Online support and learning opportunities: Valuable features in the athlete/performer world

Dr Olivia Hurley, Dun Laoghaire Institute Of Art Design + Technology, @DrOliviaHurley, Author of Sport Cyberpsychology

While the online world has come in for, perhaps, some justifiable criticism in recent times, it would be an injustice to vilify the benefits the online world offers to many individuals too, especially in the domain of sport and performance. Athletes and performers across many disciplines, and levels of performance, use the online world frequently because it is a valuable resource for them, for so many reasons, including: (i) to be inspired, (ii) to discover new information, (iii) to remaining in contact with others and (vi) for entertainment purposes (Hurley, 2018).

The Internet enables athletes (coaches and spectators too) from all over the world to view what others in their fields of performance or interest are achieving. It can inspire them to raise their own standards in order to match, and perhaps even supersede, such accomplishments. One of the basic principles of human learning is that of modelling the behaviour of others (Bandura, 1977). That is, individuals often learn by mimicking or copying what they see other individuals doing. In sport and performance settings, this is no different and online, visually/video-based, platforms such as You Tube, as well as social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, allow activities to be recorded, uploaded and watched repeatedly, until that behaviour or skill being performed has been mastered (Boschker, & Bakker, 2002; Boyer, Miltenberger, Batsche & Fogel, 2009). Before the online world, such behaviours often needed to be witnessed in person or were recorded with devices much less transportable that today’s ipads or smartphones, in order for them to be learned, replayed and mastered by others. The online world has remove such inconveniences.

The online world also provides individuals from various sport and performance communities, including coaches and officials, with invaluable opportunities to advance their knowledge-base or to ‘up-skill’ (Hurley, 2018; Leinster Rugby, 2017). Online learning platforms such as Blackboard and Moodle, for example, allow education and coaching programmes to be offered to all kinds of students, with all kinds of backgrounds and specific needs. One of the main, and obvious, advantages of such online learning is that it removes the barriers of location (Kreb & Lockee, 2009). Therefore, a person in nearly any part of the world with Internet access today, can potentially study any discipline not offered in a traditional, on-campus, setting within their own geographical location. Not only does this present individuals with new and exciting learning opportunities for up-skilling their current mastery level, it also generates significant revenue for the institutions offering such online learning programmes, in a very cost-effective way (because lower overhead costs are incurred in the running of such programmes, by using online delivery methods).

The online world also offers many opportunities for like-minded individuals to communicate with each other and support each other in ways not possible before the creation of the Internet. For example, today, injured or retiring athletes and performers across the world often receive hundreds, if not thousands, of messages of support via their social media networks when they are often in greatest need of such important support (Bejar et al., 2017). Periods of rehabilitation and career transition or retirement can be physically and mentally challenging for many people. Supported athletes and performers have spoken publicly in the media about the importance of such social support in helping them to manage those difficult times (The 42, 2017). They have frequently commented how the support they received helped them to remember they are members of special communities. Such awareness may have been forgotten by such individuals in the years before the Internet was created.

One also should not forget that athletes and performers are individuals and people first, before considering what they do in life as a career. The online world enables members of the wider public to see that such people have other interests and hobbies, fun, family, and friendships outside of their careers and public personas. Before the online world, such in-depth information and knowledge was not available to the general public (Hurley, 2018).

So, as stated at the start of this article, while the online world has come in for some justifiable criticism in recent times, it would be an injustice to vilify the benefits the online world offers to many individuals, especially in the domain of sport and performance.

Reference List

Bandura, A. (1977).Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bejar, M.P., Fisher, L.A., Nam, B.H., Larsen, L.K., Fynes, J.M., & Zakrajsek, R.A. (2017). High-

level Korean athletes’ experiences of injury and rehabilitation. The Sport Psychologist, 31, 16-29. 

Boschker, M. C. J., & Bakker, F. C. (2002). Inexperienced sport climbers might perceive and

utilize new opportunities for action by merely observing a model. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 95, 3–9.

Boyer, E., Miltenberger, R.G., Batsche, C., & Fogel, V. (2009). Video modeling by experts with

video feedback to enhance gymnastics skills. Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis, 42, 855-860.

Hurley, O. A. (2018). Sport Cyberpsychology. London: Routledge. 

Kreb, S.G., & Lockee, B.B. (2009). Supporting student-athletes through distance learning: a

game plan for success. Paper presented at the 25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning.

Leinster (2017). Leinster Rugby continues collaboration with St. Mary’s University,

Twickenham. Retrieved from: http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/leinster-rugby-continues-collaboration-with-st-marys-university-twickenham/.

