Pure Sport ─ Practical Sport Psychology

Should you always "think about it"?

Are you "only as good as your last game"?

Is it just a matter of "keeping your eye on the ball"?

The answer to these questions is no, and to help you steer a course through the many challenges of a sporting career this second edition of Pure Sport sets out, in everyday language, the lessons you can take from contemporary sport psychology – helping you recognise what works and what doesn’t when it comes to improving performance.

As the title suggests, Pure Sport goes back to basics by highlighting practical concerns for those involved with competitive sport at every age and level – from junior club members to Olympic athletes. Drawing on their considerable experience as both applied sport psychologists and academics, the authors present practical advice and a powerful array of techniques for channelling and harnessing mental skills with the goal of improving sporting performance.

Drawing on the international popularity of the first edition, in this fully updated second edition the authors have taken the opportunity to revamp chapters with colour photographs, contemporary examples, and sporting anecdotes, and the book is now even more accessible for those without a formal background in psychology.

Pure Sport, Second Edition is essential reading for anyone with an active involvement or interest in sport, it will help students, coaches, teams, and sportsmen and women to sharpen their mental edge and so realise their true potential in sport and through sport.

John Kremer runs his own successful consultancy business, having been a Reader in Psychology at Queens University Belfast for 31 years. Along with his academic interest in sport and exercise psychology he has worked directly with a wide range of national and international athletes and teams in over 50 sports.

Aidan Moran is a Professor of Cognitive Psychology in University College Dublin. A Fulbright Scholar, he has written many scientific papers on mental imagery and attention in athletes. He has advised many of Ireland’s leading professional athletes and teams, including golfer Padraig Harrington, and the Irish rugby team.