It certainly is gratifying and exciting for me, as coeditor of the two previous editions of this Handbook (i.e., Singer, Murphy, & Tennant, 1993; Singer, Hausenblas, & Janelle, 2001), to realize the impact this type of resource book has had on the field of sport psychology in general, and on so many individuals around the world. These include students, educators, and psychologists, oriented primarily as scholars or as practitioners. Because of this enormous success, the Handbook is now being updated and published in the third edition. The two previous editions were successful, and no doubt the present edition will be of even greater significance.

Such expectations can be attributed to a variety of factors. Editors Gershon Tenenbaum and Bob Eklund are very experienced and well-known internationally among sport psychologists for their scientific and professional contributions, and both are highly motivated and organized in their work. They possess a comprehensive understanding of the vast subject matter and recognize the variety of topics and themes associated with the area. The magnitude of the coverage of issues of topical interest in sport psychology, as well as the reputations of the authors contributing to this compendium, reflect the effort made by these editors to produce an outstanding volume. A tremendous increase in research and scholarly activities has been seen in recent decades. Likewise, more students are studying sport psychology to become counselors, clinicians, or sport scientists who work directly with athletes to aid them in the learning mastery of skills and performance enhancement. Then there are also those who will become educators and teach the subject matter of sport psychology. All of these observations generate a need to update the Handbook more frequently. The Handbook serves not only as a timely overview of recent developments, but also as a stimulus for further scholarly productivity and improved teaching and clinical applications. Better coaching and athletic performance should also occur.