Psychological, Archetypal and Phenomenological Perspectives on Soccer

Soccer, or football, attracts vast numbers of passionate fans from all over the world; yet clinical psychology is yet to study it in depth. In this book, David Huw Burston, a consultant football psychology and performance coach, uses a phenomenological research method inspired by Amedeo Giorgi to consider what we can learn from the spirit of the game, and how this can be used positively in the consulting room and on the field of play. By examining detailed qualitative research with professional soccer players of both sexes, Burston identifies and considers nine particular themes, including the family, god, heroes and dreams, and discusses how what we can learn from the game of football and team culture can be applied to Jungian analysis today. This book bridges the gap between clinical psychology and sport, outlining potential shortfalls in current youth development in sport, as well as discussing how traditional Jungian archetypes can be identified in everyday settings. It will be of key interest to researchers from both the fields of analytical psychology and sports studies.

David Huw Burston (MFT) is a Clinical Psychotherapist in private practice in the USA, and a Consultant Football Psychology and Performance Coach for 11- 21 year olds at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, London, UK.

1. Introduction 2. Soccer and the Psyche of the Performer 3. A Phenomenological and Alchemical Approach to Investigating Soccer 4. The Interview Transcripts and Situated Structures 5. Depth Discussion and Analysis of the Data