Resources
No.40
January 2004
 
    

Book Review – Sport Psychology in Europe
Leon van Niekerk, South Africa



Apitzsch, E. and Schilling, G. (Eds.). (2003). Sport Psychology in Europe: FEPSAC – An Organisational Platform and a Scientific Meeting Point. Biel: FEPSAC.
This second book in the FEPSAC Monograph Series, is a truly remarkable book that reflects a myriad of historic and scientific markers in the development of Sport Psychology in Europe. Living in South Africa, a country where Sport Psychology is still in its infant shoes, the value of a book like this is immeasurable for me. I would recommend this book to any aspiring Sport Psychologist as well as universities and countries that want to establish Sport Psychology as a scientific and professional service towards their own development in sport and exercise science. It provides the reader with valuable background information about the structuring of Sport Psychology in Europe. It could almost serve as a benchmark for the structuring of Sport Psychology in the developing regions of the world.
The approach to present historic and scientific information, interfaced with personal reflections from previous FEPSAC Presidents on the past and the future of Sport Psychology is refreshing. It captures the emotion and pain as well as the triumphs and joy in the formation and structuring of Sport Psychology in Europe. Although cultural, linguistic, political pressures and war stand out as some of the major problems during its history, the movement towards the development and structural unification of Sport Psychology in Europe was reinforced by common goals set by FEPSAC. Some of these include the development of new knowledge, establishing a framework to present scientific work, constructing a common language in Sport Psychology, presenting a European Masters in Exercise and Sport Psychology, outlining possibilities for a career in Sport Psychology, describing ethical norms and guidelines for Sport Psychologists and others, are described clearly by the well known contributors in this book.
The writers provide a rich source of information and where to get important information on various themes associated with Sport Psychology. They cover important landmarks in history, provide descriptions of current events and focus their attention on the future. The argument to utilise new developments in psychology like social construction and narrative approaches in the future is enlightening in a context where social cognitive approaches roamed for long. This book left me with excitement and interest in the future of Sport Psychology. Get it and read it.


Leon van Niekerk
Department of Psychology
Rand Afrikaans University
South Africa
e-mail: lvn@lw.rau.ac.za
Leon van Niekerk is lecturer in Sport Psychology and part-time in private practice



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