ACT IN SPORT: Improve Performance through Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment

Does unhelpful thinking influence your sporting performance, or the athletes you work with?

Athletes of all levels experience barriers to performance beyond the physical challenges they face. These can range from, performance anxiety, overthinking, and lack of concentration, to issues of motivation or difficulties when dealing with team members.

ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Training/Therapy – is a modern and effective psychological approach based on a scientific understanding of human thought and emotional processes. ACT uses a practical and easy-to-use framework for skill development through values-based action, commitment, defusion, mindfulness, and acceptance.

By utilising ACT, athletes will flourish into their better selves and improve their performances across their sports and beyond.

ACT in Sport is a practical workbook that provides a variety of simple strategies for athletes, sport psychologists, and coaches – regardless of their level of ability – for growing their skills. It is a manual for anyone wanting to become familiar with this increasingly popular but poorly understood approach to the psychology of sports performance.

More than 20 practical exercises are included, and a free-to-download workbook accompanies the book.

Foreword by Patrick Smith and Steven C. Hayes.

The Authors:

James Hegarty PhD, FNZCCP, is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist. He has worked with individuals, groups and organisations. His long-term interest in the psychology of sports performance has led to consultation work with athletes and the mentoring of other psychologists. He has trained psychologists and other professionals in ACT and mindfulness techniques since 2005. In 2007, in recognition of his contribution to the profession, he was awarded a Fellowship of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists. He works in private practice in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Christoph Huelsmann is a clinical psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working in mental health, rehabilitation, and sport psychology, including as a performance psychologist with High Performance Sport New Zealand. He has experience of working directly with athletes and sport teams as well as teaching, and is currently working in private practice in Wellington, New Zealand.

Published November 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1-911121-38-1 | Print and eBook formats will be available.

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Book Categories: Sport Psychology.