Author: bpsdsep

‘‘Know-What vs Know-How’’: Contextual intelligence in effective sports consultancy

Elliot Sharpe, Loughborough University, @efsharpe

Every sport science consultant, whether from the disciplines of psychology, nutrition, physiology (etc.) will be immersed within the challenging and complex environment that is elite sport. Strictly speaking, sports consultants must show evidence of discipline-specific knowledge accumulated through a vast array of qualifications in order to accumulate the ‘know-what’ which can be drawn upon to enhance physical and mental strength, well-being, recovery and other performance related constructs. However, effective consultation involves more than knowledge of techniques and technical skills. It requires understanding the context in which you operate – knowing what works, with which persons, and in which situations. It is more than knowing what to do; it is knowing how to apply this to initiate meaningful change.

Contextual intelligence 

Being able to understand the values and attitudes of people at all levels of the sport requires high levels of awareness and empathy that the contemporary practitioner can utilise to improve the potential to become more effective. The contextually intelligent consultant recognises the language of the sport and system to make possible the prudent, intelligent, and illuminating application of technical knowledge in a meaningful way to generate change [1]. Although the term contextual intelligence [2] may be unfamiliar to some, it’s importance is reflected in various issues including (but not limited to): gaining entry [3], becoming accepted within a team, increasing intervention adherence, working with families [4] and NGBs, and helping others deal with organizational stress [5].

How to develop contextual intelligence 

The consultant with prior experience in the specific sport and is fluent in the culture’s language has a distinct advantage at initially understanding it’s technical information. Previous experience as an athlete is another activity that could help consultants understand the unique demands and pressures faced by athletes [2]. However, it is important to state that prior sporting experiences does not ensure practitioners will be effective, as there is potential to ignore the unique personal experiences of their clients [6]. Overall, I believe the most important way for consultants to develop contextual intelligence is to become immersed within a team that will help consultants build relationships and recognise how best to structure, deliver and promote their message in a way that can be clearly received and applied to key performance behaviours. This involves high levels of adaptability to adjust their consulting approach which can suit the specific needs of the client and further enhance the ability to connect with people in a more effective and genuine way [7].

Becoming immersed within the team

Contextual intelligence is typically associated with the ‘know-how’ that lies at the heart of building trusting, credible relationships in sport. It is the foundation by which consultants earn legitimacy and respect within a team. Becoming immersed within the team allows the consultant to build rapport and working alliances that is crucial to being able to integrate within coaching staff rather than operate as isolated consultants. In addition, observing the day-to-day practices within a team allows the consultant to recognise the most effective method of delivering an intervention that could be more likely to be accepted, gain subsequent ‘buy-in’ [8], and be understood in the language of the sport. This immersion also means that consultants may be exposed to disciplines outside of their technical expertise and offers the unique ability to shape others practice in an interdisciplinary fashion. 

In summary:

The concept of contextual intelligence is an important factor that could determine success as a sports consultant. Knowing what to do is often not enough to initiate meaningful change at an individual, team or organisational level. Knowing how to structure, implement and promote an intervention or strategy within a sport could be the important difference between being fit for practice or not [9]. Importantly, the time spent immersed within a team can help consultants develop contextual intelligence and ultimately build trust, respect and credibility. 

If you want to know more get in touch with Elliot (elliot.sharp@live.co.uk) or check out Elliot’s LinkedIn profile

Exams ARE Stressful – But we don’t need to lose our mind! Using stress to our advantage

Andrew Wilkinson, Loughborough University, @AndyWilkinson93

Exam season is here… but that’s not a problem. You have your parents, your friends, and your lecturers telling you that you’ll be fine, that there’s nothing to worry about. Funnily though that rarely helps to dissipate your worries and fears. In truth, exams can be frightening, daunting, and elicit numerous negative emotions. Yet how can a test be frightening? It isn’t sending you threatening messages nor hiding under the bed, instead you are convincing yourself that this is something to fear, when in fact (with exception to certain newspapers), paper really isn’t that scary.

Exam season though is a stressful time, the demands and consequences of performance are high, and the effort required to do well intensifies. Yet, stress isn’t necessarily bad, and on the contrary, it can actually help us. Without stress, and often the pressure behind it, we may lack the motivation to increase effort, thereby reducing our overall performance. Olympic athletes often train on Christmas day due to the stress and pressure of performing well at the Olympic games, but if they were guaranteed a gold medal would they be so dedicated? Stress has the power for good, and how we consider this stress can have an immense impact upon our performance and well-being.

