Sport Psychology for Young Athletes

Camilla J. Knight, Chris G. Harwood, Daniel Gould, Camilla J. Knight, Chris G. Harwood, Daniel Gould

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781138682382
• eBook ISBN: 9781134820351
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Applied Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Understanding and applying psychology within youth sport settings is key to maximising young athletes' enjoyment, wellbeing, and sporting performance. Written by a team of leading international researcher-practitioners, this book is the first to offer an evidence-based introduction to the theory and practice of sport psychology for children and young athletes. It provides practical strategies and guidance for those working in or researching youth sport, demonstrating how to integrate sport psychology effectively in a variety of youth sport contexts.

With real-life case studies that demonstrate psychological theory put into practice, it discusses a wide spectrum of issues faced by young athletes and recommends the best approaches to addressing them. Key topics covered include:

• the cognitive, social, and physical development of young athletes
• optimising fun, motivation, and self-confidence
• enhancing young athletes' relationships with coaches, parents, and peers
• managing stress, injuries, and transitions
• effectively developing talent and long-term engagement in sport
• encouraging organisational culture change.

The most up-to-date and authoritative guide to sport psychology for young people, this is essential reading for anyone working in youth sport.

1

An introduction to sport psychology for young athletes

Camilla J. Knight, Chris G. Harwood, and Daniel Gould

Throughout our careers, we have all had the pleasure of working with and learning from numerous children, athletes, parents, coaches, and practitioners. Through such work we have developed a passion for gaining a greater understanding of youth sport. Particularly, we have devoted our energies to identifying and developing strategies to enhance the experiences of all individuals involved. We have committed to learning about psychological characteristics and skills used by young performers at all levels, explored the psychosocial experiences of young athletes, sought insights into the experiences and involvement of parents in sport, and examined the engagement and knowledge of youth sport coaches. From such research and work, we have come to the belief that the highest quality youth sport environments are ones that facilitate intentional psychosocial growth, and take this mandate very seriously as a means not only to healthier, happier athletes but also to better performing athletes in the long-term.

Such a focus is, at least in our opinion, particularly important given the cultural changes that have occurred in youth sport over the last decade or so, particularly in relation to ‘talented’ or ‘elite’ young athletes. Isolated ‘young phenom’ success stories have been mirrored by the spectrum of negative chapters that emerge in the annals of youth sport – from deselection, dejection, and dropout to cases of athlete abuse and maltreatment, identity foreclosure, depression, and life skill deficits. The ongoing trend of well-publicised mental health challenges disclosed by elite adult athletes and the ever-snowballing ‘cheating narrative’ that is beleaguering several medal-fixated sport governing bodies have created a societal sense that something wrong is going on; our moral compass is off, relevant education and support is missing, and this is not good for the next generation. Indeed, in light of the concerns highlighted above, the most recent Sport Duty of Care Review launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the United Kingdom aims to develop a comprehensive plan for how government and the whole sporting system can more effectively look after people who take part in grassroots sport and people who perform at the elite level, including those on a talent pathway (DCMS, 2016).

Fortunately, sport psychology researchers and practitioners are well placed to draw upon a breadth of scientific and applied knowledge from outstanding scholars and practitioners from around the world to support the psychological health and wellbeing of young athletes. However, despite access to such excellent work, as practitioners we have each encountered times when we struggled to understand how best to apply such knowledge in practice or appreciate what it is really like to work in different youth sport contexts and with different audiences. In the highly emotional, complicated, and dynamic world of youth sport, we have realised that more often than not we are ‘learning on the job’; working out how to adapt to different situations, expectations, and needs, while spontaneously developing ‘creative’ ways in which to engage young athletes and communicate complex ideas. Despite such challenges, we believe that working in youth sport and having the opportunity to positively impact upon the lives of young athletes, as well as their parents and coaches, is incredibly rewarding and one that we would recommend to all researchers and practitioners.

Given such a belief, as well as an awareness of the issues we have encountered when working in youth sport, we felt that a book examining both sportpsychology research and practice related to young athletes was important and necessary. Specifically, we wanted to bring together some of the world’s best research practitioners to share their scientific understanding of different psychological constructs and considerations as they apply to children and adolescents. Further, we sought to draw on these individuals’ extensive applied experiences to help shed light on how exactly practitioners could or should go about working on these topics with young athletes, parents, and coaches. By producing this book, which combines literature overviews with case studies, scenarios, practical suggestions, and lessons learnt, we hope that we have produced a valuable resource for future and current practitioners, as well as coaches and sports organisations, with an interest in the psychosocial elements of youth sport.

To address our initial aims for this book, we have brought together 60 researchers and practitioners who have shared insights regarding sport psychology for young athletes across 26 chapters. These chapters are split into four sections: Section I – Setting the scene; Section II – Key considerations during childhood; Section III – Key considerations during adolescence; and Section IV – Working with young athletes. Within each section we have sought to provide examples of pertinent and timely topics that we have found to be critical in our own work with young athletes at different ages.

