Dave Collins, PhD, earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Surrey in 1990. He is currently the director of Grey Matters UK, a performance-focused company that offers applied consultancy services in sports, business, performing arts, and more. He is also a professor at the University of Edinburgh, an institution ranked in the world’s top 20 by QS World University Rankings. Collins has written over 450 peer-reviewed publications and has authored or contributed to 90 books. His research interests include performer and coach development, expertise, and peak performance. As a practitioner, Collins has worked with more than 90 world-class athletes or Olympic medalists as well as professional athletic teams and performers. He is the director of the Rugby Coaches Association, a fellow of the Society of Martial Arts, a fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), and an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. Collins is a former Royal Marine and a fifth dan in karate.

Jamie Taylor, PhD, earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Edinburgh in 2020. He is currently an assistant professor and lecturer in coaching and elite performance at Dublin City University. As a senior coach developer at Grey Matters UK, Taylor offers ongoing contributions to the development of coaches and coach supporters in athletics, netball, rugby union, football, adventure sports, and the Special Olympics. He has worked with over 150 coaches in a developmental capacity and consulted across a wide range of sports and contexts, including Olympic and Paralympic programs. While working with the English Institute of Sport, Taylor supported the creation of the Coach Developer CIMSPA standards. His research focus spans across performance enhancement in sport, specifically in coaching, coach development, high performance, and talent development.

Introduction. The It Depends Approach: Informed Decision Making Based on Contextual Needs
Dave Collins

Part I. Controlling Movement

Chapter 1. Underpinning Theories and Consequent Approaches: What Do We Want and Need From a Model?
Dave Collins and Jamie Taylor

Chapter 2. Challenges of Cognitive, Ecological, and Predictive Processing Approaches
Howie J. Carson and Jamie Taylor

Chapter 3. Sifting the Useful From the Useless: A Case for Criticality in Coaching
Loel Collins and Ray Bobrownicki

Part II. Learning Movement

Chapter 4. An Either-Or Perspective on Applying the Theoretical Approaches: Where Have They Come From, and How Valid Are They?
Howie J. Carson

Chapter 5. Blending Approaches
Michael Ashford and Jamie Taylor

Chapter 6. Performer Experience: Challenge and Fidelity
Jamie Taylor and Michael Ashford

Chapter 7. The Special Case of High-Level and Experienced Performers
Dave Collins

Part III. Performing Movement

Chapter 8. Mental Skills
Rosie Collins

Chapter 9. Athlete Management
Andrew Cruickshank

Chapter 10. Planning and Leadership Systems
Michael Ashford and Dave Collins

Part IV. Team Movement

Chapter 11. Psychosocial Dimensions: Integrating Movement and Psychological Considerations to Optimize Team Performance
Urvi Khasnis and Amy Price

Chapter 12. Team Management
Andrew Cruickshank

Epilogue. Underpinning Your Future Development: Next Steps, How to Take Them, and What to Look Out For
Jamie Taylor and Dave Collins