“It is not things that trouble us, but our judgement about things” (Epictetus, Enchiridion)

The way in which we respond to stress often depends upon how we perceive the demands of the situation and our resources to cope. When we feel we have the required resources to cope with the demands, we will respond with a positive challenge state. When challenged we respond better physically and possess more positive emotions. Though should we determine that the demands are stronger than our resources, we respond with a negative threat state, with which comes a less favourable physical response and more negative emotions (Blascovich & Mendes, 2000).

Demands

The possible danger or consequences of a situation, the amount of uncertainty we have about it, and the amount of effort we think we must put in to succeed make up demands. Therefore, it’s clear to see that an important exam is highly demanding. The consequences of failing an exam are often something we wish to avoid, few exams are available to us before we sit them (uncertainty), and to do well we must exert a high level of effort. However, there is very little we can do to alter these demands. It might be a nice thought, but an impossible task to get our hands on the exam paper a week or so before we sat the thing, yet this isn’t possible, not legally anyhow. Resources however may fall more into our control.

Resources

Knowledge, ability, and skills are key elements of our resources. These are things that may seem difficult to change but can certainly be trained with the right approach. Effective revision and ‘mock’ papers are perfect ways to do this. Social support is another key element, so it’s essential you have people around who you can talk to, i.e., friends, parents, classmates). Even an email to your lecturer may help. “I think I’ll struggle on this exam because…” Of course, if your reasoning is something like “… I drank too much over Christmas and never visited one of your sessions” then they may not be too understanding. Still, there are 3 essential areas that can help boost your perception of resources (Jones, Meijen, McCarthy, & Sheffield, 2009), and thus help you feel challenged, which will be explained in detail below.

Self-efficacy

Simply, self-efficacy is the belief you have in your ability to execute behaviours necessary to perform well (Bandura, 1977). Have you, and can you continue to, revise adequately? Have you completed further reading? Looked at past exam papers? All of these things will help to boost your levels of self-efficacy heading into exams. You can be confident in your ability to do well if you’ve prepared to the best of your ability. You might have lapses, but believing you have a good level of knowledge and resources heading into the exam will help you to perform well. A looming exam may reduce your feelings of confidence, but thinking back to when you last performed well, and imagining your thoughts and feelings from that occasion can help to restore this confidence. You wouldn’t be here now if you hadn’t succeeded before?

Control

No, you can’t control what questions will be on the exam, nor can you control the time limit, the location, nor the difficulty, but that doesn’t mean you have no control. If you focus on the things that you can control and adequately plan and pursue these, then you should not only feel more in control when sitting your exam, but you should also feel more confident. So, what can you control?

  • Sleep
  • Nutrition
  • Time-management
  • Physical activity levels
  • Familiarizing yourself with exam locations
  • Ensuring you have the right equipment (e.g., stationary)
  • Strategic revision

All of these (and more) are arguably essential heading into the exam season, and apart from certain circumstances (e.g., illness), are things that you can control! Not only will careful consideration and planning for each of these ensure better preparation and revision performance, they will also help you feel more in control, helping you to respond to the stress of the season with a challenge state. Why waste energy worrying about the things you cannot control when you may be ignoring some of the things which you can? A great exercise to do to maximize this is known as control mapping (please see Dr Martin Turners blog – https://thesmarterthinkingproject.com/control/ where he discusses the production and use of this activity).

Approach vs avoidance goals

You may be reading this thinking “As long as I don’t fail, I’ll be happy” and maybe that’s true, but setting goals like this is almost setting yourself up to fail! If you’re aiming to avoid being the worst in your class or to avoid failing, it is extremely unlikely you will be putting in as much effort to prepare as someone who is aiming to do the best that they possibly can. The same can be seen in athletes when approaching an important match, those who want to avoid doing badly often perform worse than those who want to be seen showing off their skill. A rugby player looking to avoid being seen as incompetent will be less likely to enter a risky tackle as strongly as another player who wants to be seen achieving.

What does the science say?