The 42. (2017). Jockey Mark Enright on how he overcame depression. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmsD79Mu9zw

LGBTQ+ Awareness in Sport Psychology Research and Practise

Dr Emily Pattinson, University of Leeds, School of Healthcare, @EmilyPatPsyc

In summer 2016 the Great British Olympic team were praised as being one of the most diverse teams at the games, with 11 openly LGBTQ+ athletes across the Olympic and Paralympic teams. GB equestrian star Lee Pearson literally waved the flag for LGBTQ+ athletes after he was given the honour of being the GB flag bearer at the Paralympic opening ceremony. Other trailblazing LGBTQ+ athletes such as diver Tom Daley, boxer Nicola Adams, race walker Tom Bosworth and hockey players Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh have all raised awareness for LGBTQ+ athletes.

Sadly not all stories from LGBTQ+ athletes are positive, with many athletes suffering as a result of homophobic and transphobic attitudes in sport. This is supported by the findings of the Sport England Pride sports document (2016) in which it was suggested LGBTQ+ equality is see as less important when compared to other minority group equality, such as race or disability. It was also suggested that there is an overall lack of knowledge of LGBTQ+ issues and how to address homophobia and transphobia in GB sport.

No matter your personal feelings towards LGBTQ+ athletes in sport, shouldn’t every athlete feel safe, respected and valued in their sport? The first step to increasing awareness and reducing homophobia and transphobia in sport is to have an open discussion and increase our own knowledge. Here are a few little changes we can make as practitioners, researcher, coaches and humans to help make LGBTQ+ athletes feel welcomed and valued.

Sex and Gender are NOT the same

Gender is often used as an umbrella term for biological sex and gender identity, but they are not the same thing. An easy way to remember this is that biological sex is what you have between your legs, of which there are three options: male, female and intersex. Whereas, gender is what is between your ears, and there are endless options. Gender is a self-expression which sometimes does and sometimes does not match your biological sex. For example, someone who is non-binary may not identify as entirely male or entirely female but this has nothing to do with the biological sex they are.

Try to avoid assuming someone’s gender. A good trick to avoid any upset or uncomfort is to ask someone what pronoun they would like to be referred by: he, she or they. Also many people who are gender diverse may not feel comfortable trying to fill in a survey if the gender options are male or female. Try offering an open text option for gender on forms that way you get the most accurate demographic information and everyone feels valued. These little things can make a huge difference when building a rapport with an LGBTQ+ athlete.

Avoid Heteronormativity and Cis-normativity

Heteronormativity is the belief that heterosexuality (being straight) is the only and right sexual orientation, and cis-normativity is the belief that male and female are the only genders. By making an assumption that someone is straight you could be dismissing a part of that person they are very proud of. Try using gender neutral terms like partner instead of wife or husband, and child instead of son or daughter. A little change but it can make all the difference.

Put yourself in Other People’s Shoes

The best way to combat homophobia and transphobia in sport is to imagine someone said that about you. You would be surprised how many passing comments can be so hurtful. To use an example from my own work, I was informed of an incident in which one youth athlete had made a comment that another youth athlete that their upbringing was poor because they had two mums. If that young person’s mother was disabled no one would question that comment was inappropriate. However in this instance the young person was told by certain coaching staff that they should expect that sort of comment as their parents relationship was not the norm. Should anyone have to expect abuse and inappropriate comments because of something out of their control? Watch the video linked below, it’s a great little video demonstrating what it would be like if homosexuality was the norm and heterosexual people were persecuted and targeted (Warning: some viewers may find the video upsetting, scenes of bullying and self-harm), it’s a fantastic illustration of little comments that are often missed. Especially watch out for the comments made by the teachers, and ask yourself have you ever made a comment like that?

By clicking and reading this short article you have made the first step towards combating homophobia and transphobia in your practise, thank you.

Imagine A World Where Being “Gay” The Norm & Being “Straight” Would Be The Minority! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnOJgDW0gPI

If you would like any more information or advice on LGBTQ+ inclusivity in your practise, research or coaching contact Emily: e.m.pattinson@leeds.ac.uk

The Positive Impact of Practical Placements in Stage 1 Learning

Coral-Jade Oakley, Southampton Solent University, @coraljadeoakley

Coral-Jade Oakley a stage 1 candidate from Southampton Solent University talks about her experiences of stage 1 applied placements and how they have improved her knowledge of psychology and her goals for the future.