Section I comprises four chapters designed to provide a broad overview of key ideas that should be considered throughout all subsequent chapters. Larry Lauer, Rebecca Zakrajsek, and Earlynn Layer start by illustrating the importance of sport psychology in youth sport, particularly highlighting the valuable role of psychological skills training with young athletes. Next, Rich Neil and Brendan Cropley provide personal insights into the challenges that can be encountered when working within a variety of youth sport contexts. Strategies to overcome these challenges based on Rich and Brendan’s extensive applied experiences are also provided. The final two chapters in this section, by Lindsay Kipp and Mark Holland, Sam Cooley, and Jen Cumming respectively, highlight important developmental considerations that must be accounted for when working with children and adolescents. First, Lindsay examines the cognitive, social, physical, and environmental changes that occur throughout childhood and adolescence, and provides examples of how to account for such changes when working with young athletes. Next, Mark and colleagues examine neurological changes that occur during adolescence and present a range of strategies for identifying the psychological needs of young athletes.

Having set the scene and introduced important developmental considerations, Section II focuses on a small selection of key considerations during childhood. Broadly considered as the first decade of life (Slater, Hocking, & Loose, 2003), childhood is an important time in which to introduce children to sports and facilitate the development of a range of physical skills in a fun and enjoyable environment (Côté & Hay, 2002). Parents are the main source of influence during this time (Holt & Knight, 2014), and children are starting to establish their perceptions of physical competence and self-confidence that can influence both their long-term positive development through sport and their chances of fulfilling their potential (see Holt 2016 and Baker, Cobley, Schorer, & Wattie, 2017 for extensive discussions).

Drawing on the aforementioned ideas, the first chapter in this section, by Richard Keegan and Camilla Knight, seeks to illustrate the importance of developing physical literacy and intrinsic motivation to encourage lifelong participation in sport and physical activity for all children. Next, Amanda Visek and colleagues explore the vital role of fun in youth sport while providing extensive, evidence-based strategies for enhancing children’s fun in sport. Joan Duda, Juliette Stebbings, Paul Appleton, and Isabel Balaguer then extend many ideas presented in the preceeding two chapters by examining strategies to optimise children’s motivation in sport. Drawing on a number of large-scale interventions, this chapter provides practitioners with clear, practical strategies for working on motivation in youth sport. In the next chapter, Robin Vealey, Melissa Chase, and Robin Cooley illuminate the complexity of children’s self-confidence in youth sport. Underpinned by self-efficacy and self-confidence theories, this chapter guides practitioners through seven scenarios commonly encountered when working with young athletes.

Recognising the vital role of parents during childhood, the next chapter by Travis Dorsch critically evaluates approaches to optimising family involvement in youth sport, with a particular emphasis on two parent education programmes from the UK and the USA. Section II then concludes with two chapters by Áine MacNamara and Dave Collins, and Scott Pierce, respectively, which explore specific approaches to developing young athletes. Áine and Dave present an approach to talent development underpinned by the systematic development of Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence, while Scott reviews and evaluates knowledge of strategies to promote positive youth development in and through sport.

Proceeding from Section II, we move into Section III, which comprises eight chapters focused upon some of the key considerations for adolescent athletes. Adolescence is a period of substantial change (Arnett, 1999); young athletes experience an increase in training and competition demands, work within larger and more complex support networks, and must negotiate numerous physical and psychological changes (Côté & Hay, 2002; Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). As such, aligned with the movement from childhood to adolescence, we start Section III with a chapter from Paul Wylleman examining the transitions young athletes can encounter throughout their lifetime. Based on a holistic approach to understanding transitions, Paul explores the intricate and important role sport psychologists can play in supporting athletes during both normative and non-normative transitions.

The next four chapters then focus upon individual topics that, in our experience, are increasingly pertinent in the current youth sport climate. First, Britton Brewer, Albert Petitpas, and Judy Van Raalte discuss the critical issues of self-identity, paying particular attention to the challenges associated with identity foreclosure and athletic identity. Second, Peter Crocker, Katherine Tamminen, and Erica Bennett draw on theory and research examining adolescent athletes’ experiences of stress, emotion, and coping in sport. Particularly, through the use of detailed, practical examples, the authors highlight numerous strategies practitioners can employ to help athletes manage the often challenging world of youth sport. Third, Urban Johnson and Andreas Ivarsson explore strategies to facilitate the prevention of injuries among adolescent athletes, as well as rehabilitation and re-introduction to sport. Fourth, Susan Backhouse, Kelsey Erickson, and Lisa Whitaker discuss the extremely complicated topic of doping in sport. Drawing on the latest research in this area, as well as extensive applied experiences, this chapter examines the role of sport psychology practitioners in educating and supporting parents, coaches, and athletes to prevent doping in sport.

