Abstract
Despite long-standing research around competition, the multifaceted role of emotions within sport practice remains underexamined. This narrative review integrates literature from across psycho-motor disciplines in kinesiology to outline how emotions are implicated in various practice goals. We focus on how emotions may enhance the quality of sport practice in support of elite athlete development. We highlight how various emotional experiences may facilitate transfer of learning, then more fully consider how emotions serve the development of athletes’ ‘learning-to-learn’ skills and their motivation to practice. Overall, our aim is to initiate dialogue on the role and complexity of emotions in sport practice. In doing so, we propose that emotions serve conceptually different roles depending on whether the preeminent practice goal is competitive transfer, equipping athletes with learning proficiencies, or maintaining/sustaining athletes’ motivational beliefs. We hope that future research and application may consider these perspectives relating to the development of sport expertise.