Researching Athletic Development Joanna Horne

Section II: Social Influences on the Athlete’s Journey Nichola Kentzer

6. Coach-Athlete Relationships: The Role of Ability, Intentions and Integrity Sophia Jowett and Katelynn Slade
7. Towards Mutual Understanding: Communication and Conflict in Coaching Lauren R. Tufton
8. Creating an Optimal Motivational Climate for Effective Coaching Iain Greenlees
9. The Family Behind the Athlete Jessica Pinchbeck
10. How Does the School Setting Influence Athletic Development? Nichola Kentzer

Section III: Mental Health and Wellbeing on the Athlete’s Journey Caroline Heaney

11. Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing in Sport Caroline Heaney
12. Developing Resilience on the Athlete’s Journey Karen Howells
13. Thriving in Athletic Development Environments Daniel J Brown
14. Athlete Welfare for Optimal Athletic Development Daniel J. A. Rhind

Section IV: Conclusions

15. Effective Athletic Development: Closing Thoughts Ben Oakley, Caroline Heaney, and Nichola Kentzer

Congratulations to Caroline, Nichola and Ben and all the contributing authors!