ACT in Sport

ACT in Sport (2020) primarily targets athletes, sport psychologists, and coaches, and the principles practices and exercises can also be applied to any performer, or those working in high performance areas: such as, musicians, dancers, and business professionals.

In this training manual, we aim to help people clearly identify specific situations where they struggle, and through mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment strategies assist them to respond more flexibly and effectively.

Patrick Smith and Steven Hayes state in the foreword: “This short and clear book will walk you through the foundational elements and tried and true practices of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Training. It lays out common sport scenarios where you are likely to put these ACT skills into practice, creating an overall set known as “psychological flexibility”.

We also draw on exercises from MiCBT (Mindfulness Integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), and a body-based approach to Mindfulness.

The principles of ACT are weaved throughout, in chapters covering anxiety, motivation, self-esteem, and mindfulness - each interspersed with practical exercises and illustrated with examples of scenarios. Important concepts such as individual and team values and troubleshooting in specific situations are examined.

Additional exercises can be found in the Appendix and a workbook is available as a download from the publisher’s website.  For more information, and to purchase go to the website of Bennion Kearny Publishers.