7 New Sports Health Books Reshaping Athlete Care in 2025

Chris Snee, two-time Super Bowl champion, and other experts recommend these new Sports Health books for cutting-edge 2025 insights

Updated on June 28, 2025
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The Sports Health landscape changed dramatically in 2024, with fresh research and approaches transforming how athletes train and care for their mental and physical wellbeing. From hockey strength training innovations to deeper attention on mental health interventions, 2025 opens a new chapter in understanding sports performance holistically.

Chris Snee, a two-time Super Bowl champion and NY Giants lineman, brings firsthand experience to this evolving field. His endorsement of NSCA's work highlights how science-backed training and athlete care can elevate performance and resilience across sports disciplines.

While these cutting-edge books provide the latest insights, readers seeking the newest content tailored to their specific Sports Health goals might consider creating a personalized Sports Health book that builds on these emerging trends with focused, up-to-date guidance.

Best for hockey trainers and players
Chris Snee, a two-time Super Bowl champion and former New York Giants offensive lineman, recognized the impact of NSCA's work on athlete development. During his career, he saw firsthand how cutting-edge strength training could transform player performance. Reflecting on their latest book, he notes, "The NSCA’s efforts have improved the athlete and football player. One look at Strength Training for Football and that becomes abundantly clear." His endorsement highlights how these insights extend beyond football, showing why hockey trainers and athletes should consider this resource to build stronger, faster players tailored to the sport's demands.

Recommended by Chris Snee

Two-Time Super Bowl Champion, NY Giants Lineman

The NSCA’s efforts have improved the athlete and football player. One look at Strength Training for Football and that becomes abundantly clear. Here is the latest in science, research, and programming you need to develop the strongest players on the field. (from Amazon)

Strength Training for Hockey (Strength Training for Sport) book cover

by NSCA -National Strength & Conditioning Association, Kevin Neeld, Brijesh Patel, Meghan Duggan··You?

The breakthrough moment came when Kevin Neeld and the NSCA identified that traditional strength training methods weren't fully addressing hockey's unique physical demands. This book dives into biomechanical analyses tailored for each hockey position—goalie, forward, defense—offering you targeted exercises that translate directly to on-ice performance. You'll find detailed protocols to assess strength, power, speed, and body composition, plus over 80 exercise variations with clear coaching tips. Whether you're designing off-season or in-season programs, the book equips you with the tools to optimize strength training specifically for hockey athletes. It's a focused resource best suited for trainers and players serious about elevating hockey performance through science-backed training.

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Best for sports psychologists and welfare pros
Richard Elliott’s Mental Health and Sport: Supporting Elite Athletes offers a focused exploration of the mental health challenges faced by top-tier football players and other elite athletes. This book stands out for addressing emerging insights in sports health, especially the psychological and emotional aspects that often go overlooked in traditional sports science texts. It provides frameworks and case studies useful for students and professionals involved in player care, sports psychology, and athlete management. By shining a light on the lived experiences of elite athletes, Elliott’s work fills a critical gap in understanding how to support mental wellbeing alongside physical performance.
2024·216 pages·Sports Health, Sports Science, Sports Psychology, Athlete Wellbeing, Player Care

Unlike most sports health books that focus primarily on physical training and injury prevention, Richard Elliott’s work zeroes in on the mental well-being of elite athletes, especially football players. You’ll gain insight into the specific psychological challenges athletes face at the highest levels, including career pressures and identity struggles. Elliott draws on academic frameworks from sports psychology and athlete care, making this a solid resource if you’re studying sports science or working in player welfare roles. The chapters covering lived experiences and support strategies offer a grounded look at how mental health intersects with elite performance, though this book is best suited for those with some background in sports studies rather than casual readers.

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Best for tailored athlete success plans
This AI-created book on sports health is crafted based on your specific interests and goals around the latest developments in athlete care. By sharing your background and which cutting-edge topics you want to focus on, the book is tailored to deliver insights that matter most to you. This personalized approach makes it easier to explore complex new research and emerging strategies without wading through unrelated material. It’s designed to help you stay informed and apply advances in sports health efficiently and meaningfully.
2025·50-300 pages·Sports Health, Athlete Performance, Injury Prevention, Recovery Techniques, Mental Resilience

This tailored book explores the latest developments in sports health emerging in 2025, focusing on cutting-edge research and innovations that impact athlete performance and wellbeing. It examines new discoveries in physiological monitoring, injury prevention, and mental resilience with a personalized lens that matches your interests and goals. The content reveals how evolving knowledge in nutrition, recovery protocols, and training science can be applied to optimize athletic success. By tailoring this book to your background and specific sub-topics, it provides a focused, engaging journey through the most current trends, helping you stay ahead in understanding the dynamic landscape of sports health.

