Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement: Mental Training for Athletes and Coaches

This book serves as a comprehensive resource on the history, theory, and practice of mindfulness in sport, from amateur to professional, from the ancient Greeks to the present day.

All athletes know that peak performance requires more than mere physical exertion. There is a psychological component as well, that can be expressed in attributes such as focus, sustained attention, emotion regulation, and drive. For many years, the mental side of athletic performance was ignored by coaches and trainers. Thankfully today, this is starting to change. Rooted in the traditions of mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, the authors present mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE), an empirically supported, six-session program that can be adapted for specific athletic populations. Each MSPE session includes educational, experiential, and discussion components, as well as instructions for home practice. Special emphasis is placed on incorporating mindfulness into workouts, and practices and competitions, as well as everyday life.

Includes handy scripts for mindfulness teachers, athletes, and coaches, and handouts summarizing each session that are also available for download on the APA website.