As an aspiring sport psychologist, I have fully engaged with opportunities to put my sport psychology skills into practice throughout my degree. My undergraduate degree in applied sports science has allowed me to closely apply my knowledge and work with external athletes, under supervision. Our professional practices in sports psychology unit allowed me to put into action methods such as profiling techniques and mental skills training to gain real world experience into what it would be like to pursue a career in sports psychology. In addition, I completed an interdisciplinary intervention with psychology and strength and conditioning; making clear the need for knowledge in all fields of sports science and the importance of linking other areas of sports science to psychology.

In the past year I have worked with a footballer, to manage aggression through relaxation and imagery techniques, as well as a volleyball player, to help improve their self-efficacy of the spike skill through means of though re-structuring and self-talk techniques. This experience highly benefitted me as it highlighted both my strengths and weaknesses that emerged during professional practices.   Through-out I found my strengths to include punctuality, organisation and adaptability – being prepared for all meeting with my athlete and changing sessions to meet the needs of the athlete. In addition, I was able to understand my weaknesses and seek to improve on these for the following session. For example, communication is a key characteristic needed for effective practice. Coming to terms that this was a factor I needed to improve within my work was challenging but essential to provide the best results for my athlete.

This process made me far more aware of the need for reflection within the sports psychology setting and helped me sustain a routine of reflection after every session to benefit not only my personal practice, but my athlete also. Increasing my understanding of reflective practice and how it can apply to practitioners was highly beneficial for myself as a new member of this field with little experience in the world of Psychology. I was able to improve qualities that I was unaware of before I engaged in reflection, for example, my creativity during sessions and organization previous to any sessions. My practice faced many obstacles during interventions, as any practitioner would experience, but the detail of my reflection allowed these to be overcome and improved on – for the best outcome for my athlete.

In addition, this experience within sports psychology allowed me to develop myself as a practitioner – the way I like to work and the approach I wish to pursue when working in the future. I further understood the perspectives of psychology from putting my knowledge into practice and I was able to adopt a humanistic approach towards my practices with athletes. However, this experience made me aware and understanding of all approaches to psychology and how they differ and overlap. I look forward to continuing practices in the future and widening my knowledge and experiences in the sport psychology community.

If you would like to hear more from Coral-Jade Oakley head to her blog: cozxakley.wordpress.com

CBT in Sport Psychology Event

Today members attended an insightful and interesting CPD day which looked at the use and applications of CBT in sport psychology. Here is a video of what some of our members thought of the day.

For more information about CBT in sport psychology contact the event leader Matt Cunliffe

The Placebo Effect in Sport: Implications for sport practitioners and anti-doping

Dr Philip Hurst, Canterbury Christ Church University, @Phil_Hurst1

In this blog I aim to provide a short summary of the placebo effect and its potential to be used a tool to prevent drug use in sport. A brief introduction of the placebo effect on sport performance is provided and the implications this research can have for sport practitioners is discussed.

What is the placebo effect?

Over the past 50 years, research in sport and exercise science has shown the significant impact the placebo effect can have on sport performance. Linked to psychoneurobiological changes, placebo effects often result from the expectation or belief that an intervention will improve performance (Hurst, Foad, Coleman, & Beedie, 2017a). Typically, research in sport and exercise science investigates the placebo effect of performance enhancing substances (Beedie et al., 2018; Beedie & Foad, 2009), such as anabolic steroids (Maganaris, Collins, & Sharp, 2000), caffeine (Beedie, Stuart, Coleman, & Foad, 2006) and sodium bicarbonate (McClung & Collins, 2007). Collectively, this research suggest that the belief that a substance has been received can improve sport performance by up to 5% (Beedie & Foad, 2009).

Could you use a placebo in practice?

Given the significant impact placebo effects can have on sport performance, it is understandable for practitioners to consider using the placebo effect to improve their athletes’ performance (Beedie et al., 2017). In a survey study of nearly 100 coaches ranging from regional to international level, Szabo and Muller (2016) found that 44% of the sample indicated they had used placebos in the attempt to enhance their athletes’ performance, with international level coaches being the most likely to do so. Over half (58%) of the coaches indicated they would use a placebo again and among this group, 14% indicated they would do so without the athlete’s consent. The finding that a majority of coaches use placebos, often without the consent or knowledge of their athletes, and the willingness of athletes to use a purported performance enhancer on the advice of the coach describes conditions rife for the unethical use of the placebo effect in sport.

Implications of the placebo effect in practice

The benevolent and paternalistic use of the placebo effect is arguably contrary to individual autonomy, and if an athlete discovers they have used a placebo when they believed it was a performance enhancing substance, this may negatively affect the trust between the practitioner and athlete. The use of the placebo effect in practice is arguably unethical. However, research has shown that a significant proportion of the effectiveness of a performance enhancing substance, can often be the result of the placebo effect. In light of this, it has been suggested that placebo effect research could be used as a tool to prevent the use of banned performance enhancing substances (i.e. doping).