Research has continued to show that not only will we feel better under stress when challenged, but we’ll also perform better too. In sport (Turner et al., 2013), medicine (Vine, Freeman, Moore, Chandra-Ramanan, & Wilson, 2013), and education settings (Seery, Weisbuch, Hetenyi, & Blascovich, 2010), a challenge response to stress is often seen to better prepare and motivate us for important and stressful events, much like an exam. For example, when students were encouraged to improve their levels of coping resources, they felt less anxious and performed better within exams compared to students who weren’t encouraged to do this (Jamieson et al., 2016). Therefore, our thoughts about exams can greatly impact how we feel and perform.

Yes, exams are stressful, but use this stress as motivation to prepare. The more prepared you feel, then the more in-control and confident you will feel. Be challenged, not threatened. You’re in control.

Top tips –

  1. Focus on what you can control and set out a clear plan on how you will maximise these controllables. Try out some control mapping (https://thesmarterthinkingproject.com/control/)
  2. Think back to past exams that you have performed well in. You’ve come a long way already in your academic life, think back to your past accomplishments, imagining how you felt and prepared.
  3. Try to remember that those butterflies in your stomach are normal, it’s just your body preparing itself, regulating blood flow, adrenaline, and oxygen.
  4. Think rationally – Exams are important, but surely there are more important things in your life? (e.g., family/social/sport/career).
  5. Takes breaks and try to get some exercise.
  6. Practice under pressure – Take some mock exams, answer some mock essay questions, make sure you stick to time constraints. Reward yourself for correct answers or punish (not watching that next episode on Netflix!) when you do poorly. This can help you acclimatize to pressure.
  7. Use the support you have available. Speak to people, your friends, family, classmates, and lecturers. Everyone experiences stress, sharing your thoughts with others will always help.  

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological review, 84(2), 191.

Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2000). Challenge and threat appraisals: The role of affective cues. In J. Forgas (Ed.), Feeling and thinking: The role of affect in social cognition (pp. 59-82). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Epictetus and Stoicism: The Wisdom of the Slave Philosopher. (2018, July 18). Retrieved January 8, 2020, from https://academyofideas.com/2018/06/epictetus-stoicism-wisdom-of-the-slave-philosopher/.

Jamieson, J. P., Peters, B. J., Greenwood, E. J., & Altose, A. J. (2016). Reappraising stress arousal improves performance and reduces evaluation anxiety in classroom exam situations. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7(6), 579-587.

Jones, M., Meijen, C., McCarthy, P. J., & Sheffield, D. (2009). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes. International review of sport and exercise psychology, 2(2), 161-180.

Seery, M. D., Weisbuch, M., Hetenyi, M. A., & Blascovich, J. (2010). Cardiovascular measures independently predict performance in a university course. Psychophysiology, 47(3), 535-539.

Turner, M. J., Jones, M. V., Sheffield, D., Slater, M. J., Barker, J. B., & Bell, J. J. (2013). Who thrives under pressure? Predicting the performance of elite academy cricketers using the cardiovascular indicators of challenge and threat states. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 35(4), 387-397.

Vine, S. J., Freeman, P., Moore, L. J., Chandra-Ramanan, R., & Wilson, M. R. (2013). Evaluating stress as a challenge is associated with superior attentional control and motor skill performance: Testing the predictions of the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 19(3), 185.

The BPS DSEP Conference 2019: A Rookie’s Perspective

Zoe Moffat, Glasgow Caledonian University, @ZoeMoffatSP

            Last month marked my first BPS DSEP Annual Conference – and what an experience! After a rather bumpy journey to Solihull the day before (ten hours and three airports later…) I arrived at the venue, bright eyed and bushy tailed with fellow students and staff from Glasgow Caledonian University. The conference, themed on ‘new horizons in sport, physical activity and performance psychology’ sought to offer an opportunity for practitioners to network, learn and discuss innovative ideas from both research and applied perspectives. I perceived it to do just that, across two action-packed days of keynote speakers, interactive workshops, panel discussions and presentations on a wide range of topics.

Day One

Day one opened with a warm welcome from the DSEP committee, before the first keynote was presented by Dr David Tod. His presentation titled ‘Psychology without psychologists: the goal of professional training’ highlighted the importance of managing our own ego’s in professional practice, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable when reflecting on our own behaviour. In this essence, the idea of questioning ‘whose needs are being served?’ appeared particularly powerful.

