One size does not fit all: pluralistic practice for long-term work with a premiership rugby player

McKenzie, G., Wagstaff, C. R. D., Wadey, R. and McDougall, M. (2025) One size does not fit all: pluralistic practice for long-term work with a premiership rugby player. Case Studies in Sport and Performance Psychology, 9 (1). pp. 1-8. ISSN 3068-0530

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Abstract

In this article, we illustrate the service delivery with a 26-year-old, male, professional rugby union player, who over our two-and-a-half-year working relationship brought a multitude of different challenges to sessions. In the initial 6 months of the work presented in this case, the sport psychology practitioners (SPPs; both authors) codelivered sessions. We offer details of this codelivery period, as well as the role that the supervisor (second author) played in the latter 2 years of work. The SPPs worked from a pluralistic philosophy, which acknowledges that different clients need different things at different points in time. As such, we outline how the SPPs engaged in an ongoing process of metacommunication and shared decision making to establish the client’s goals and preferences and how this was renegotiated over time. We also depict the different approaches that the SPPs were required to take to meet the client’s needs, including referring to another practitioner when appropriate. We conclude by sharing several reflections on our service delivery and offer applied recommendations for SPPs who seek to use pluralistic approaches in their work.

Publication Type: Articles
Uncontrolled Keywords: elite sport, meta-communications, pluralism, shared decision making
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV201 Physical education and training
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV557 Sports
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV557 Sports > GV711 Coaching
Divisions: Academic Areas > Institute of Sport > Area > Sport and Exercise Psychology and Research Methods
Research Entities > Centre for Health and Allied Sport and Exercise Science Research (CHASER)
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Graham McKenzie
Date Deposited: 18 Nov 2025 17:06
Last Modified: 18 Nov 2025 17:06
URI: https://eprints.chi.ac.uk/id/eprint/8294

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