Careers in Sport Psychology

Careers in Sports Psychology

Quick Links to Subsections on this Page
Introduction	Education
Brief History	Employment
Important Terms	Learning More
Subfields	Outlook
A Typical Day	Summary
Pros and Cons	Acknowledgments

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Introduction

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY is (a) the study of the psychological and mental factors that influence and are influenced by participation and performance in sport, exercise, and physical activity, and (b) the application of the knowledge gained through this study to everyday settings.

Sport psychology professionals are interested in how participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity may enhance personal development and well-being throughout the life span. Sport psychologists are also involved in assisting coaches in working with athletes as well as helping improve athletes' motivation.

A Brief History

It was not until 1920 that the world's first sport psychology laboratory was founded by Carl Diem at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Berlin Germany. Five years later, in 1925, A.Z. Puni opened a sport psychology laboratory at the Institute of Physical Culture in Leningrad. That same year, Cloman Griffith of the University of Illinois established the first sport psychology laboratory in North America. Griffith had begun his research into psychological factors that affect sport performance in 1918, and in 1923 he offered the first course in sport psychology. Griffith was interested in the effects on athletic performance of factors such as reaction time, mental awareness, muscular tension and relaxation, and personality. He then published two books, The Psychology of Coaching (1926) -- the first book in sport psychology -- and The Psychology of Athletes (1928) . Because of the financial constraints imposed through the Great Depression, Griffith's laboratory closed in 1932.

In North America, little or no research in sport psychology took place between the closing of Griffith's laboratory and the 1960's. Then rather quickly, physical education departments in many institutions began to offer courses in sport psychology, and graduate programs began to appear.

Important as these developments were, the most significant stimulus to the growth of sport psychology was the formation of academic societies and scholarly journals devoted to professionals in this emerging in this field. In 1965, the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) was formed by scientists from across Europe; its first international congress was held that same year in Rome. Several scientists from North America who attended this first ISSP meeting were asked to consider hosting the next international congress. In 1966, a group of sport psychologists met in Chicago to discuss the formation of a society for sport psychology. They became became known as the North American Society of Sport Psychology and Physical Activity (NASPSPA).

The first scholarly journal devoted to sport psychology, the International Journal of Sport Psychology, was established in 1970, followed in 1979 by the Journal of Sport Psychology.

Increasing interest in conducting sport psychology research in settings outside the laboratory triggered formation of the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) in 1985 and focused more directly on applied psychology in both the health field and sport contexts.

*Some Important Terms in Sport Psychology*
	Cohesion	Whenever a team has done well and they are asked, What factors contributed to their success, someone always says, "We got along well all season." In team sports, team cohesion is a large part of success. Team members need to have mutual respect for each other and accept the faults of teammates.
	Imagery	Using Imagery is really quite simple: you picture yourself performing a sport in your mind. Most importantly however, is that you picture yourself performing correctly and with excellence.
	Confidence	Sport psychologists help athletes with self-confidence. To perform beyond what they have accomplished before, athletes need to believe that they are capable of going further.
	Motivation	Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the athlete or person. They do something because it makes them feel good, or they develop a sense of pride after accomplishing a goal. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside, money, and awards such as trophies or medals are extrinsic. Both types of motivation are important to consider.
	Attentional Focus	Lack of attentional focus is probably the most common problem of novice athletes. Being able to block out the crowd, the other team, or our own personal lives can be very challenging at times.

Some Interesting Subfields

Several career paths exist for an individual interested in the field of sport psychology. Typically, those entering the field enter one of several tracks of preparation.

*Some Interesting Subfields Within Sport Psychology*
	Track I	Teaching/research in sport sciences and working with athletes on performance enhancement.
	Track II	Teaching/Research in psychology and also working with athletes.
	Track III	Providing clinical/counseling services to various populations, Including Athletes.
	Track IV	Health promotion and working with athletes, but not necessarily directly in sport psychology.
	Sport Psychology and Coaching of Youths	Youth sport organizations may employ a sport psychology professional to educate coaches about how to increase the satisfaction and enjoyment of participants and about coaches' roles in promoting development of self-esteem.

A Typical Day Practicing Sport Psychology

The activities of a particular sport psychology professional will vary based on the practitioner's specific interests and training. Some may focus primarily on conducting research and on educating others about sport psychology. Typically, these individuals teach at colleges and universities and, in some cases, also work with athletes, coaches, or athletic administrators. They provide education as well as develop and implement programs designed to maximize the overall well-being of sport, exercise, and physical activity participants.

Other professionals may focus primarily applying sport psychology knowledge. These individuals are typically more interested in the enhancement of sport, exercise, and physical activity performance or enjoyment. They may consult with a broader range of clients and may serve in an educational or counseling role.

Pros and Cons of a Career in Sport Psychology

There are both potentially rewarding and frustrating aspects to working in sport psychology that need to be considered before pursuing a career in this field. Devotion and dedication are a must, if you are courageous enough to pursue a career in this profession and achieve success, the rewards can be extremely gratifying. .

