Sports Psychology
by Nathan Richtmyre
What is Sports Psychology
• Sport and exercise psychology is defined a
– the scientific study of the psychological factors that are
associated with participation and performance in sport, exercise,
and other types of physical activity.
• According to Division 47 of the American Psychological
Association, sports psychology encompasses a range of topics
including "motivation to persist and achieve, psychological
considerations in sport injury and rehabilitation, counseling
techniques with athletes, assessing talent, exercise adherence and
well-being, self-perceptions related to achieving, expertise in sport,
youth sport, and performance enhancement and self-regulation
techniques."
A Brief History
• The world’s first sport psychology laboratory was founded in 1920
by Carl Diem, a German sports administrator, and an organizer for
the Berlin Olympic Games. He created the tradition of the Olympic
Torch Relay.
• Five years later, Cloman Griffith of the University of Illinois
established the first sport psychology laboratory in North America.
He then went on to published two books, The Psychology of
Coaching (1926) -- the first book in sport psychology -- and The
Psychology of Athletes (1928)
• 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.
Is it for you
Would you enjoy:
• helping athletes use psychological principles to
achieve optimal mental health and to improve
performance
• understanding how participation in sport,
exercise, and physical activity affects an
individual's psychological development,
health, and well-being throughout the life span.
Education and Training for a Career in
Sport Psychology
• Entry-level positions with a bachelor's degree are rare, usually
taking the form of internships. Most positions require a master's or
doctorate degree in clinical, counseling, or sports psychology as well
as direct training and experience in apply psychology to sports and
exercise.
• NEEDED SKILLS and ABILITIES
– possesses a knowledge of psychology and of sport along with the ability to
apply psychology to sport
– has a likable personality
– shows a concern and care for athletes and coaches
– has the ability to establish good working relationships with athletes and
coaches
– models team-based behaviors
– expresses a willingness to learn from athletes and coaches
How much can I make
• BACHELOR'S DEGREE
– The best option for someone at this level is to do an internship and become involved
with a sports team. If paying positions are available, they tend to be in the $18-22K
starting range
• 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 and to work independently, one needs need to be licensed by the
state in they work. Typical pay is in the $28-32K starting range.
• 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.
For more Infomation
• Association for Applied Sport Psychology
(AASP) http://www.aaasponline.org
• North American Society for the Psychology of
Sport and Physical Activity
• (NASPSPA) http://www.naspspa.org
• International Society of Sport Psychology
(ISSP) http://issponline.org