Could placebos prevent drug use in sport?

If it is demonstrated to athletes that placebo effects can affect their performance to a similar degree as performance enhancing substances, it is reasonable to suggest that athletes with this knowledge may be less likely to dope in the future. As part of my PhD, I aimed to determine whether knowledge of the placebo effect could affect athletes’ decision to use performance enhancing substances. Six hundred and twenty seven athletes were recruited to take part in a placebo effect experiment. After completing measures of intention to use and attitudes towards performance enhancing substances, athletes completed baseline 5 x 20-m sprints. They were then randomised to one of three groups. Group 1 were given a placebo and told it would improve performance, group 2 were given a placebo and told it was harmful sport supplement and group 3 were given nothing and told nothing. Twenty minutes later, athletes ran another 5 x 20-m sprints. After completing the sprints, athletes in groups 1 and 2 were shown the results of the sprints (see Hurst et al., 2017a) and told that they were not given a sport supplement, but in fact, were given a placebo. They were told about existing research in this area and that the belief that a substance has been received can significantly influence their performance. Group 3 were shown the results of the sprints and not given any information about the placebo effect. Athletes then completed measures of intention to use and attitudes towards performance enhancing substances once more. Results indicated that compared to group 3, athletes in group 1 and 2 were less likely to use performance enhancing substances in the future and reported less favourable attitudes towards doping.

The placebo effect and anti-doping

For practitioners aiming to prevent performance enhancing substance use in sport, educating athletes about the placebo effect may be beneficial. It has recently been shown that athletes believing sport supplements are effective, are more likely to dope (Hurst, Foad, Coleman, & Beedie, 2017b; Hurst, Kavussanu, Boardley, & Ring, 2019), and that athletes who intend to use supplements are more likely to respond to a placebo (Hurst et al., 2017a). It is therefore reasonable to suggest that educating athletes about the placebo effect might help athletes make more informed decisions about the use of performance enhancing substances and reduce the risk of athletes doping. Sport organisations, such as UK Anti-doping and the World Anti-Doping Agency, could include material in their anti-doping education programmes about the placebo effect to help mitigate an athletes likelihood of using potentially harmful performance enhancing substances.

Reference list

Beedie, C., Benedetti, F., Barbiani, D., Camerone, E., Cohen, E., Coleman, D., . . . Szabo, A. (2018). Consensus statement on placebo effects in sports and exercise: the need for conceptual clarity, methodological rigour, and the elucidation of neurobiological mechanisms. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(10), 1383-1389. doi:10.1080/17461391.2018.1496144

Beedie, C., & Foad, A. J. (2009). The placebo effect in sports performance: a brief review. Sports Medicine, 39(4), 313-329. doi:10.2165/00007256-200939040-00004

Beedie, C., Stuart, E. M., Coleman, D. A., & Foad, A. J. (2006). Placebo effects of caffeine on cycling performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38(12), 2159-2164. doi:10.1249/01.mss.0000233805.56315.a9

Beedie, C., Whyte, G., Lane, A. M., Cohen, E., Raglin, J., Hurst, P., . . . Foad, A. (2017). ‘Caution, this treatment is a placebo. It might work, but it might not’: why emerging mechanistic evidence for placebo effects does not legitimise complementary and alternative medicines in sport. In: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine.

Hurst, P., Foad, A. J., Coleman, D. A., & Beedie, C. (2017a). Athletes Intending to Use Sports Supplements Are More Likely to Respond to a Placebo. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(9), 1877-1883. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001297.

Hurst, P., Foad, A. J., Coleman, D. A., & Beedie, C. (2017b). Development and validation of the Sports Supplements Beliefs Scale. Performance Enhancement & Health, 5(3), 89-97. doi:10.1016/j.peh.2016.10.001

Hurst, P., Kavussanu, M., Boardley, I. D., & Ring, C. (2019). Sport supplement us predicts doping via sport supplement beliefs. Journal of Sports Sciences, 1-7. doi:10.1080/02640414.2019.1589920

Maganaris, C. N., Collins, D., & Sharp, M. (2000). Expectancy effects and strength training: do steroids make a difference? The Sport Psychologist, 14(3), 272-278.

McClung, M., & Collins, D. (2007). “Because I know it will!”: placebo effects of an ergogenic aid on athletic performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 29(3), 382-394.

