It is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Renee Appaneal and Tammy Sheahy who have both served the International Relations Committee for three consecutive years. At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome three additional members: Sorenya Miller from Saint Andrew, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Erin Daley from Scotland, UK; and Renee Raymond from Canada, to the committee! We are confident they will bring fresh perspectives and invigorating energy to our collective efforts, and we eagerly anticipate their contributions.

As the IRC, our primary objective remains to deliver content in our biannual newsletter that highlights the diverse contributions of our AASP members and cultivates a deeper understanding of sport and performance psychology within a global context. For our e-newsletter issues, there is a deep commitment to enhancing the visibility of our international members by showcasing their exceptional work and pioneering research through interviews with international scholars and practitioners.
We were pleased to support AASP by promoting the importance of cultural sport psychology. Recently, we the IRC partnered up with AASP’s Web Presence Committee (WPC) to produce a video explaining high- and low-context communication and its importance when working with international athletes. We spoke about the importance of cultural awareness in building rapport and fostering effective communication, a key element of cultural sport psychology. Understanding these cultural nuances builds stronger relationships between practitioners, coaches, and athletes, which makes way for a more supportive environment, more effective interventions, and enhanced athlete well-being.

We encourage our international sport psychology community to continue to share and apply culturally sensitive approaches, innovative research, and practical principles in diverse sporting environments in the coming year. We also look forward to connecting with you at the AASP Annual Conference in Montréal on October 15-18! Conference registration is slated to open in July.

Happy reading!