Coping and Emotion in Sport

The emotional highs and lows of competitive sport, whether experienced as a competitor, spectator or coach may be the essential ingredient that gives sport its universal and compelling appeal. Emotion is clearly a pervasive force within competitive sport, and this is reflected in the burgeoning interest over recent decades in athletes’ emotions and strategies for coping with these emotions. The interplay between emotion and coping is a critical factor in determining, through its influence on key psychological functions, an athlete’s potential success in competitive sport. This fully revised and updated edition of the classic text on coping and emotion in sport goes further than any other book in examining the central role that these two factors play in sports performance.

The book explores theory and measurement, current research, and contemporary issues and special populations respectively. Each chapter closely integrates cutting-edge research themes with discussion of practical and applied issues, with case studies and reflections from practitioners working in elite sport woven throughout the book. With contributions from leading international scholars and consultant psychologists, this book is vital reading for all students and professionals working in sport psychology.

Joanne Thatcher is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Aberystwyth University. She has published over thirty academic papers and books. She is a Chartered Psychologist (BPS), a registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist (HPC) and past Chair of the BPS Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology.
Marc Jones is a Reader in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University and has published over forty academic papers mostly in the area of stress and emotion. He is a Chartered Psychologist (BPS) and a registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist (HPC).
David Lavallee is Professor and Head of the School of Sport at the University of Stirling. He is an editorial board member of several journals, including International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Psychology of Sport & Exercise, Sport & Exercise Psychology Review and Qualitative Research in Sport & Exercise.

Chapter 1. Coping Processes in Sport (Hugh Richards, Edinburgh University, UK) Chapter 2. Emotion in Sport: Antecedents and Performance Consequences (Marc V. Jones, Staffordshire University, UK and Mark A. Uphill, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK) Chapter 3. Coping with Trauma in Sport (Dr. Melissa Day, University of Chichester, UK) Chapter 4. Measurement issues in emotion and emotion regulation (Professor Andrew Lane, Dr Chris Beedie, Dr Tracey Devonport, University of Wolverhampton, UK) Chapter 5. Coping in Sport through Social Support (Professor Andrew Lane, Dr Chris Beedie, Dr Tracey Devonport, University of Wolverhampton, UK) Chapter 6. Social Influence on Emotion in Sport (Dr. Megan Babkes Stellino and Dr. Kristina L. Moore, University of Northern Colorado, USA; Dr. Julie A. Partridge, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, USA) Chapter 7. Key Movements in Directional Research in Competitive Anxiety (Christopher R. D. Wagstaff, University of Portsmouth, UK; Rich Neil, University of Wales Institute, UK; Stephen D. Mellalieu, Swansea University, UK and Sheldon Hanton, University of Wales Institute, UK) Chapter 8. Enhancing Positive Emotion in Sport (Dr. Paul McCarthy, Caledonian University, UK) Chapter 9. Coping and Emotion in Disability Sport (Dr. Jeffrey Martin, Wayne State University, USA) Chapter 10. The Consequences and Control of Emotions in Elite Athletes (Dr. Mark A. Uphill, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK and Dr. Marc V. Jones, Staffordshire University, UK) Chapter 11. The Emotional Response to Athletic Injury: Re-Injury Anxiety (Dr. Natalie Walker, University of Northampton, UK and Dr. Joanne Thatcher, Aberystwyth University, UK) Chapter 12. Losing to Win: A Clinical Perspective on the Experience of Loss among Elite Athletes (Dr. Corinne Reid, Murdoch University, UK) Chapter 13. Elite Athletes’ Experiences of Coping with Stress (Professor Remco Polman, PhD, Victoria University, Australia) Chapter 14. Working as a Sport Psychologist at two Olympic Games: A Humanistic Approach (Peter Clarke, Chartered Psychologist) Chapter 15. Learning to cope in extreme environments: Solo endurance ocean sailing (Dr. Neil Weston, University of Portsmouth, UK) Chapter 16. Coping and Emotion in Sport: Future Directions