Reflections from a Career in Sport Psychology

Once viewed as a novelty, the field of sport psychology has grown tremendously over the last half century. Today, many elite athletes and teams work with sport psychology specialists to improve their mental games and behind this practical work is an extensive research base. Sport psychology specialists also help to make the youth sports experience a positive one and have become central to coaches' education efforts.

Dan Gould has been involved in the field for the last 50 years, witnessing its tremendous growth. He is known world-wide for his research and professional practice work having lectured in over 30 countries, published hundreds of research studies, conducted over 1000 coaching clinic sessions and authored numerous books. Organizations such as the US Olympic Committee, the US Tennis Association, and the National Wrestling Coaches Association have funded his work. As a mental skills training specialist, Dan attended the Nagano Olympic Games with the US Ski team and has worked with numerous athletes from a variety of sports. In addition to working with elite athletes, Dan has also focused much of his career in the youth sports arena, having served as the Director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University where he is the Gwen Norrell Professor of Youth Sports and Student Athlete Well-being.

Besides his research and consulting interests, Dan is a devoted educator. He has introduced thousands of undergraduate students to the field and mentored over 40 doctoral students, many of whom have become leaders in the field.

Dan wanted to give back to the field that has been so good to him. Hence, the writing of Reflections from a Career in Sport Psychology. The book is designed to convey many of the lessons Dan has learned over his career.

Organized around three sections, Part I of the book contains an autobiographical examination of Dan and his career in sport psychology discussing how his familial and personal experiences as well as experiences as an athlete, student and professional shaped his work and view of the field. This provides a rare and candid look at his personality, motivations as well as his strengths and weaknesses as a person and professional. Part II is the most extensive part of the book. It focuses on the personal and professional practice lessons Dan learned over his career and provides guidelines for anyone hoping to pursue a career in sport psychology. Specific chapters focus on: general life lessons learned on a range of topics from dealing with travel and jet lag to personal finances and work-life balance; professional practice lessons focused on conducting state-of-the art impactful research; lessons identified from teaching university courses in sport psychology; coaching education lessons; mental skills training consultant guidelines generated from working with hundreds of athletes ranging from novice youth athletes to Olympic champions and from consulting in the business community; and, lessons focused on mentoring students pursuing a career in the field. Part III of the book is composed of an epilogue with Dan's final reflections.

If you want to or are currently pursuing a career in sport psychology this book is a must read. Not only are the guidelines and lessons learned invaluable, but each chapter ends with a series of questions and exercises where the reader can reflect on what is written in the chapter and then contextualize the material to one's own career and circumstances.