Psihologia sportului de performanță

This book asks how the mind can help athletes do well. It also looks at how to keep them well. It is a reference book for sports experts. It pairs theory with methods they can use. Irina Holdevici, Mihai Epuran and Florentina Tonița stress coaches’ roles. They say coaches must use what they know about the mind. This must shape how they train and teach each day.

The book sets out what sports psychology covers. It looks at what each sport asks of the mind. It covers training and taking part in contests. It looks at how athletes get their minds ready. It also asks how aware they are of their actions.

Topics include what drives athletes and how they learn to move. The book looks at focus, stress, fear and aggression. It asks what holds a group together and how people lead. Charts, tables and diagrams show models of how athletes perform. They also explain mental skills. Hands-on work covers breathing and yoga poses. It explores how to tune in to the senses. It also gives ways to manage states of mind. A list of sources helps readers study more.

The book also traces the field’s past. Sports psychology began in the 1920s, then waned for decades. It grew again, with an international society formed in 1965. US universities began to teach it in the 1970s.

The authors have done research, taught and worked in the field. Epuran (1923–2020) held a doctorate in sports psychology. He taught for over 60 years. He wrote scholarly works on sports psychology and research methods. He led Romania’s sports science council. Craiova and Iași gave him honorary doctorates. He helped found FEPSAC, the European sports psychology federation. He served on the group that governed it. He held that role in the international society too.

Holdevici leads psychology and psychotherapy at Titu Maiorescu University in Bucharest. Psychotherapy uses talk to treat mental health problems. Her work includes clinical hypnosis and Ericksonian hypnosis. She also uses cognitive behavioural therapy. This works with thoughts and actions. She has over 30 years’ work as a therapist. That span also includes work as a trainer and supervisor. Since 1972, she has worked with Olympic teams. These include shooting, fencing and men’s gymnastics teams.

Tonița has worked in sports psychology since 1995. She has done research, taught and worked in practice. She also teaches on a sports psychology master’s course. This course is at Titu Maiorescu University.