Most existing applied sport psychology literature has focused on interventions and techniques. Rather than rework the questions of what to do, the second edition of Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology: Applied Theories of Performance Excellence illuminates the questions of who, when, why, and how. The answers to these questions reside in the theories that seasoned practitioners have developed about the psychological, emotional, and behavioral skills and conditions that facilitate optimal performance. Edited by Artur Poczwardowski and Mark W. Aoyagi, the second edition features a diverse collection of 21 distinguished practitioners in the field of sport psychology. Each chapter is an autobiographical and personal perspective on how these preeminent experts developed their authentic and distinctive approaches to the practice of sport psychology with real-life examples and case studies. Their rich cultural and educational backgrounds are reflected in ethnicity, international origin, gender, age, and sociocultural perspectives and experiences. Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology serves as a master class by those who have helped advance the fieldpreserving the knowledge and contributions of the founders and intellectual leaders of applied sport psychology, while also presenting the contemporary innovators of the field. The collective wisdom passed on within this book will be immensely beneficial to both those practicing and studying sport psychology.
Artur Poczwardowski, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Denver. Artur received his PhD in exercise and sport science with specialization in psychosocial aspects of sport from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City in 1997, a master's in psychology from Gdañsk University, Poland in 1991, and a master's in coaching and physical education from the University of Physical Education in Gdañsk, Poland in 1989. Since 1991, Artur has consulted with athletes and teams from numerous sports (e.g., tennis, golf, hockey, judo, squash, team handball, soccer, track and field, diving, rowing, speed skating). He is a certified consultant, AASP (Association of Applied Sport Psychology) and is listed in the USOC Sport Psychology Registry. Artur has over 25 publications (in professional journals and as book chapters). He has delivered over 60 professional presentations on national and international levels and over 25 invited and educational lectures and workshops. His publications and professional presentations focus on sport psychology practice for performance enhancement and psychological well-being, coach-athlete relationships, and coping strategies in elite performers. He served as an associate editor for The Sport Psychologist (2004-2006) and currently serves on its editorial board. Artur and his wife, Kasia, live in Denver with their two children.
Mark Aoyagi, PhD, is director of sport & performance psychology and an assistant professor at the University of Denver. Mark earned a PhD in counseling psychology with an emphasis in sport psychology from the University of Missouri in 2006 and was the sport psychology post doctoral fellow at the University of Southern California. Prior to that, he completed a bachelor's in exercise and sport science and a bachelor's in psychology from the University of Utah in 1999 and a master's in kinesiology, with a sport psychology emphasis, from Georgia Southern University in 2001. Mark is a recognized sport psychology consultant and has worked with several Division I athletic departments as well as professional and Olympic athletes. He is a licensed psychologist in the state of Colorado, a certified consultant, AASP (Association of Applied Sport Psychology) and is listed in the USOC Sport Psychology Registry. His areas of expertise include performance excellence, team effectiveness, and sport as a mechanism for personal growth and social change. Mark is active in several professional organizations including the American Psychological Association and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology; and has publications and national conference presentations on the topics of theory informing practice, team effectiveness, ethics, and training and supervision among others.
