Dr. Vealey’s scholarship focuses on the understanding and enhancement of the “achieving mentality” in sport. The achieving mentality necessitates cognitive characteristics such as confidence and motivation, as well as an agile mindset of mental skills and coping abilities. However, the achieving mentality required in the public social evaluation environment of sport competition can lead to anxiety, burnout, and perfectionism, all possible threats to athletes’ wellbeing and mental health. 

To examine both sides of the achieving mentality, Dr. Vealey has developed lines of research in sport-confidence, competitive anxiety, burnout, and mental skills. She also has written extensively about professional issues in sport psychology and coaching effectiveness. Her current and emerging work incorporates the mental health/wellbeing component into the mental skills model, as a critical societal need to combat the mental health risks inherent in organized sport.

Martens, R., & Vealey, R. S. (2023). Successful coaching (5th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Vealey, R. S. (2022). Coaching for the inner edge: Practical sport psychology for coaches (2nd ed.). FIT.

Vealey, R. S., & Chase, M.A. (2016). Best practice for youth sport. Human Kinetics.  

Vealey, R. S., Martin, E., Coppola, A., Ward, R. M., Chamberlin, J., & Block, C. (2020). The slippery slope: Can motivation and perfectionism lead to burnout in coaches? International Sport Coaching Journal, 7, 1-10.

Wright, E., Chase, M. A., Horn, T. S., & Vealey, R. S. (2019). United States parents’ perfectionism, parenting styles, and perceptions of specialization in youth sport. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 45,101571.

Vealey, R. S., Cooley, R., Nilsson, E., Block, C., & Galli, N. (2019). Assessment and the use of questionnaires in sport psychology consulting: An analysis of practices and attitudes from 2003 to 2017. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 13, 505-523.

Vealey, R. S., Galli, N., & Harmison, R. J. (2019). CMPC certification as a milestone, not a millstone: A Response to Scherzer and Reel. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 13 (3), 345-350.

Forlenza, S. T., Pierce, S., Vealey, R. S., & Mackersie, J. (2018). Coaching behaviors that enhance confidence in athletes and teams. International Sport Coaching Journal, 5, 205-212.

Vealey, R. S. (2018). A periodization approach to building confidence in athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 9, 1-12.

Vealey, R. S. (2017). Conflict management and cultural reparation: Consulting “below zero” with a college basketball team. Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology. 1, 83-93.