This book presents first-time research findings and new empirically based perspectives and applications in sport psychology.Highly provocative data derived from the largest single study ever on athletes is used to advance an original model of peak performance centering on a clearly emerging athlete's profile. Central to the book is the Theory of Critical Moments, which proposes that mental factors are most crucial during specifically delineated psychologically significant periods of competition and helps explain when and why intrusive cognitions influence performance.