Abstract:
Investigation of essential competencies in present-day sport psychology practice is critical to
keeping the training, education and regulation standards of applied sport psychology (ASP)
practitioners at the forefront of research (Fletcher & Maher, 2013). Moreover, investigation is
also needed to offer a new rationale for promoting academic inquiry in developed and developing
contexts. This study identified essential competencies in contemporary sport psychology practice
and explored the comparative views of a purposefully selected sample (n=9) of expert ASP
practitioners/psychologists. Data were gathered by means of semi-structured interviews with
stakeholders in South Africa (SA) and the United Kingdom (UK). Interview data were analyzed
using thematic content analyses. Main findings suggested that a relational and dependable
character, a client-centred focus, an all-encompassing counselling skills-set (facilitative and
restorative), and explicit expertise in the domains of psychology, sport and sport science are
indispensable to current sport psychology practice. Views generated by both stakeholders were
remarkably similar and overlapped considerably, which indicated the advanced levels of sport
psychology praxis in both contexts. It was recommended that behavioural indicators (personal
character) and certain skills prerequisites merit special consideration for candidates entering ASP
training and practice. An interdisciplinary training model in ASP with acquired competency in
both kinesiology and psychology-based training should become the accepted standard in the
training and development of practitioners for the purpose of garnering an inclusive capacity to
render client-centred services.
