In the spirit of the Paris Olympics, the International Relations Committee (IRC) hosted an International Symposium virtual panel session for AASP’s Annual Conference in October 2024, inviting three international practitioners from Jamaica, Uganda, and Romania to share their experiences working in high-level sport. The IRC is always eager to connect with international professionals and raise awareness of their work, and this panel achieved just that. I served as the moderator for the session, where one of the key themes discussed was the cultural nuances that have influenced our panelists’ work with athletes in their respective home countries. Coming from a collectivistic culture that is Hong Kong, I could relate to the collectivistic mindset shared by athletes and practitioners in Uganda and Romania. Both sport psychologists spoke about leveraging the communal mindset and collective responsibility to strengthen team dynamics, build trust, and foster solidarity within their teams. I believe this is something practitioners should keep in mind when working with collectivistic cultures.

Our international community continues to grow through other IRC-related events. Two IRC members, Barbora Kijasova and Yanai Sayag, helped the IRC co-host the International Jamboree with the Diversity Committee, which was, once again, very well received. We had over 80 participants from 27 countries worldwide, ranging from first-year master’s students to seasoned practitioners. It was incredible to see how this space allowed attendees to connect on a more personal level.

As we continue to keep the IRC mission at the forefront, let’s take a moment to thank the rest of the IRC members for working around the clock to create engaging newsletter content for friends around the globe. In this issue, we have included an overview of a sport psychology program in Israel, an interview with a Greek athlete on her experiences working with sport psychology professionals in Europe, an invited researchers’ corner, and two recommended international podcasts. I am honored and excited to continue leading this amazing committee of professionals who come together from different walks of life to help grow our international sport psychology community.

Happy reading!