ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors provide examples of applied experiences from work undertaken in elite soccer academies, which represent what they believe effective sport psychology may look like considering the real-world constraints of practice. The concept of practitioner effectiveness and the ability to demonstrate impact is an important aim in applied practice and an increasingly necessary objective for the sport psychologist. The sport psychologist was required, alongside the coaching, medical, and sport science staff, to assess player performance, from the point of player recruitment to the offer of a professional contract or player release. The Professional Development Phase provided an additional opportunity to shift any remaining perceptions of psychology as being relevant to only those “in need”. Delivering sport psychology services in contexts that often require the practitioner to develop their own job descriptions and key performance indicators does not only constitute additional work but can also impact the psychology of the psychologist.