After a short break, colleagues and I delivered a symposium on our work at GCU (a shameless plug!) exploring the theme of person or performer. On a more serious note, for those considering presenting at this years conference, be that your research findings or applied experience: do it. Presenting last year was a personal highlight and an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. Fellow delegates provided a supportive environment, characterised by high engagement and intriguing questions that will undoubtedly be of benefit.

            After more interesting oral presentations, poster sessions, and lunch, I attended an interactive workshop by the SportWales team on creating thriving environments. The interactive workshops provided the opportunity for diverse groups from trainee’s to experienced practitioners, to discuss how they would go about ‘growing culture’. The team then presented honest reflections on how they went about achieving this in practice, and the time and energy it required. To close the day, Professor Diane Crone delivered a final keynote, reiterating the power of physical activity and less conventional modes of consulting, for example the use of art.

Day Two

            After a great evening at the conference dinner it was time for day two. In the third keynote of the conference, alongside presenting information on challenging issues such as suicide in sport, Dr Allan Johnston posed an interesting question for the field – how do we as sport and exercise psychologists present ourselves? Across the conference, I perceived most individuals to be seeking to provide support to those operating in sport and exercise environments at a person and performer level, be that athletes, coaches or other practitioners. Dr Johnston’s opening slides though – highlighted that this may not be what google (or the world) think!

            A highlight from the conference, was Dr Andrew Manley’s workshop on the use of escape rooms to facilitate learning. Andrew enthusiastically delivered the ‘escape room’ he and his team developed, which brought research methods to life in a series  of break-in challenges. A fun, different experience, the findings from their research also seem to suggest that these experiences  facilitate real-world performance improvements (there’s a paper coming!) Attending the workshop has sparked a range of conversations and personal reflections as to how we as psychologists, can make content come alive in both educational and applied environments.

The final keynote of the conference, was delivered by Dr Chris Harwood who shared critical reflections on operating in youth sport environments and our role as psychologists within them. The conference later concluded with an intriguing panel discussion on practicing in disability and Paralympic sport. Dr Jamie Barker and the panellists interactions provided me with two key messages. First, it is always okay to ask the question and that it is always more productive than guessing or assuming. Second, a somewhat fitting message for a trainee, that it is okay to ‘get it wrong’ and that you probably will, the key is in being honest and authentic about such transgressions.

            To conclude, Solihull provided a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, share knowledge, ask questions and consider new ideas across multiple areas. There were far too many amazing presentations to account for in a blogpost, but every presentation I attended, and I am sure those I didn’t, offered a wealth of knowledge and insight for those attending. A special mention here to the DSEP Committee and conference volunteers who did an amazing job organising the conference and creating a warm, friendly and exciting atmosphere for all attendees. The next BPS DSEP Conference is in Liverpool this year (30th November-1st December 2020) and for anyone interested, I’d definitely recommend.

What am I thinking and feeling? Using Think Aloud within coaching and coach education.

Dr Amy Whitehead, Reader in Sport Psychology and Coaching, Liverpool John Moores University

Sarah Green, Performance Pathway Coach Developer, England Netball

Previously the BPS published a blog by Dr Amy Whitehead, which outlined what Think Aloud was and how athletes, coaches and practitioners could use it. This current blog aims to share the experiences of using Think Aloud, from an applied practitioner. Sarah Green is both a coach and a coach developer and has used Think Aloud within her practice. Sarah’s role is to support the development of coaches delivering within the Netball Performance Pathway, this includes the Vitality Netball Super League Coaches as well as the Roses Academy. Dr Amy Whitehead asked Sarah the following questions about how she was introduced to Think Aloud and how she has used it within her practice:

How did you hear about Think Aloud?

Prior to working at England Netball I worked at The FA. Amy delivered a workshop at one of our development days on Think Aloud. I had never heard about it so I was totally intrigued by the concept and thinking about how I might be able to use it within my then role as a manager and coach educator/developer.

What were your initial thoughts?

After first hearing Amy talk about it I wasn’t sure how it would work for me. It can feel really exposing and leave you a little vulnerable I think if you don’t establish some boundaries for yourself or the person you’re sharing it with. I was concerned about what I would say and if it would just feel like storytelling and therefore become a distraction to my coaching.

How did you first implement this in your role as a coach and a coach developer?

I first used Think Aloud as part of my own coaching practice. I am the first team coach at Derby County Ladies. I’m an A Licence coach so I’ve completed a lot of coach education over the past few years so I was looking for ways that I could develop as a coach beyond those qualifications. I have recently used Think Aloud to support me when I have been delivering a range of sessions that I’ve designed to support the players thinking.

