Sport and Exercise Psychology Review - Sport Psychology Goes to ...

Conference Report
The British Psychological Society
Quinquennial Conference, Manchester,
March 30 – April 2, 2005
Paul Russell
THE BRITISH Psychological Society
hosted its Quinquennial Conference
during the Easter period at the University
of Manchester. Over 20 subsystems were
represented, resulting in one of the largest
ever psychology events in the United
Kingdom. Overall, there were 15 streams of
symposia, free communications, posters,
workshops and a large exhibition area. A
pre-conference workshop hosted by the
Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology
(DSEP) entitled, ‘Experiences from the
Athens Olympics’ looked an exciting and
positive way to start the conference. The
workshop, organised by Dr. Ailsa Anderson
and Sarah Cecil, drew on the reflections of
four sport psychologists who provided
support to the Great Britain Olympic and
Paralympic teams during the summer 2004
event. The workshop was well-attended, with
approximately forty delegates enjoying a
thoroughly stimulating and thought-provoking
day. It was also good to see that the workshop
delegates were drawn from a range of
both academic and applied backgrounds;
this was reflected in the range of insightful
questions that the audience asked of the presenters
throughout.
Although each presenter attended the
Olympic/Paralympic Games, this is where a
large degree of similarity ended. Their perspectives
and individual thoughts about the
wide diversity of experiences they reported
highlighted how unique this environment is.
The first presenter, Professor Ian Maynard,
reflected on his experiences in providing
psychological support to the Royal Yachting
Association. The presentation revealed the
extensive psychological and organisational
preparation that is required pre-travelling to
allow the athletes the best opportunity to
achieve. Professor Maynard emphasised the
importance of simulation training and
preparing the athletes for the unique atmosphere
of the ‘Big Show’. The presentation
also showed how the use of video footage can
be effective in getting key messages across to
athletes. Short clips from Star Wars and Any
Given Sunday certainly conveyed powerful
messages for the athletes.
The second presenter, Dr Jonathan Katz,
was the Headquarters Psychologist at the
Paralympic Games for Team GB. His insightful
account outlined the unique demands
placed on these athletes in this environment,
and how specific considerations have to be
made to issues like travelling and accommodation.
Dr Katz’s evaluation of his experiences
also revealed the inherent problems
that surround accreditation and security
at major multi-sport competitions. This was
echoed in the third presentation by
Dr Jonathan Males, who was the British
Headquarters Psychologist at the Athens
Olympic Games. Dr Males was not attached
to a particular sport in this role, and he
revealed how he was able to effectively
deliver psychological support to athletes who
he had previously not worked with.
The final presenter, Dr Sheelagh
Rodgers, provided a clinical perspective of
her role at the Olympics. The presentation
58 Sport & Exercise Psychology Review Vol 1 No 2