An Exploration of Sport Psychology Professional Quality of Life in British Neophyte Practitioners

in The Sport Psychologist

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Daniel R.F. Martin School of Sport, Health, and Exercise Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

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Alessandro Quartiroli School of Sport, Health, and Exercise Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Psychology Department, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA

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Christopher R.D. Wagstaff School of Sport, Health, and Exercise Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2021-0062
Keywords:
effective practice; ethical practice; professional sustainability; professional experiences; neophyte development
First Published Online:
16 Nov 2021
In Print:
Volume 35: Issue 4
Page Range:
329–339
Restricted access

Scholars have noted the importance of helping professionals’ work experiences through the exploration of Professional Quality of Life. Due to the unique experiences of sport psychology professionals, a sport psychology specific equivalent of the construct, the Sport Psychology Professional Quality of Life (SP-PQL), has recently been developed based on the experience of senior and experienced sport psychology professionals, yet researchers have not accounted for the experiences of neophytes. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 neophyte sport psychology professionals with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of how they conceptualize, experience, and manage their SP-PQL. The data offer novel insights regarding neophyte’s conceptualizations of SP-PQL as well as the barriers and facilitators toward their SP-PQL. We conclude that greater emphasis on SP-PQL is required within British sport psychology development pathways, outlining considerations for educators, such as the provision of educational resources and curricula to better inform and support future neophyte’s SP-PQL.

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