Szabo, A., & Muller, A. (2016). Coaches’ attitudes towards placebo interventions in sport. Eur J Sport Sci, 16(3), 293-300. doi:10.1080/17461391.2015.1019572

The Impact of Social Media use on Athlete Performance

Prof. Stewart Cotterill, AECC University College, @ProfStewC

Increasing numbers of athletes in Generation Z (born in the 1990s and early 2000s) are growing-up, training and performing in a world where the use of social media and mobile technology is a normalised part of social interaction. Social media in this context can be viewed as a form of communication that uses mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms via which individuals and communities share, co-create, and modify user-generated content. The term social media encompasses not just social networking sites such as Facebook and WhatsApp, but also video and photo sharing sites such as YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Flickr; micro-blogging applications such as Twitter; aggregator sites such as Digg; and even virtual worlds.

For Generation Z, and Millennial athletes engaging with social media accounts and using mobile technology is a normal part of life, but the question for sport psychologists is do these online interactions have any impact upon athlete mental health and ultimately performance? Before answering that question, it is important to note that athletes use social media for a range of different functions including communicating with their fan base, managing their ‘brand’, and communicating news stories. One major implication of social media in these contexts is that material can be transmitted to a very wide audience without the express consent or knowledge of the athlete. This fact means that errors of judgement can have the potential to have a far greater reach than was previously the case.

Moving back to the question of mental health and performance, social media offers athletes the ability to be regularly and continuously ‘connected’ with friends, family, peers, and fans in an unparalleled way, with geography no longer presenting a realistic barrier.

Though the question remains is this connectivity almost anywhere (with mobile technology) facilitative of good performance? Anecdotal evidence from a number of Olympic coaches has suggested that social networking and real-time online interactions could act as a distraction to some athletes and can result in substandard performances. Indeed, the continual feedback and commentary that athletes receive via social media has been suggested to impact upon self-efficacy and ultimately mental state. It has also been suggested that fans, family, friends and social media trolls have a subtle power to influence athlete mental state and ultimately performance outcomes. Indeed, research conducted by Kim Encel, Chris Mesagno, and Helen Brown published in 2017 suggested that 32% of the athletes in their study reported using Facebook during competition while a further 68% accessed Facebook in the 2-hours prior to competition. The authors reported that time spent on Facebook was a predictor of measured concentration disruption. This finding suggests that unlimited access to social media around performance may negatively impact upon mental state and performance.

However, while that might be true the increasing dependency on push notifications can also be problematic. While the simple solution to reduce the impact of social media on concentration is to switch off or quarantine mobile devices, this step itself might have negative effects. There could be a fear of missing out by not having access, and a desire (even need) to stay connected with other people continually. As a result, any interventions relating to social media use around competition need to be carefully thought through.

Finally, the content of the messages athletes received via social media is also important. Positive feedback can result in positive emotional responses and increased self-efficacy. Whereas negative feedback can reduce perceptions of self-efficacy. So, it might be that communicating with some individuals (e.g., coach, peers, friends, family) might be desirable, but communicating more broadly with society (e.g., twitter and Instagram) might be less desirable while preparing for and executing performance. Whatever the answers, solutions need to be individually-focused and discussed and agreed with the athlete. Finally, far more research is needed to better understand the impact social media has on the athlete and the relationship between social media use and performance.

To hear more for Stewart check out his blog at: http://www.stewartcotterill.co.uk/blog

Pushing Boundaries: Staffordshire University Performance Psychology Conference

How Staffordshire University’s 2018 Performance Psychology Conference gave us a window into the future of work within the field. 

Pete Jackson, MBPsS, BPS QSEP Stage II Trainee, Pete Jackson Sport Psychology, London, @petejackson

Sam Woods, MBPsS, BPS QSEP Stage II Trainee, Sam Woods Performance Psychology, Leicester, @Swoodspp 

On Wednesday 3rd October 2019 some of our industry’s best and brightest descended on the Staffordshire University campus for the third annual performance psychology conference. It would be remiss of us not to mention the success of this event in recent years, having evolved into an innovative, mind-opening and must-attend fixture in the sport psychology calendar.

Keynotes were delivered by the Head of Sport Psychology at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Dr. Kate Hays, and Director of the Taught Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University, Dr. Paul McCarthy. In between, there were workshops, delivered on motivational interviewing, Mindflick’s ‘Spotlight Profiling’ and managing trauma. There were also five minute ‘lightening round’ bolts of inspiration from those involved in Olympic rowing, professional football, and crime and policing.