At England Netball I run a coach development programme. Part of the programme is about introducing the coaches to new ideas and concepts that allow them to explore their coaching practice and style. At the October camp I introduced the coaches to Think Aloud. We explored the concept and I shared with them some of my audio before we then had the opportunity to have a go during the court sessions. Away from the programme the coaches have engaged with Think Aloud really well, they regularly send me voice notes from their sessions and I have used the method when observing their coaching on insitu visits.

If any – how has Think Aloud developed or improved your practice?

As a coach I believe it has helped me to continue to stretch and challenge myself in terms of continuing to develop my self-awareness as a coach. I have been able to recognise how I’ve spoken to individuals, how certain reactions from players make me feel and then distract me from my delivery. I’ve found it useful to only have the audio rather than audio and video as I have often got distracted by what I’m doing or the practice. By not having video I am purely focusing on my thoughts and then I can recognise those thoughts again and take different action if required.

I have also used Think Aloud whilst observing the coaches on the coach development programme. I have found it really useful to just say my thoughts out loud and not get distracted by writing things down! The feedback from the coaches has been hugely positive, they have said that they find it really interesting to hear my thoughts throughout the session and how they develop and change as the practices develop. I believe that it gives me an opportunity to share what I’m thinking and feeling in that moment and as things develop I might change my mind or opinion and the audio captures that process.

To find out more about Dr Whitehead and her work follow her on twitter: @a_whitehead1

And read her other DSEP Blog article here: https://bpsdsep.home.blog/2019/04/15/what-are-you-thinking-how-think-aloud-protocol-can-help-us-understand-ourselves-and-our-athletes-cognitions/

Sub 2-hour Marathon – Changing History or Publicity Stunt?

On Saturday 12th October 2019 in Vienna, Eliud Kipchoge made history by running a marathon in 1 hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds, a feat long thought to be impossible. The achievement has been likened to historical moments such as Roger Banister’s 4-minute mile and even Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. Yet, some were quick to condemn the momentous achievement as just a publicity stunt for companies such as Nike and INEOS.

Not a sanctioned marathon?

The event, which was branded the INEOS 1:59 Challenge was specifically designed so Kipchoge could attempt to break the 2 hour mark for running the 26.2mile distance. The event was a strategically planned with military precision, the latest technology and the support of a huge team of people. Kipchoge was not actually competing against any other runners and had a team of pacesetters, laser pace setting technology, state of the art running shoes and a specifically designed course to assist his speed.

How much was down to the man?

Only minutes after Kipchoge crossed the finish line many began questioning how much of the performance was down to his running ability and how much could be attributed to the technological assistance. Kipchoge has consistently shown that he can run a marathon around the 2 hour mark since his marathon debut in 2013, and has held the marathon world record since 2018 with a time of 2 hours 1 minutes and 39 seconds. In an event put on by the sports brand Nike in 2017 Kipchoge showed he was the athlete who would be physically able to break this infamous running barrier by running the marathon distance in 2 hours and 25 seconds.

Changing history

People can and will continue to argue about if this achievement is sanctioned or not, but no one can deny that running will forever remember the name of Eliud Kipchoge as the man who changed the landscape of running. The sport of marathon running is changing at an impressive speed, with this achievement followed the very next day by Brigid Kosgei decimating the existing women marathon world record in Chicago, and setting a new time of 2 hours 14 minutes and 4 seconds. This is an exciting time for running and in my opinion, it is only a matter of time before the 2-hour barrier is broken in a competitive marathon, but will it be Kipchoge? Only time will tell.

If you would like to publish an article, discussion or research summary on the DSEP blog please get in touch with us via our submissions page

Chair’s Message – October 2019 Update

Well I can’t believe this is my last DSEP Chair’s blog post of my tenure as Chair. The conference in December will mark the end of my two-year period as Chair and the transition to a new Chair of the Division.

