Sport, Psychology and Christianity: The Importance of Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is a process that enables practitioners to examine and learn from experience which then in turn can improve and/or facilitate practice (Knowles et al., 2014). This process has been found to benefit and assist practitioners in many disciplines, including sport, health, and education (Huntley et al., 2014). RP is a fundamental aspect of personal and professional development for those involved in sport, including sport psychologists, chaplains and athletes, but this outworking of RP appears to have not yet been considered in any detail. The aim of this chapter is to introduce the use of RP for and within these populations, both individually and within the different relationship dyads that could occur (e.g., athlete and sport psychologist, athlete and chaplain, chaplain and sport psychologist). It is thought that reflective practice, as a tool, can bridge gaps that may exist in individual development, both personally and professionally, through shared reflections (Huntley & Kentzer, 2013). Furthermore, there is a potential for increased awareness between and within these aforementioned populations in terms of roles and responsibilities, and the benefits that could be brought into the traditional sports performance consultancy environment.