The conference started with Dr. Kate Hays. She provided an insight into the road to Rio and then changes for the road to Tokyo. For example, the EIS has regulated psychological support across Olympic sports, such as systematic case formulation and a personality profiling process. Other changes include an increase in pressure training andstrengthening relationships within the wider teams involved in performance. This has culminatated in the development of ProjectThrive, which focuses on the creation of environments that develop the person as well as the performer.Lastly,  Dr. Kate Hays announced, there will be a 70% increase in the number EIS psychologists working towards Tokyo 2020 compared to the Rio 2016 cycle, showing the increased psychological support for our Olympic athletes.

Spotlight with Tim Pitt was a whistle–stop tour of the theory underpinning Mindflick’s approach to profiling. A unique and new look into profiling, Spotlight delves into behavioural style and mindset to create an individual performance preference. Backed by theory and research the model gives plenty of areas to underpin 1-2-1 work with an athlete, as well as a quick insight into them as an individual. Each delegate at the conference left with their own unique profile and information on why this might benefit consultancy with athletes.


Steve Eaton delivered another insightful workshop on trauma in high performance teams. His military background enabled him to speak from experience around an area many delegates knew little about. Steve uses and promotes the use of  Trauma Risk Management (TRiM),a model which has been used in business and other high performing environments. TRiM is a Bio-Psycho-Social tool in which friends, colleagues or family can learn to help individuals through trauma. A key statistic that stood out to attendees was that 75% of people will experience trauma in their lives, with the percentage increasing in high performing teams and athletes due to them experiencing more risk factors such as a traumatic injury experience.

A running theme throughout was a sense that sport & exercise psychology is starting to push its traditional boundaries. As Dr. Paul McCarthy pointed out in his keynote, 90% of our division’s competencies are shared with neighbouring psychology specialisms. This may explain why Dr. Kate Hays announced that EIS psychologists are moving away from just 1-2-1 mental skills training, towards more systemic, cultural and wellbeing challenges. Previously there had been a focus on performance (certainly the case for Rio). However, under ProjectThrive there is a more balanced approach with individual differences and competition support being higher priorities on the road to Tokyo.

Another sign that sport psychology is pushing out into new territories includes its influence in non-sport industries where performance and wellbeing are paramount. Many of the presenters didn’t just work in sport. Workshops were varied and ranged across an array of performance domains and topics. Steve Eaton from DNA Definitive spoke about managing trauma in military settings, Dr. Tim Pitt shared how Spotlight has been used in corporate settings, and Dr. Jeff Breckon from Sheffield Hallam University delivered a motivational interviewing workshop inspired by experiences in clinical settings with addiction and other disorders. Due to most attendees being trainees on BASES or the BPS, the variety of workshops sparked interest and curiosity into new areas for further learning and development. In addition to these corporate, military and clinical influences at the conference, we also listened to Jenni Jones, a performance psychologist for Hampshire Constabulary on the importance of building healthy identities in law enforcement.

Part of breaking down boundaries is not just about sport psychologists ‘pushing out’ into other areas of performance, but also letting others in. In his ‘lightening round’ talk, Planet K2 and British Rowing’s Chris Shambrook suggested we needn’t always be the “super heroes” and talked about training others in our multi discplinary teams to deliver psychological support. Likewise, Stoke City FC’s performance psychologist Joe Dixon talked about handing over the reigns to others “in order to evolve”.

In summary, the conference painted a hopeful picture of more jobs, in more industries, armed with more tools. It was an optimistic and exciting window in to what our discipline might look like in the future, and we look forward to returning next year for another inspiring shot in the arm.

Correspondence:

Pete Jackson, pete@petejackson.co.uk (www.petejackson.co.uk)

Sam Woods, sam@swoodspp.co.uk (www.swoodspp.co.uk)

Behind the Curtain – VAR training day in UK based Football Academy

Does VAR affect the momentum of the beautiful game?

Jennifer Lace, BASES Sport Psychology Pathway, @lacey_jen

So its Wednesday, we don’t normally have football fixtures on Wednesdays, we don’t normally have many training sessions on Wednesdays at all, so why today? Why today are there academy squads in? match prepping? and lots of different coaches?

The day is perfect for us lucky enough to work in beautiful game and looking out on training ground the sun beats down with a small breeze. Then I see large vans, 2,3 no, 4 vans. All lined up alongside the pristine pitch. The Premier League have arrived with their Virtual Assistant referee (VAR) equipment. Wow, my naivety acknowledged here, I didn’t know video feedback required so much equipment. So today the Premier League are hosting a series of behind closed doors games (no spectators or scouts allowed) to use VAR and train their referees and we are the lucky club to host the games. (Side note here I actually experienced myself recognizing the new era of ‘celebrity referees’ that I have seen on the TV games-EEEEEK!).