The increasingly dark nights of autumn signal the count down to the 2019 DSEP Annual Conference taking place this year at the voco St John’s hotel in Solihull, West Midlands. The conference taking place on 2nd and 3rd December already looks like it is going to be a great success based upon registrations to date. The conference has many highlights in the programme including eminent keynote speakers such as Prof Diane Crone, Prof Chris Harwood and Dr Allan Johnston. The theme for the conference is ‘New horizons in sport, physical activity and performance psychology’ and the programme will offer expert insight into many contemporary issues and challenges facing practitioners, researchers, educators, and trainees alike. To book a place at the conference visit the BPS conference page:

Book a place at the DSEP Annual Conference

The CPD team within the Division continue to develop plans for delivery in 2020. At the time of writing we are in discussions with BASES about running a joint CPD event in 2020, as well as running free-to-member and free-to-Stage 2 trainee events, plus delivering the first DSEP webinars. As I write this in mid-October we are also running the first free-to-Stage 2 trainees event run by the Division focused on ‘Contemporary Practitioner Skills in Sport and Exercise Psychology’. If you are interested in running or organising a BPS Learning Centre workshop please get in touch.

I am sure you have noticed the increased presence of the Division across a range of different social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and the Division’s blog post page as well. Emily Pattinson has been working hard to provide regular posts and updates focused on sharing information, starting conversations, inviting comment, and advertising events relevant to our membership. We are also looking to launch a new annual Division members survey at this year’s annual conference to provide a further voice to the Division’s membership to influence and shape the future direction and focus of the Division in a rapidly changing British Psychological Society.

It is great to see the Division’s Applied Hubs continuing to grow both in terms of numbers and activity. It is also wonderful to see a session at the Annual Conference focused on the work of the Applied Hubs. The DSEP committee are currently exploring a number of ways we can seek to further support the Hubs and the reach of their activities.

Finally, you have hopefully seen the calls for nominations for DSEP committee members across the different communication channels. Membership of the committee is open to all DSEP members, regardless of age or experience. Anyone who is keen to continue the great work undertaken by committee members past and present is encouraged to put themselves forward for one of the roles. Being on the committee represents the opportunity to make a difference, to contribute to the profession in the UK, and to make new friends.

As ever, if you have any comments or suggestions, or would like to get involved please get in touch. You can email the DSEP chair at: dsepchair@bps.org.uk

Stewart Cotterill

DSEP Chair

Who are the HCPC and Why should I care?

You may have heard the acronym HCPC in recent years or been involved in debates about the HCPC and how they work. But, who are they? And, what do they have to do with us as sport and exercise psychologists?

Who are the HCPC?

The Health and Care Professionals Council are a regulatory body for 16 different health care professions including paramedics, dieticians and practitioner psychologists. This allows for the regulation of practitioners educations, training and practise to ensure that a suitable consistent service provided to the public. The regulation protects the public from practitioners who are not qualified or providing the suitable standard to service.

How does this apply to me?

One of the protected titles under practitioner psychologists is sport and exercise psychologist, this means that to call yourself a sport and exercise psychologist you have to have completed a HCPC recognised qualification and registered with the HCPC. If you use the title ‘sport and exercise psychologist’, or a derivative such as ‘sport psychologist’ or ‘exercise psychologist’ without being qualified and registered, you will be breaking the law and it could result in prosecution.

What’s the fuss about?

Are you wondering why everyone is making sure a fuss about HCPC registration? Without clear regulation many unqualified, unsuitable people could be setting up practises and claiming to be able to provide services they cannot. Which could put athletes at risk, many of whom could be young people. Over recent years the HCPC have been criticised for not properly policing the use of protected titles such as ‘sport and exercise psychologist’ and pursuing prosecutions against those who flout the law. Often this is an area of disagreement; many believe the HCPC should be doing more proactive about seeking out rogue practitioners, whereas others recognise that it is beyond the reach and remit of the HCPC to actively seek out those incorrectly using protected titles.

What can be done about unregistered practitioners?

As members of the HCPC or trainees it is in our best interests to actively protect our title. Many times, you may come across trainees or students using a protected title without knowing that they are not permitted to do so. If you feel it may be a lack of knowledge on the part of the person, it would be appropriate to mention to them the nature of protected titles and regulatory laws. If you feel a persons is knowingly presenting themselves under a protected title they’re not permitted to use or offering services they’re to qualified to provide. The best action to take is to report this to the HCPC directly via a form on their website. (www.hcpc-uk.org/concerns).

