The Application of Transactional Analysis to Sports Psychology

Abstract

This article discusses the contribution of transactional analysis to sports psychology. After looking at sports from the perspective of ego state theory, the author focuses on the relationship with the athlete and the work of mental coaching. The importance of contracting and implicit OKness is emphasized, and a case study is presented to illustrate how transactional analysis can be applied in working with athletes.

• sports
• athlete
• performance
• defeat
• victory
• learn
• sports psychologist
• sports psychology
• mental coaching
• positive Nurturing Parent ego state
• positive Normative Parent ego state

Notes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrea Nespoli

Author Biography

Andrea Nespoli is a Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy), a psychologist and psychotherapist, and a level II EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) practitioner. He works in private practice as a sports psychologist with clubs and athletes and as a trainer and supervisor with social work teams. Andrea can be reached at Via Buonarroti 45, 20831 Seregno (MB), Italy; email: [email protected].