Sport psychologists working with athletes, teams and sports performers are only as effective as their professional techniques and competencies will allow. This is the first book to offer a detailed and critical appraisal of the conceptual foundations of contemporary professional practice in sport psychology. The book presents a series of reviews of the most up-to-date academic and professional literature on professional practice, exploring issues that all psychologists face when working with clients in sport and offers important evidence-based recommendations for best practice. Key topics covered include:

• models of practice and service delivery
• counselling and clinical intervention
• working with teams
• working with young performers
• providing life skills training
• managing career transitions
• working with special populations
• enhancing coach-athlete relations.

With contributions from leading sport psychology consultants in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and continental Europe, this is a comprehensive and thought-provoking resource that bridges the gap between research and application. It is vital reading for all advanced students, researchers and professionals working in sport psychology.

Sheldon Hanton is a Professor of Sport Psychology in the Cardiff School of Sport at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, edited texts, book chapters and refereed conference papers. He is also the Professional Practice Editor of The Sport Psychologist, on the Advisory Board for the Journal of Sports Sciences and on the editorial board for the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, the Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity and Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise.

Stephen D. Mellalieu is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Sport Psychology in the Department of Sports Science at Swansea University, where he is Director of Postgraduate Studies. He has published over 50 research papers and is currently Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, a member of the editorial board of The Sport Psychologist and regularly reviews for a number of journals in the field of sport psychology.