The findings highlight the challenge of distinguishing between discomfort and real pain and the influence of socio-cultural norms on pain tolerance within ultra-running. The study raises important applied implications for coaches and sport psychology practitioners with regards to developing a holistic picture of ultra-runners’ pain experiences and cultivating environments that facilitate multiple narratives and enhance individuals ultra-running experiences ..read more

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attachment orientations of coaches within the competitive and elite youth coaching community with the aim of understanding their possible impact on the coach-youth athlete relationship. 107 participants were recruited (level 2 or higher qualified UK based youth coaches) across multiple sports. Data was collected using the Experience in Close Relationships – Relationship Structure questionnaire (ECR-RS) to determine participants’ attachment orientation. Results found that 51% of youth coaches presented as securely attached, while 13% presented as ..read more

As the sport globalisation continues, those working within this sector have been required to engage in transnational mobility. Such transnational careers are enriching and taxing at the same time. Transnational mobility also extends to those who undertake training programs in this sector, such as sport psychology students. While many trainee sport psychologist professionals (tSPs) from around the world choose the United Kingdom (UK) for their training, little is known about their experiences of this transnational mobility. In this study, we aimed to provide an insight into the experiences of t ..read more

The service delivery and philosophy of sport psychology practitioners is highly influenced by their life experiences, values, and personal beliefs. Nevertheless, accounts of such influences are limited within the professional development literature. In this article, the first author provides an analysis of how her experiences as a transnational female student-athlete and student-coach have shaped her identity and professional development as an applied sport psychology trainee. In so doing, the first author has reflected on the challenges and opportunities that she faced through these experienc ..read more

Based on my experience assessing on the BPS’s Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology (QSEP Stage 2), this article shares 10 suggestions for Trainee Sport and Exercise Psychologists and others on comparable qualifications to strengthen the quality of their reflective practice diary and, in turn, benefit the quality of their learning, development, research, and consultancy: (1) Make reflective practice a key part of the Plan of Training; (2) Experiment with different reflective models; (3) Showcase your awareness and understanding of literature; (4) Pick meaningful objects of reflection ..read more

Spotlight Profile is a contemporary personality profiling tool developed in elite sport that focuses on fostering adaptability. It has been increasingly deployed by sport psychology consultants in sport and other organizational settings, yet how end-users perceive the tool’s use to benefit their performance is not yet known. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored the experiences of 16 individuals who have engaged with Spotlight Profile as part of a performance-based intervention across elite sport and a series of other domains (e.g. business, education, health). Thematic analysis led to ..read more

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of sports and exercise psychologists and sports and exercise psychology trainees from minority groups as they practice within the field. The experiences of UK minority sports and exercise psychologists and trainees within the field have not been widely explored in the literature. The lived experiences of three practitioners were explored through the lens of race, sexual orientation and religion. Forty-five-minute semi-structured interviews were analysed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis. The following themes arose fro ..read more

Spotlight Profile is a contemporary personality profiling tool developed in elite sport that focuses on fostering adaptability. It has been increasingly deployed by sport psychology consultants in sport and other organizational settings, yet how end-users perceive the tool’s use to benefit their performance is not yet known. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored the experiences of 16 individuals who have engaged with Spotlight Profile as part of a performance-based intervention across elite sport and a series of other domains (e.g. business, education, health). Thematic analysis led to ..read more

In the following article, we present composite narratives of female sport and exercise psychologists’ (SEPs) reflections on working as practitioners in situations where they have faced sexism and a culture of toxic masculinity. We discuss the impact, both professionally and personally, of these experiences and look at what lessons can be learned from the sharing of these narratives. We conclude by offering our thoughts on how these negative shared experiences can be used in a positive way to inform culture change, educate supervisors of the challenges and be woven into supervision so that fema ..read more

This article is aimed at alerting sport psychologists to the problem of poor management of anger-based aggression and violence in some team contact sports athletes. It uses an infamous violent incident from the 2014 rugby league Super League Grand Final as a way into a discussion about anger-based aggression and violence. Details of the violent incident are described and the possible reasons why it occurred are examined, followed by a discussion of cognitive interventions sport psychologists could use to assist athletes whose individual and team performance is negatively affected by similar an ..read more