*Some Potential Attractions of Careers in Sport Psychology*
	Helping Others	The profession offers the opportunity to assist others in a variety of ways.
	Team Environment	The sense of belonging to a team can be very rewarding for many people.
	Seeing Hard Work Pay Off	Correcting particular problems or helping individual accomplish goals can be very satisfying.
	Mental/Physical Interaction	Nurturing the unique interaction between the physical and psychological processes can facilitate balance in one's life.
	Diversity	the profession offers a unique opportunity to explore many fields besides psychology.

*Some Potential Drawbacks of Careers in Sport Psychology*
	Intense Schooling	Rigorous academic demands at the graduate and doctorate levels can be exhausting.
	Demanding work hours	Frequent long hours may be required, depending on the client.
	Burnout	Burnout is very common in this field due to the long hours and stressful situations encountered.
	Narrow Career Opportunities	There is not very much room for career diversity, especially for non-sports oriented individuals.
	Low Paying Jobs	Salaries tend not to be competitive with other areas of applied psychology.

Education and Training for a Career in Sport Psychology

NEEDED SKILLS, ABILITIES, and KNOWLEDGE: Surveys and interviews with athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists suggest that an effective sport psychologist (1) possesses a knowledge of psychology and of sport along with the ability to apply psychology to sport, (2) has a likable personality, (3) shows a concern and care for athletes and coaches, (4) has the ability to establish good working relationships with athletes and coaches, (5) models team-based behaviors, and (6) expresses a willingness to learn from athletes and coaches.

OPTIONS AND PAY RANGES WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE: The best option for someone at this level is to do some sort of internship and becoming involved with a sports team. If paying positions are available, they tend to be in the $18-22K starting range (1999 figures).

OPTIONS AND PAY RANGES WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE: Many jobs are available for those with masters degrees in this subfield. Nonetheless, people who want to utilize a broad range of skills need a doctoral degree for optimum success. To work independently, one needs also need to be licensed by the state in they work. Typical 1999 pay is the $28-32K starting range.

*Some Terminal Master's Degree Programs for Pursuing a Career in Sport Psychology*
	School of Sport Psychology at Capella University	This institution sets a high standard on excellence, and is demonstrated through their very high graduate success rate.
	Kinesiology Graduate Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison	Graduate study in this program is based upon a psychobiological perspective.

OPTIONS AND PAY RANGES WITH A DOCTORAL DEGREE: Most professional opportunities in sport psychology require doctoral degrees from accredited colleges and universities. In addition, students in counseling or clinical psychology doctoral programs usually complete post-graduate internships (normally not in sport psychology) as part of their education. Even if students with a masters degree complete sport psychology internships, these graduates compete at a distinct disadvantage for the limited number of full-time positions available in sport psychology.

*Some Doctoral Degree Programs for Pursuing a Career in Sport Psychology*
	Sport, Health, Leisure and Physical Studies at University of Iowa	This is an excellent program involving many different aspects of sport psychology.

Employment Resources for Sport Psychology

The following list of resources should be helpful to those interested in pursuing an career in this sport psychology.

*Some Resources for Exploring Careers and Career Prospects in Sport Psychology*
	Planning Your Career	Provides student information on numerous specialized areas of psychology.
	Career Information	Links to the APA Monitor for job openings.

Learning More About Sport Psychology

To become more involved in sport psychology or learn more about the field, it is useful to consider joining professional organizations and attending their conferences, such as

APA Division 47,
The Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP),
The North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), and
The International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP).

*Some General Resources for Learning More about Sport Psychology*
	Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP)	AAASP exists to promote theory development, research, and practice in applied sport and exercise psychology.
	American Psychological Association Division 47	Regulates and ensures that all ethical codes are met by those involved in the field of sport psychology.
	North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)	NASPSPA is the oldest organization devoted to sport and exercise psychology in North America. It is comprised of three subareas devoted to motor development, motor learning and control, and social psychology and physical activity.

Outlook

Some opportunities in the sport psychology are available in the private sector for the people with masters' degrees. However not only are these opportunities limited, but there is stiff completion from individuals holding doctorates degrees. Many people who want to work as a sport psychologist aim tom work for a sports team. The few individuals asked to do so almost always have doctorates or postdoctoratal training and are employed at the university level, which also involves teaching and conducting research. Opportunities to consult on a full-time bases for sports teams are rare. Indeed, full-time positions in sport psychology at any level-university or private sector are limited.

Summary

Sport psychology can be considered a subdiscipline of Psychology as well as Sport and Exercise Science. It is presumed to be an applied field whereby the principles of psychology are transferred to settings including exercise programs and organized sport. As an academic discipline, sport and exercise psychology is the scientific study of people and their behavior in sport and exercise contexts and involves such topics as personality, motivation, attributions, arousal, leadership, and goal-setting. In essence, the field is concerned with the psychological determinants of behavior in movement situations as well as the psychological effects of sport engagement and physical activity.

Acknowledgments

This page was created by Brian Haney as a project for a Senior Seminar in Psychology (PSY400) class taught by Dr. Arvid J. Bloom at West Chester University in Spring 2000.