A tale of three stories: The influence of transnationalism, gender, and dual career on the professional development of a trainee sport psychologist

Abstract

The service delivery and philosophy of sport psychology practitioners is highly influenced by their life experiences, values, and personal beliefs. Nevertheless, accounts of such influences are limited within the professional development literature. In this article, the first author provides an analysis of how her experiences as a transnational female student-athlete and student-coach have shaped her identity and professional development as an applied sport psychology trainee. In so doing, the first author has reflected on the challenges and opportunities that she faced through these experiences. More specifically, her transnational experiences enabled her to realise the importance of love, empathy, and resilience as the foundations of her professional philosophy. Further, her experience as a female student-athlete enabled her to develop management skills and to overcome barriers resulting from her gender identity. We hope that by sharing the experiences of the first author in the present work, we create resonance and a sense of familiarity with some readers and provoke all practitioners to pause and reflect on how their experiences, values, and personal beliefs continue to influence their practice.