So although not formally written, objectively measured, nor set out to be systematically investigated, there were lots of questions running through my mind as a psychology practitioner embarking on my learning journey; what impact would VAR have on the day? would our academy coaches change at all? What do the players think? Is anybody else in the building thinking this could be a great day to understand the effects of VAR from a psychological perspective?

With my mind boggling I watched the games, club staff and Premier League staff going about their performance roles. The day flowed well and everybody seemed enthused by the presence of all the vans the huge transmitting dishes. I started to ask the coaches some questions on their perspectives of VAR. The main discussion point made by the coaching staff was their feelings surrounding the effects of VAR on the momentum of the game. The coaches in youth development mentioned they teach game management; slowing the game down, speed the game up and in its broadest sense encouraging actions and behaviours which would produce psychological dominance over opponents. They highlighted how VAR could stop these concepts and change the game in an instance. Furthermore, the concept of controlling momentum was raised and how to coach players to understand which team has momentum. The youth development coaches’ mentioned that players are taught to ‘’feel the game’’ ‘’read the game’’ and ‘’control momentum’’, yet VAR can interject and redirect momentum at any point.  The overall concluding thought for the day was that VAR added another experience variable which development coaches now felt they had to consider and  incorporate into their the youth development pathway.

If you would like to hear more about Jennifer’s work in football and VAR follow her on twitter: @lacey_jen

Mastering the Masters by Research

Jack Hagyard York St. John University School of Psychological and Social Sciences @HagyardJack

You’ve just completed your undergraduate degree and you think that a research degree is the choice for you? Maybe you loved the dissertation experience and feel like you just can’t stop knowing there are more questions to answer? Or maybe you’ve always had the lofty heights of a PhD in mind but need to get some more research experience? That was me last May, and now I’m midway through a one-year whirlwind of a two-study MSc. by Research looking at cognition in athletes. In the blink of an eye I’m six months down, but I’ve learned plenty along the way!

Here are my top five hints and tips to undertaking an MSc. by Research degree.

1 – Plan, Plan and Plan some more!

This may sound too obvious, but it’s often the simple things that get neglected when the pressure is on. I can’t count the number of PhD students who have said to me “Masters is so much harder than PhD, you have no time at all!”. That was all I needed to hear to set out a strategic plan. Think about the smaller parts that will eventually accumulate to make your final thesis; ethical approval, participant recruitment, reference list, everything! Break down the year to individual months and have targets in mind for each one. Discuss these with your supervisors as they will have more experience in planning larger projects. Don’t panic if you don’t reach them all one month, things will always come up. Just reassess and go again!

2 – Learn from others

Beginning a research degree will open doors you never knew existed. It gives you the chance to work alongside PhD students and members of staff on their individual projects. They’re likely to be more experienced than you so ask them questions about their rationale, methodology, and how they will disseminate their findings. Don’t worry if their subject differs to yours, it means they are likely to be using different methods and techniques that you can use in the future. Having a better understanding of research methods can only make you a more well-rounded PhD candidate.

3 – Present at every opportunity.

Take every opportunity you can to present your work. It doesn’t matter what stage you are at; proposals, systematic reviews, everything is worth presenting. Not only is it a great way to get your name around campus, but you’ll always receive some useful feedback from peers and staff. Completing your viva will seem daunting at first, but the more you get used to being centre stage, the easier it will become. The ability to explain your research and ideas clearly is a fine art and presenting your work to people from different subject areas is a great way to develop this skill. Before you know it, the 20-minute slot at the postgraduate colloquium will be a walk in the park.

4 – Look after #1.

In order to get the most out of your year and to get as much experience as possible, you will inevitably find yourself helping everyone with their research or contributing to collaborative projects. But, don’t forget about your own project. And more importantly, don’t forget about your own life! It will be a crazy year, so you need enough time to rest and enjoy life too. Spending a bit of time away from the laptop is sometimes just as beneficial to your thesis. Don’t be afraid to say no to people, and don’t bite off more than you can chew.

5 – Embrace the challenge!

There’s no denying that an MSc by Research is difficult, but it is also extremely fulfilling. You spend a whole year researching and learning about a topic that you are enthusiastic about, so do your best to enjoy it! Your university will have the support networks in place if you ever need them, and as you get to know your fellow postgraduate researchers, you’ll see that you are a team who are in it together. Everyone is passionate about their subject area, so feed off that energy and thrive on the chance to become an expert in your field.

If you want to hear more about Jack’s research follow him on twitter: @HagyardJack

What are you thinking? How Think Aloud Protocol can help us understand ourselves and our athlete’s cognitions.


