The ability to mould a group of talented individual athletes into an effective team takes effort and skill. Team Psychology in Sports examines the crucial factors in the development of an effective team, introducing important psychological and organizational concepts and offering evidence-based interventions for enhancing the performance of any sports team. The book neatly bridges the gap between theory and practice, with real sporting case studies, examples and practical tools included in each chapter. It covers the full range of issues in team sport, including: planning communication cohesion motivation emotions momentum leadership recovery. No other book offers such an up-to-date, relevant and applied guide to working with sports teams. It is essential reading for all students and practitioners working in sport psychology or sports coaching.

Every fan knows that individual talent is vital to a team. But sport psychologists understand that the key to success is to incorporate talent into a supportive team unit. The editors have assembled a variety of articles to address the psychological issues related to team sport activities on and off the court or field. Chapter 1 introduces a three-phase model to cut through the complexities associated with team sports and chapters 2 to 12 offer theoretical and practical advice. In addition to addressing the major theoretical concepts related to team sport activities, the book discusses the experiences of sport psychologists who have worked with professionals and national teams. Issues include: Methodological Principles; Ethics; Pre-Performance Routines in Self-Paced Tasks; The Principles of Team Building; Understanding and Managing Emotions; Gender Differences; Working With Professional Basketball Players; Improving Concentration Skills for Soccer Players; Issues in Baseball; Optimal Use of Sport Psychology for Developing Confidence.

The ability to mould a group of talented individual athletes into an effective team takes effort and skill. Team Psychology in Sports examines the crucial factors in the development of an effective team, introducing important psychological and organizational concepts and offering evidence-based interventions for enhancing the performance of any sports team. The book neatly bridges the gap between theory and practice, with real sporting case studies, examples and practical tools included in each chapter. It covers the full range of issues in team sport, including: planning communication cohesion motivation emotions momentum leadership recovery. No other book offers such an up-to-date, relevant and applied guide to working with sports teams. It is essential reading for all students and practitioners working in sport psychology or sports coaching.

Can a better understanding of group dynamics raise individual and team athletic performance or improve the outcomes of exercise interventions? Much human behaviour in sport and exercise settings is embedded within groups, where individuals’ cognitions, emotions, and behaviours influence and are influenced by other group members. Now in a fully revised, updated, and expanded second edition, Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology explores the unique psychological dynamics that emerge in sport and exercise groups. It provides a clear and thorough guide to contemporary theory, research, and applied practice, covering core themes and cutting-edge topics as well as highlighting directions for future research. The book is organised into five thematic sections: Part 1: The Self in Groups Part 2: Leadership in Groups Part 3: Group Environment Part 4: Motivation in Groups Part 5: Socio-Environmental Issues in Groups This new edition includes seven completely new chapters, exploring important emerging issues such as social identity, the family, co-ordination and shared knowledge within sport teams, the group as a vehicle for facilitating individual behavior change, social support and emotion regulation, peer leadership, and cultural perspectives in relation to group dynamics. No other book on group dynamics in sport or exercise offers such a close examination of the evidence base, and therefore Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology is important reading for all students, researchers, or practitioners working in sport or exercise psychology, kinesiology, sport and exercise science, sports coaching, or physical education.

Complexity and Control in Team Sports is the first book to apply complex systems theory to ‘soccer-like’ team games (including basketball, handball and hockey) and to present a framework for understanding and managing the elite sports team as a multi-level complex system. Conventional organizational studies have tended to define team sports as a set of highly heterogeneous physical, mental and cognitive activities within which it is difficult, if not impossible, to find common behavioural playing regularities or universal pedagogies for controlling those activities. Adopting a whole system approach, and exploring the concepts of control, regulation and self-organization, this book argues that it is possible for coaches, managers and psychologists to develop a better understanding of how a complex system works, and therefore, to more successfully manage and influence a team’s performance. This book draws on literature from the biological, behavioural and social sciences, including, psychology, sociology and sports performance analysis, to develop a detailed, interdisciplinary and multi-level picture of the elite sports team. It analyzes behaviour across five inter-connected levels: the team as a ‘managed institution’; coaching staff controlling players via cybernetic flows; the team as a playing unit; the individual player as a complex dynamic system expressed through behaviour; and a player’s complex physiological/biological system. Drawing these together, the book throws fascinating new light on the elite sports team and will be useful reading for all students, researchers or professionals with an interest in sport psychology, sport management, sport coaching, sport performance analysis or complex systems theory.

Can a better understanding of group dynamics raise individual and team athletic performance or improve the outcomes of exercise interventions? Much human behaviour in sport and exercise settings is embedded within groups where individuals’ cognitions, emotions, and behaviours influence and are influenced by other group members. Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sports Psychology: Contemporary Themes explores the unique psychological dynamics that emerge in sport and exercise groups. It provides a clear and thorough guide to contemporary theory and research. Recommendations are also presented to inform applied psychology ‘best practice’. Drawing together the expertise of international specialists from sports and exercise psychology, the text covers core themes as well as emerging issues in group dynamics. The text is organised into four sections: Part 1: The Self in Groups Part 2: Leadership in Groups Part 3: Group Environment Part 4: Motivation in Groups Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sports Psychology: Contemporary Themes will be of interest to psychology, kinesiology, sport and exercise science students and researchers, as well as to consultants and coaches.