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Best for advocates of female athlete wellbeing
What makes "The Price She Pays" stand out in sports health literature is its focus on the hidden mental health struggles faced by female athletes across all levels. The authors, experts in mental health and sport, shed light on the complex emotional and systemic challenges women endure, from school sports to professional arenas. This book offers a thoughtful framework for coaches, parents, and athletes themselves to identify mistreatment and mental health issues, emphasizing holistic care beyond performance metrics. It addresses an urgent need by proposing pathways to support women in sports, ensuring their wellbeing and joy in competition.
2024·288 pages·Sports Health, Mental Health, Athlete Wellbeing, Female Athletes, Youth Sports

Drawing from their expertise in mental health and sports, Tiffany Brown PhD and Katie Steele confront the often-overlooked crisis affecting female athletes. Their work exposes the conflicting pressures women face—from being competitive yet conforming to unspoken expectations—and how these contribute to serious issues like disordered eating, anxiety, and trauma. You’ll gain insight into recognizing signs of mental distress and learn why supporting the whole person is crucial for female athletes’ wellbeing. This book is particularly useful if you’re a coach, parent, or athlete seeking to understand the unique challenges women encounter in sports and how to foster healthier environments.

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Best for students and fitness professionals
This book offers a fresh perspective in Sports Health by integrating foundational physiology with the latest developments in exercise prescription. It addresses evolving trends by focusing on physical activity's role across diverse populations, making it a valuable resource for students and professionals aiming to deepen their understanding of exercise science. The structure, divided into theory, application, and prescription, provides a clear pathway to mastering complex concepts and practical skills. Whether you're studying exercise physiology or working in sports performance, this text provides a solid framework to navigate the field's current landscape.
Exercise Physiology: for Health and Sports Performance book cover

by Nick Draper, Craig Williams, Helen Marshall·You?

2024·602 pages·Sports Health, Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Prescription, Physical Activity

Drawing from their extensive backgrounds in exercise science and sports coaching, Draper, Williams, and Marshall offer a thorough exploration of exercise physiology tailored for both health and performance contexts. You’ll find detailed explanations of human anatomy and physiological principles, complemented by practical insights into exercise testing and prescription. The book’s third section expands on recent shifts in the field, emphasizing physical activity across diverse populations, making it especially useful if you’re involved with varied client groups or academic study. While it’s ideal for students and professionals in sports therapy, performance, and fitness training, the clear, accessible style ensures you can grasp complex concepts without wading through jargon.

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Best for sport psychology researchers
This volume compiles leading research from the International Society of Sport Psychology’s flagship journal, offering a rich exploration of mental health issues within sports health. It brings together updated, internationally sourced chapters that address everything from high-performance athlete wellbeing to the psychological hurdles encountered during career transitions. By presenting screening methods, discussions on perfectionism, and mindfulness strategies, the book serves as a vital reference for those invested in sport and exercise psychology. Its authoritative approach meets the needs of professionals and scholars aiming to deepen their understanding of psychological dynamics in athletic performance.
2024·332 pages·Sports Health, Mental Health, Athlete Wellbeing, Psychological Assessment, Exercise Addiction

Robert J. Schinke's decades of experience in sport and exercise psychology led to this carefully curated collection of influential writings on mental health in athletic contexts. You’ll find chapters updated to reflect the latest research, tackling topics like athlete mental health, screening tools, perfectionism, body image issues, and exercise addiction. The book’s international perspectives and focus on the junior-to-senior transition offer insights relevant to coaches, psychologists, and sport professionals looking to understand psychological challenges athletes face. While it’s scholarly, the accessible structure helps you grasp emerging trends and practical assessment methods shaping sport psychology today.

