brilliant books to be a better athlete

I rarely review fiction as it doesn’t usually fit in the sport psychology genre. However, athletes struggle with mental health issues just as much as the rest of us so to find books that accurately describe psychological issues, portray and discuss them in a way that...

To become a sport psychologist as an adult your first step is often taking a MSc Psychology conversion course. Essentially this involved taking the key undergrad modules in a year so that we have covered the basics. One of these modules was cognitive psychology. It...

If you want nice, ‘easy to digest with lots of lightbulb moment’ performance psychology tweets, Steve Magness (@stevemagness) is the guy to follow. To get all the wisdom in one book he has just bought out ‘Do Hard Things’. I was a little wary from the title. As a...

Your 9th wedding anniversary is supposed to be celebrated by giving a Pottery gift. But in our house (with a husband nicknamed Mr Bump) that would not last long. Instead, for our 9th my husband gave me a Stand-Up Paddle Board. Random yes, but we had just moved house...

I have definitely been tutted at by the ‘real’ outdoor swimmers when I rock up to a safe, supervised lake in my cosy wetsuit, complaining about the 18 degree water and the risk of being attacked by a swan. I definitely prefer the ease and warmth of a pool. But I am...

Rachel Ann Cullen’s first book covered the story of how she felt running saved her when she was struggling with mental health issues. It was a compelling read. In this book she ties in her internal insight around those issues with the stories of others who have also...

When I think of the sports that would be most likely to prompt a large dose of fear, Climbing is high (sorry!) up there; particularly the fear of falling or the fear I’d get myself into a position I couldn’t escape. I, like many others I suspect, watched Free Solo...

When I began my training as a psychologist my supervisor suggested that all sports psychs should attend a counselling course. It was enlightening. On our MSc we had been taught a couple of interventions but on this course we were taught not to intervene, not to...

A great sport psychologist I chat to says 'Success leaves clues'. And it does. We can often learn what works, and what doesn't work from others. We can be inspired by their journeys, comforted by how they survived their setbacks and learn lots about sport and...

‘Master the Marathon’ arrived to review just after I’d figured out with my physio that my hip really wasn’t designed for marathon running and that I should instead focus on getting faster at 5k and 10ks. I saw the book and sulked. I love the magic and power of a...

I love cycling: riding in races, training or commuting, watching it standing by the side of a road, somewhere muddy or at the track. I’m also passionate about women’s sport; how can we get more women active, enjoying the brilliant benefits of movement, community and...