Pete Jackson, QSEP Trainee, @petejackson
I don’t know about you, but my reading list is very long. Or very high, depending upon how you imagine these books to be stacked. I imagine my reading list stacked upwards and upwards, up through the clouds and into space.
This is exacerbated whenever you meet a fellow reader, often at a conference. I find I come away from conferences with the names of enough books to fill a lifetime of reading.
Four years ago, this inspired me to set a big hairy audacious goal; to read 100 books in five years. With 11 months to go I’m doing okay – I’ve read 87 books. But has this solved my problem?
Well in some ways, yes – I am pleased to have absorbed all those new ideas, perspectives and knowledge. I am also proud that I have been slowly striving towards completing my long-term goal.
But in other ways, no – it may have made the problem worse. Books spawn more books. The more you read, the more titles you discover, and the list grows ever bigger. It’s like the hardcore levels of Tetris, where the blocks (or books) are shooting down into view faster than you can deal with them.
Nowhere has this been felt more than in my QSEP journey towards Chartered Sport Psychologist status. Between the CPD days, the relevant journal articles, the paperwork, the admin… oh, and actually consulting with athletes – where does one find the time to dip into, let alone immerse oneself, in the multitude of great books within our industry and neighbouring disciplines? The answer, for me at least, is ‘with great difficulty’!
Which begs the question, what literature do you prioritise?
Now, the following texts are those that I have found particularly beneficial as a neophyte practitioner. There may be other incredible books that I don’t mention and please feel free to let me know about them (adding to my imaginary magical beanstalk of books shooting up through the clouds). I have decided to list three key books that have influenced my developing practice so far. Those who are interested can visit this webpage where I have put together a longer reading list following a poll of experienced sport psychologists on social media.
Okay so let’s get into it. Book number one…
1. Being a Sport Psychologist, Richard Keegan (2016)
This book has been ‘ever present’ through my training thus far. When you enter the Stage II phase after your masters it is a very daunting place. ‘OkayI’ve studied this for four years; how do I actually DO this?’. Richard Keegan has taken on the enormous task of decoding the sport psychology process and building an elegant structure and model for sport psychology practice – from the intake and rapport building, through to case formulation, interventions and measurement.
One of the smallest but most critical pieces of advice I’ve gained from this book is to take detailed notes throughout one’s practice and to be meticulous with record keeping. Not only is this great for reflecting on your work later and working out how to improve, it is an important cornerstone of ethical practice, and is of huge importance if you are ever audited by your regulating body.
2. How to Support a Champion, Steve Ingham (2016)
If Keegan (2016) has provided a comforting structural blanket to my practice, Ingham’s fantastic book has given me a multitude of hacks, tips, tricks and applied advice – formed in the furnace of performance support at the sharp end of British Olympic sport.
One thing I have taken from this book is the skepticism athletes (or indeed experts in any field) may have when faced by a cocky consultant with ‘all the knowledge’, spouting their impressive evidence base without having taken the time to learn about the environment, to ask about the athletes or coaches about their experiences, or to take the time to understand the context of the situation. One of Ingham’s many helpful soundbites is “contextually sensitive” recommendations. I have found this cue to be incredibly useful.
3. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all Small Stuff, Richard Carlson (1997)
Finally, alongside Keegan’s (2016) comforting blanket of best practice, and Ingham’s (2016) contextual knowledge of the applied environment, Carlson (1997) has given me the tools to look after myself. If you are a Stage II trainee reading this, the onus on self-care may very well be an issue that resonates strongly with you. This book is a delightful hitchhike through a wealth of helpful exercises and perspectives, delivered in pleasant little bite size chunks. The reading experience of the book is clearly designed to mirror the clear and clutter free world of thinking that Carlson envisages.
The book has 100 nuggets of advice. Here are three that resonated with me:
#56: Be grateful when you’re feeling good and graceful when you’re feeling bad
#88: Listen to your feelings (they are trying to tell you something)
#89: If someone throws you the ball, you don’t have to catch it
This last nugget has been particularly transformative. Re-training in any discipline is about embracing new challenges and opportunities, but there comes a point when saying ‘no’ means you can give more focus, quality and heart to the opportunities already on your plate (as well as unlocking more time for friends and family as well).
Summary
Well, there you have it. Three books that have shaped my practice in notable ways, through the first half of my QSEP training. If you are hugely passionate about one of the many titles I haven’t mentioned, I would love to hear from you. Until then, happy training and happy reading.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have thirteen more books to read…and many more to add to my beanstalk.
Correspondence:
Pete Jackson, QSEP Stage II trainee
Pete Jackson Sport Psychology
BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Blog 