Tales from the field: personal reflections on the provision of psychological support in professional soccer

Abstract

Numerous critical reflections on sport psychology practice are outlined through a creative and personal approach to the representation of field work. Observation of psychologists in the field, and formal mentoring of psychologists in training result in a challenge to the dominance of the scientific and mental training agenda. In contrast, the personal qualities of the practitioner are stressed and the capacity to 'care' is given particular emphasis. Warnings over the unrealistic expectations associated with the mental training and performance axis are coupled with the proposal that applied sport psychology whilst 'critical' is best portrayed in more subtle humanistic terms.