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Best for tailored performance plans
This AI-created book on future-focused sports health is crafted based on your coaching or athlete background and your specific interests in emerging performance research. You share what new areas in sports health intrigue you most and your goals, and the book focuses on the latest discoveries and techniques that matter to you. This tailored approach ensures you explore relevant cutting-edge insights without sifting through broad, generic material. It’s like having a personal guide through the rapidly evolving world of athlete care and performance.
2025·50-300 pages·Sports Health, Athlete Recovery, Performance Metrics, Injury Prevention, Nutrition Science

This tailored book explores the evolving landscape of sports health with a clear focus on future developments poised to transform athlete care. It examines cutting-edge discoveries expected in 2025 and beyond, providing insights that match your background and interests. By concentrating on the latest research in performance, recovery, injury prevention, and mental wellbeing, this personalized guide encourages you to engage deeply with emerging knowledge relevant to your goals. It reveals how new sports science insights can be applied to optimize athlete resilience and long-term health. With its tailored content, this book supports a focused, forward-thinking approach to advancing sports health for athletes and coaches alike.

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Best for designing sport mental health programs
Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport offers a timely look at the latest developments in understanding and addressing mental health within the sports domain. The second edition updates readers on emerging research and practical models that tackle issues ranging from depression to burnout among athletes and coaches. Its evidence-based framework guides you through intervention design, implementation, and evaluation, emphasizing the role of sport as a powerful tool for mental health support—even in challenging settings like prisons. This book serves researchers, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to deepen their grasp of sport’s unique mental health dynamics and craft effective wellbeing strategies.
2024·254 pages·Mental Health, Sports Health, Sport Psychology, Well-being, Intervention Design

Drawing from extensive research and global expertise, Gavin Breslin and Gerard Leavey offer an updated exploration of mental health challenges within sport. You’ll gain insight into how interventions target issues like injury recovery, depression, eating disorders, and burnout, with chapters that include examples such as sport programs in prisons improving wellbeing. The book unpacks the practical design and evaluation of sport-based mental health interventions, making it relevant whether you work with athletes, coaches, or officials. While it’s thorough enough for practitioners, its accessible style also suits anyone keen to understand the evolving landscape of mental health in sports environments.

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Best for exploring athlete mental health challenges
John Weston Parry’s exploration of athlete mental health sheds light on a frequently overlooked facet of sports health. His examination extends beyond individual struggles to include the influence of spectator culture, legal frameworks, and recent societal shifts such as the COVID-19 pandemic. By presenting the mental health challenges faced across genders and identities, the book addresses a broad spectrum of issues critical to understanding and improving athlete wellbeing. This timely work is essential for anyone invested in the future of sports health and the evolving support systems surrounding elite athletes.
2024·376 pages·Sports Health, Mental Health, Athlete Wellbeing, Gender Issues, Substance Abuse

During his extensive research into the pressures faced by elite athletes, John Weston Parry developed a nuanced view of how mental health struggles intertwine with competitive sports culture. You’ll gain insight into specific challenges like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, alongside the unique hurdles faced by female, queer, transgender, and intersex athletes. The book digs into high-profile cases, such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, offering concrete examples that illuminate broader systemic issues. If you want to understand the complex landscape of mental health in American sports and the social forces that maintain silence around it, this book provides a grounded, detailed exploration without sugarcoating the realities.

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Conclusion

Together, these seven titles underscore a pivotal shift toward integrating mental health with physical conditioning in Sports Health. You’ll find a blend of targeted strength training, especially for hockey, alongside thorough explorations of athlete mental wellbeing, including gender-specific challenges and innovative intervention strategies.

If you want to stay ahead of trends or the latest research, start with Strength Training for Hockey and Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport. For cutting-edge application, combine The Price She Pays with The Burden of Sports to understand unique mental health challenges faced by athletes today.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Sports Health book to apply the newest strategies and latest research to your specific situation. These books offer the most current 2025 insights and can help you stay ahead of the curve.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with "Strength Training for Hockey" if you're focused on physical performance or "Mental Health and Sport" if mental wellbeing is your priority. Both offer solid foundations tailored to key Sports Health aspects.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Sports Health?

Not at all. While some books like "Exercise Physiology" suit students and professionals, others, such as "The Price She Pays," provide accessible insights beneficial even for newcomers interested in athlete wellbeing.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with physical conditioning books like "Strength Training for Hockey," then explore mental health-focused titles such as "Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport" to gain a rounded understanding.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick based on your interests. For example, coaches may focus on training guides, while sports psychologists might prefer mental health books. Each offers valuable, focused content.

Which books focus more on theory vs. practical application?

"Exercise Physiology" leans toward theory, explaining foundational science, whereas "Strength Training for Hockey" and "Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport" prioritize practical, actionable strategies.

Can I get personalized Sports Health guidance instead of reading multiple books?

Yes! While these expert books offer vital knowledge, a personalized Sports Health book can tailor insights specifically to your goals and experience. Learn more here.

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