“Whitehead et al. (2016), found that during higher pressure situations (competition), higher level golfers verbalized more technical related thoughts in competition in comparison to practice.”

Dr Amy Whitehead, Programme Manager in Sports Coaching, Liverpool John Moores University (@a_whitehead1 @ThinkAloudUK)

This blog aims to provide a snap shot of what Think Aloud is, how it has been used in research and how it can be used within an applied sport setting. It is hoped that this blog will give readers a flavor of the work that has currently been done and give researchers and practitioners some ideas of how to adopt this within their own practice.

Think Aloud protocol (Ericsson and Simon, 1993) involves asking a participant to verbalize his or her thoughts aloud whilst performing a task and has traditionally been used within psychology to understand how people process information during problem solving tasks. However, more recently within sport it has been adopted to understand decision making and athlete cognition in a variety of difference sports such as golf (Whitehead, Taylor & Polman, 2015; Whitehead, Taylor & Polman, 2016a), cycling (Whitehead et al., 2017; Whitehead et al., 2018), Tennis (Swettenham, Eubank, Don, & Whitehead, 2018), and Snooker (Welsh et al., 2018). Research within sport using Think Aloud protocol has been able to demonstrate differences between experts and novices. More specifically, how experts and novices will focus on different variables within their environment prior to, during and post completion of a task. In addition, through the use of Think Aloud, differences have been found between cognition occurring in practice in comparison to competition, which could explain why some athletes may perform worse under pressure. For example, Whitehead et al. (2016), found that during higher pressure situations (competition), higher level golfers verbalized more technical related thoughts in competition in comparison to practice. This has the potential to explain why some athletes may ‘choke’ under pressure.

Using this research and applying Think Aloud to the applied world of sport, coaches and sport psychologists have the potential to further their understanding of how athletes may process and attend to certain information at certain points during performance. For example, Think Aloud may be used to identify such situations (but not limited to) where an athlete repeatedly gets angry and in turn becomes distracted from the task in golf following an unsuccessful shot in golf. This may lead to a decrease in performance. However, the coach or sport psychologist, and even the athlete can use Think Aloud to record this behavior and appropriate interventions can be put into place to assist the athlete in emotional management and improved cognitive focus within the task.

Similarly, the process above has been used within a coach education setting. Whitehead et al., (2016b) used Think Aloud with Rugby League coaches. This project aimed to help coaches understand their own thought and coaching processes, with the purpose of improving coaching behavior. Through using Think Aloud whilst coaching and then listening back to their audio recordings, coaches were able to reflect on their own coaching processes, thoughts and behaviors and in turn become better coaches.

More research and applied work is still necessary to develop the use of Think Aloud within a wider range of sports and settings. However, it is hoped that this blog provides a small insight into how Think Aloud has been used and encourages researchers and applied practitioners to adopt this method.

If you want to find out more about Think Aloud check out Dr Amy Whitehead’s publications: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/staff-profiles/faculty-of-education-health-and-community/sport-studies-leisure-and-nutrition/amy-whitehead if

References:

Swettenham, L., Eubank, M., Won, D., & Whitehead, A.E. (2018) Investigating stress and coping during practice and competition in tennis using think aloud, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2018.1511622

Welsh, J.C., Dewhurst, S.A., & Perry, J.L. (2018). Thinking Aloud: An exploration of cognitions in professional snooker, Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 36, 197-208. doi: 10.1016/ j.psychsport.2018.03.003

Whitehead, A. E., Cropley, B., Miles, A., Huntley, T., Quayle, L., & Knowles, Z. (2016b). ‘Think Aloud’: Towards a framework to facilitate reflective practice amongst rugby league coaches. International Sport Coaching Journal, 3, 269 – 286. 16

 Whitehead, A. E., Jones, H. S., Williams, E. L., Dowling, C., Morley, D., Taylor, J., & Polman, R. C. (2017). Changes in cognition over a 16.1 km cycling time trial using a think aloud protocol: Preliminary evidence. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–9. 20

 Whitehead, A. E., Jones, H. S., Williams, E. L., Rowley, C., Quayle, L., Marchant, D., & Polman, R. C. (2018). Investigating the relationship between cognitions, pacing strategies and performance in 16.1 km cycling time trials using a think aloud protocol. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 34, 95 – 109.

Whitehead, A. E., Taylor, J. A., & Polman, R. C. J. (2015). Examination of the suitability of collecting in event cognitive processes using think aloud protocol in golf. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1–12. 3

 Whitehead, A. E., Taylor., J. A., & Polman, R. C. J. (2016). Evidence for skill level differences in the thought processes of golfers during high and low pressure situations. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1-12