The Psychology of High Performance

2020 NAGC Book of the Year Award Winner — ​Finalist in the 2020 PROSE Awards

This volume explores how early potential develops into high performance in five domains: sport (specifically golf and team sports), the professions (medicine, software engineering, and professional teams), academics (mathematics and psychology), the performing arts (dance and acting), and the producing arts (culinary arts and drawing/painting).

The chapters address many questions: What does “raw” potential in a specific domain looks like?  How can those abilities be nurtured and grown, and what psychosocial skills are necessary for this development? The Psychology of High Performance examines similarities and differences within and between domains and includes several personal interviews with “gatekeepers”—experts in a field whose professional judgment determines whether individuals’ developed abilities are good investments for further instruction and coaching. With its mix of scholarship and personal interviews, this book brings new insights based on psychological science and best practice to inform educators, parents, coaches, and psychologists guiding young people on their path to becoming high performers.