Next, in the second part of this section, three chapters examine social and environmental factors influencing adolescents’ experiences. Alan Smith and Anthony Delli Paoli first provide a comprehensive review of peers and friendship in sport. Based on decades of research, Alan and Anthony detail a range of strategies to enhance friendships and peer relationships and manage conflict within teams. Denise Hill and Richard Thelwell then examine the key components of successful athlete–coach relationships and the influence of coaches in the lives of adolescent athletes. Drawing on a case study of a cricket coach, Denise and Richard describe how practitioners can work with coaches to improve their communication and engagement with adolescent athletes. Finally, Kristoffer Henriksen, Louise Storm, and Carsten Larsen discuss the impact of organisational culture on coach behaviours and athlete outcomes. Based on an ecological approach to talent development, this chapter encourages practitioners to utilise strategies aimed at facilitating a supportive organisational culture to enhance athlete development.

In concluding this text, Section IV draws together many of the preceding ideas and focuses specifically upon working with young athletes. Recognising the various approaches to working with athletes, as well as accounting for the important developmental considerations associated with young athletes, this section includes insights across seven areas. Brandonn Harris, Lindsay Blom, and Amanda Visek start by reviewing considerations practitioners need to be aware of when working with young athletes. For instance, this chapter examines ethical considerations, the role of technologies in consulting, as well as specific strategies for engaging and maintaining young people’s involvement. Gretchen Kerr, Ashley Stirling, and Ellen MacPherson then examine the important role of practitioners in protecting the physical, emotional, and psychological health of young athletes. Particularly, in this chapter Gretchen and colleagues propose the value of consultants adopting an ethic of care approach when working with young athletes.

Next, Paul McCarthy and Andrew Wood and colleagues present two differing approaches to working with young athletes: Paul reflects upon his work with young athletes using a cognitive behavioural approach, while Andrew Wood, Jamie Barker, and Martin Turner examine the utility of adopting rational emotive behaviour therapy to enhance young athletes’ resilience. This section then concludes with three chapters examining specific examples of sport psychology delivery. Dan Gould and Lauren Szczygiel first consider the effective delivery of group presentations, highlighting key factors to consider, ranging from purpose and content to strategies to maintain athletes’ interest. Chris Harwood and Karl Steptoe then describe and illustrate the principles of integrated service provision in sport psychology, and focus on four examples of work with athletes and coaches that showcase the delivery of prominent psychosocial themes in youth sport. Finally, Camilla Knight and Rachael Newport examine the importance of understanding and working with parents, and share lessons they have learnt through their experiences of working with individual parents as well as delivering group workshops and programmes.

Through the research, theory, and real-life experiences presented in this book, we think we have covered many of the important sport psychology topics and considerations as they relate to young athletes. However, decisions regarding the topics to include and how best to focus ideas across different sections were incredibly difficult. As is abundantly clear throughout this text, youth sport is a nuanced, sometimes challenging, but always exciting environment in which to work. Further, the psychological considerations pertaining to young athletes are extensive. As such, we could have included three to four times as many topics as we have and considered them across more specific age ranges, cultures, and settings. Further, we could have easily doubled the number of case studies, examples, and practitioner suggestions. Unfortunately, however, we had to limit what was included, but we hope we have provided a range of interesting insights and experiences that will stimulate discussion and reflection about sport psychology for young athletes. Most importantly, we hope that the information shared throughout this book will enable all of us to work more efficiently and effectively with young athletes and help us to support young people to enjoy their sporting experiences and reach their individual potential.

References

Arnett, J. J. (1999). Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered. American Psychologist, 54, 317–326.

Baker, J., Cobley, S. Schorer, J. & Wattie, N. (Eds.). (2017). Routledge Handbook of Talent Identification and Development in Sport. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Côté, J. & Hay, J. (2002). Children’s involvement in sport: A developmental perspective. In J. M. Silva & D. E. Stevens (Eds.), Psychological Foundations of Sport (pp. 484–502). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

DCMS (2016). Sport Duty of Care Review: Call for evidence. Retrieved from www.gov.uk/government/consultations/sport-duty-of-care-review-call-for-evidence.

Holt, N. L. (Ed.). (2016). Positive Youth Development through Sport. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Holt, N. L. & Knight, C. J. (2014). Parenting in Youth Sport: From Research to Practice. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Slater, A., Hocking, I. & Loose, J. J. (2003). Theories and issues in child development. In A. Slater & G. Bremner (Eds.), An Introduction to Developmental Psychology (pp. 34–63). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

Wylleman, P. & Lavallee, P. (2004)...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of boxes
• List of editors
• List of Contributors
• 1 An introduction to sport psychology for young athletes
• Section I Setting the scene
• Section II Key considerations during childhood
• Section III Key considerations during adolescence
• Section IV Working with young athletes
• Index