ABSTRACT
The aim with this chapter is to discuss some of the psychological characteristics that distinguish expert or elite athletes from novices or non-elites. Based on a careful inspection of the sport psychology and expertise research literatures, an attempt is made to structure the chapter after a set of fundamental behaviors that experts are hypothesized to engage in:
Characteristic 1. Expert athletes passionately play
Characteristic 2. Expert athletes persistently pursue performance
Characteristic 3. Expert athletes self-regulate their learning
Characteristic 4. Expert athletes cope with change and adversity
Characteristic 5. Expert athletes cope with competitive pressure
