Krista J. Munroe-Chandler

The purpose of this study was to examine 25 years of abstracts from a prominent sport and exercise psychology student conference to investigate presentation characteristics, presenter characteristics, and presenters’ current occupations. A quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 2,102 abstracts and 1,204 presenters was conducted. Sport psychology research was represented most frequently over all time periods (49.5%–65.7%); however, exercise psychology (+10.9%) and health psychology (+5.3%) grew more prevalent over time. Quantitative methods were used most frequently in all time periods (43.9%–53.8%), while qualitative research increased in frequency over time (+4.9%). The most common research topics, regardless of date, were (a) physical activity (13.6%) and (b) equity, diversity, and inclusion (11.5%). Results of current occupations of former presenters demonstrated that the proportion of individuals who occupy academic positions has decreased over time (−21.7%). Explanations and implications are provided for research topic and methods trends and the state of career prospects for students.

Psychological skills training (PST) is recognized as a powerful tool for Para athletes across various sports and outcomes including self-talk, imagery, relaxation, and injury recovery. This chapter focuses on basic and advanced psychological skills that have been researched most extensively and developed into an online PST program for Para athletes. The psychological skills addressed in this chapter include (1) goal setting, (2) imagery, (3) self-talk, (4) routines, (5) attentional control, (6) emotional control, (7) activation, and (8) relaxation, and can be used to show practitioners the variety of options available when delivering psychological skills with Para athletes. Although there has been growth in applied research with Para athletes, the chapter offers several avenues of future research to consider.

The UWorkItOut UWin program is a 6-week exercise training and counseling intervention aimed to improve the mental health of university students. Benefits of the program include a reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms, physical, psychological, and cognitive outcomes, as well as the development of various coping skills. Despite these favorable outcomes, a process evaluation of the program is needed to understand its effectiveness. The present study conducted a process evaluation using the RE-AIM framework to assess the UWorkItOut UWin program. Data collected from a mixed-method quasi-experimental pretest-posttest single group design was analyzed using the RE-AIM dimensions (i.e. Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Sixty participants (n = 60) completed pre-post surveys, exercise training data, self-report physical activity questionnaires, and exit interviews. The program performed well across the RE-AIM dimensions. The program had high adherence rates (reach) and positive outcomes related to mental health, such as decreased anxiety (d = -0.58), depression (d = -0.36), and loss of emotional control (d = -0.42) as well as increased general positive affect (d = 0.47) emotional ties (d = 0.40), and increased physical activity levels (effectiveness). Program staff were valuable for the social support they provided to participants (adoption). However, the program faced barriers with respect to securing dedicated space to conduct the program (implementation) and lacked evidence of long-term maintenance of physical activity participation (maintenance). The program prioritizes a client-centered approach to meet the needs of the participants. As such, continued program evaluation and adaptation is needed.

The purpose of this paper was to identify and describe sport-based psychological skills training (PST) programs available online. An eight-step systematic review methodology for identifying and describing websites was used to search for programs delivered asynchronously through online learning modules, designed for athletes, and presented in English. Information available through a program’s home page(s) (i.e., website) was used for analysis, as individual modules were not evaluated in this study. Information from these websites was assessed for readability and quality; the DISCERN instrument was used to assess the quality of information included to describe each program. Descriptive statistics and content analyses were employed to describe various program characteristics, categorized as access and audience, delivery, and content. Overall, 18 online module-based PST programs were identified. Most information on a program’s website was rated as fairly difficult to read, and DISCERN scores were often poor. Nevertheless, programs were generally framed for athletes of all competitive levels, varied considerably in how they were delivered (e.g., number of modules, time to complete), and offered content on a variety of topics in sport psychology (e.g., imagery, attentional control). This study identifies the current state of PST programs available online and provides a descriptive account of these programs. This research advances several implications for research and practice, including the need to investigate the effectiveness of online PST programs.

The popularity and commercial success of videogames in the current era has given rise to a new type of competition: electronic sports (or esports). Researchers have proposed that esports players would benefit greatly from the applied sport psychology work typically conducted with traditional athletes and more specifically from evidence-based interventions. Imagery interventions have proven beneficial for the traditional athlete at managing anxiety in competitive settings, and in fact League of Legends players have noted the importance of mental skills, including imagery, to achieving optimal performance. The aim of the current paper is to provide practitioners with an imagery intervention specifically designed for managing anxiety in League of Legends players. Three 30-min workshops are described wherein the practitioner follows the three phases of Psychological Skills Training; education, acquisition and practice.

Psychological skills training (PST) programs involve the delivery of multiple mental skills. While this ‘packaged’ approach to mental skills training is effective, little is known regarding the proper sequence of such mental skills. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a sequence for the delivery of basic mental skills. The Sequence of Basic Mental Skills consists of four mental skills: (1) goal setting, (2) imagery, (3) self-talk, and (4) relaxation. The premise of this sequence is that each skill will assist in the learning and application of subsequent mental skills. To help practitioners utilize this sequence, a brief case study is included to illustrate the application of this sequence. The Sequence of Basic Mental Skills offers both theoretical and practical implications and addresses a notable gap in the sequencing of mental skills.

The current study aimed to qualitatively explore participants’ perceived effectiveness of the UWorkItOut UWin program (a six-week exercise and counseling intervention) as well as the perceived outcomes. Previous research has found the UWorkItOut UWin program to be effective at decreasing psychological distress in university students. Exit interviews from program participants (N = 58) were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Various influencing factors (e.g., qualified personnel, client centered approach, and program structure) that positively contributed to the various program outcomes were noted. These outcomes were organized into four main themes: 1) physical outcomes, 2) psychological outcomes, 3) cognitive outcomes, and 4) coping skills. Overall, the UWorkItOut UWin program was perceived to be an effective intervention to improve participant mental health and wellbeing.

Have you ever pictured yourself scoring the game-winning goal or staying calm at a crucial point in a match or performance? If you answered yes to either of these, then you have used a mental skill called imagery. Imagery is creating (or recreating) situations in your mind. Many top athletes in the world use imagery to help them perform at their best. In fact, just like any physical skill, such as running or a tennis serve, imagery improves with practice. In this article, we explain how imagery works, suggest what to image, and explain when and where you can use imagery to improve sport performance.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between passion and imagery use in competitive youth gymnastics. The participants included 245 (male, n = 10; female, n = 235) gymnasts between the ages of 7-16 years participating in women’s artistic gymnastics (n = 221), men’s artistic gymnastics (n = 7), as well as trampoline and tumbling (n = 17). Athletes completed questionnaires measuring the frequency of imagery use and their passion towards the sport of competitive gymnastics. A series of multiple regression analyses indicated that both harmonious and obsessive passion were significantly related to all five types of imagery. More specifically obsessive passion was most strongly associated with four of the five types of imagery (CS, CG, MS, and MG-A), and harmonious passion was most strongly associated with one of the five types of imagery (MG-M). Results and implications of passion and imagery use in competitive youth sport are discussed.