Assessment in Sport Psychology

Book excerpt: Will the athlete you're working with put it all together when everything is on the line? What can you do to make sure an athlete performs best when it really counts? Are certain conditions more likely to lead to success (or failure) for her? Will he be able and willing to make the changes required to be more successful? In today's highly competitive environment the answers to these questions often spell the difference between success and failure not only for individuals but also for entire teams and organisations. At the upper levels of performance in situations where competing individuals and teams have all the technical skill and tactical knowledge required to be successful psychological factors become the most important determinants of outcome. The ability to control emotions to communicate effectively and to perform under pressure is what separates winners from losers. Sport psychologists are beginning to uncover the links between thought processes and physiology; as a result today's testing tools have much greater utility and relevance than ever before. Today more than ever before sport psychology professionals must have the skills necessary to bridge the worlds of science and application.