This pioneering book in elite athlete wellbeing brings together the narratives of athletes and wellbeing practitioners in high-performance sport with cutting-edge theorizing from world-leading academics to explore pertinent mental wellbeing matters that present for elite athletes both during and after their careers.
The journey of the elite athlete is considered from entering the high-performance system as a youth performer through to retirement, with contributions illuminating the ways in which mental wellbeing can be impacted both negatively and positively through common place experiences. Methods of creating holistic high-performance sports cultures along with common mental wellbeing influencers, such as parents, education, faith, injury and (de)selection are explored, as well as the ramifications of uncommon events on mental wellbeing, such as whistleblowing, legal disputes, psychological disorders and COVID-19. Drawing on this analysis, the book then proffers thought-provoking strategies for how the mental wellbeing of both athletes and staff can be understood, developed and supported, ultimately driving elite sport cultural transformation to put the person first and the athlete second.
Each chapter presents the wellbeing experience from the vantage of the athlete or the wellbeing practitioner, followed by an academic unpacking of the situation. This makes the book a must read for students and researchers working in sport coaching, sport psychology, applied sport science or sport management, as well as practitioners interested in facilitating a duty of care for high performing athletes, and working in coaching, sport science support, athlete development programs, NGB policy and administration or welfare services.
This pioneering book in elite athlete wellbeing brings together the narratives of athletes and wellbeing practitioners in high performance sport with cutting edge theorising from world leading academics to explore pertinent mental wellbeing matters that present for elite athletes both during and after their careers.
1. Introducing Holistic Wellbeing Within the Athlete Journey,
2. The
Holistic Wellbeing of Elite Youth Performers: U MATTER,
3. The Role of
Parents and Family in the Wellbeing of Athletes,
4. Dual Careers and Athlete
Wellbeing,
5. The Role of Coach Leadership in Promoting Athlete Wellbeing and
Performance,
6. Supporting Athletes from Different Cultures and
Nationalities: The Case of Womens Football,
7. The Impact of Selection and
Deselection on Athlete Wellbeing: Australian Womens Cycling,
8. Supporting
the Wellbeing for Athletes of Faith,
9. The Ableism of Athlete Wellbeing
Support: Additional Needs of the Paralympic Athlete,
10. The Implementation
of an Integrated Psychological Support Programme for Injured Athletes:
Stopping Athletes from Falling Off the Edge of the Cliff,
11. Developing
Caring Cultures in Football: A Model for Practice and Change,
12. Supporting
an Athlete through Legal Action,
13. Wellbeing and Whistleblowing: What
Happens?,
14. Supporting Athlete Careers and Retirement from the Vantage
Point of Smaller National Governing Bodies,
15. Athlete Welfare, Stakeholder
Responsibility, and Ethics of Care in Elite Sport: An Examination of
Para-sport Organisation Approaches in France,
16. Fighting a System Built to
Exclude Queer(ing) Bodies: An Imperative for Athlete Wellbeing,
17. The Role
of Athletic Identity Foreclosure in the Development of Poor Athlete Mental
Health,
18. Supporting Athlete Wellbeing During a Global Pandemic: The Case
of COVID-19, Postscript
Natalie Campbell is a BPS-registered social psychologist and lifestyle management practitioner. She is also a senior lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire, UK.
Abbe Brady is an HCPC-registered sport psychologist and head of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences at St Marys University, UK.
Alison Tincknell-Smith is an International Athlete Commission Member and lecturer at the University of Bath, UK.