For more information about what the HCPC do and how to register as a practitioner check out their website (www.hcpc-uk.org)

Early Specialisation and its Effects on our Children

Emily Pattinson, University of Leeds, @EmilyPatPsyc

Early specialisation within a sporting context is often the subject of discussion, when should youth athletes intensify their training towards elite performance and are there potential implications for their future. Within the ‘Developmental Model of Sports Participation (Côté et al., 2007), early specialisation is defined as the focus and intense training of a single sport with little or no involvement in other activities. A clear distinction needs to be made between participating in a single sport at low or recreational level and early specialisation, which refers to inclusion in high-level focused programmes. 

Many sports coaches see the practise of early specialisation as the most productive way for youth athletes’ to achieving elite performance success. The link between accumulated hours of practise and level of expertise is one of the most robust relationships in behavioural science. Many researchers have used this strong relationship as justification for the practise of early specialisation. One greatly criticised theory at the forefront of this argument is the 10-year rule (Ericsson, Krampe & Tesch-Romer, 1993), a notion that an athlete must accumulate 10,000 hours of deliberate practise to achieve expertise. The accumulation of such a large amount of practise hours before the time of optimum peak performance may only be possible in some sports by the use of early specialisation.

The potential long-term negative effect of early specialisation on youth athletes creates concern for the future of these children.  Early specialisation has been linked with heightened anxiety, low motivation, reduced enjoyment, shorter career length, injury and burnout (Moesch et al., 2011). These effects are caused by the restrictive nature of early specialisation. The lack of opportunities for socialisation outside of the sporting context dramatically reduces the athletes social development, peer acceptance and can have a damaging effect on the child’s developing self-identity. Another common problem with the practise of early specialisation is the high level of adult control. Without parental support youth sport would not be possible, however worryingly, this support can sometimes result in ‘achievement by proxy’ in which the adult knowingly or unknowingly aims to gain personal advancement as a result of the child’s success.  Adult driven control on child athletes can result in increased anxiety and even feelings of guilt following unsatisfactory performance (Knight et al., 2011 ).

One alternative to early specialisation for youth athletes is the practise of early diversification, which refers to the practise of many sports and the use of primarily deliberate play (Côté et al., 2007). Deliberate play is the practise of skills that are inherently enjoyable yet may still contribute to the development of expertise, which is different to the less enjoyable deliberate practise, the repetition of skills designed solely for the development of expertise, seen in early specialisation. Early diversification also encourages the involvement of other sports and activities within a child’s training, up to and even after the specialisation phase in late adolescence.

The negative influence of early specialisation and the inherent positives of early diversification are clear, but what happens when the sport in question requires peak performance before full maturity? When peak performance and expertise are necessary in a shorter time frame, is early diversification possible? Many would argue no. Sports such as gymnastics, diving and figure skating all require an athlete to reach peak performance before the age of 18 years and are know as ‘early entry’ sports. In contrast some studies have suggested a link between early specialisation and peak performance in ‘early entry’ sports. However, qualitative investigation repeatedly highlights the negative impacts on enjoyment and future health that athletes relate to early specialisation.

The ethical question still remains; is a potential link to enhanced performance worth the risk of negative long-term effects on the child’s physical and mental health? There is a need for more in-depth knowledge into the effects of early specialisation and potential alternatives in sports where peak performance is required before full maturation.

References

Côté, J., Baker, J., & Abernethy, B. (2007). Practise and play in the development of sport expertise. Handbook of sport psychology, 3, 184-202.

Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practise in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological review, 100(3), 363 – 406.

Moesch, K. et al. (2011). Late specialization: the key to success in centimeters, grams, or seconds (cgs) sports. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 21(6), e282-e290.

Knight, C. J., Neely, K. C., & Holt, N. L. (2011). Parental behaviours in team sports: How do female athletes want parents to behave? Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 23(1), 76-92.

Originally published in The Sport and Exercise Scientist (2016)

Becoming a Sport and Exercise Psychologist

Jo Davis, @JDPsychology, www.jdpsychology.co.uk

Matt Cunliffe,@MattCunliffe24, www.sportpsychologykent.co.uk

The video below is presented by two excellent psychologists Jo Davies and Matt Cunliffe who have both completed the BPS qualification in sport and exercise psychology (QSEP). They will talk about their own experiences of completing the qualification as well as giving existing and potential QSEP candidates tried and tested tips, ideas, and information. This is a must watch for all those starting out on their QSEP journey.

To find out more about QSEP check out the British Psychological Society website