SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 121 – Term 2, Fall 2012
Instructor
Dr. Bob Swoap
Office: 103 Jensen
email: bswoap@warren-wilson.edu Phone: 771-3706
homepage: www.warren-wilson.edu/~bswoap
Office Hours: M W F1: 09:30 – 11:00
T Th F2: 10:50 – 11:30
Other times available by appointment
Readings
 In Pursuit of Excellence (2007, 4th ed.) by Terry Orlick
 Additional readings will be placed on reserve in the library or will be available online.
Course Objectives
This course examines theoretical, clinical, and applied aspects of sport psychology. It is designed to
introduce you to the field of sport psychology by providing a broad overview of the major topics in
the area. The primary course objective is to facilitate your understanding of how psychological
factors influence involvement and performance in sport settings, and how participation in sports
affects individuals and groups. No previous coursework in psychology is assumed.
Assignments and Grades
Each of the following is worth 1/3 of your final grade:
Test I (draws upon the readings and the classroom activities/lectures/discussions)
Test II (draws upon the readings and the classroom activities/lectures/discussions)
One interview and write-up (see end of syllabus for instructions and due dates)
If you have a conflict with the dates for our tests, you need to let me know right away so that we can
set a make-up day.
Grades
93-100%
90- 92%
87- 89%
83- 86%
A
AB+
B
80-82%
77-79%
73-76%
70-72%
BC+
C
C-
67-69%
63-66%
0- 62%
D+
D
F
If you have a disability and might require special accommodations at any time in this course, it is your
responsibility to inform me during the first week of classes. Documentation of your learning
disability needs to be on file with the Student Life office. (Requirements for disability documentation
can be found on the Warren Wilson Website, under Student Life.)
Class Schedule (Chapters are from “In Pursuit of Excellence”)
Topic
Readings
Week NINE:
M 10/29
Introduction
W 10/31
The Wheel of Excellence
F 11/2
Send me your interview topic via email by 9 a.m. today
Chs. 1-4
Mental toughness, Swoap, 2002
Week TEN:
M 11/5
Goal-setting
Chs. 12, 13, & 14
(For this class session, bring in five goals you have.)
W 11/7
Deliberate Practice
Th 11/8
No class, but send me your interview questions via email by 9 a.m.
Also, please send me the name of the athlete, his/her sport, and level of competition.
Read Ericsson’s article
https://syllabus.byu.edu/uploads/h52kB4gCLyQP.pdf
(Note the comments in red -- they guide you to skip parts of the article. If you
miss those comments, you’ll read a very long, complex article.)
Week ELEVEN:
M 11/12
Anxiety, arousal, and stress
Chs. 5, 6, & 7
W 11/14
Imagery
Chs. 8-11
F 11/16
Test I
Week TWELVE:
M 11/19
Work on interview project
Week THIRTEEN:
M 11/26
Motivation
Chs. 15-17
W 11/28
Composure and Consistency
Chs. 18-20
F 11/30
Resilience and Grit
Ch. 21, Ch. 24
Week FOURTEEN:
M 12/3
The psych benefits of exercise
W 12/5
Eating disorders in sports
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx
Eating disorders and weight management
(Swoap & Murphy, 1995, on reserve)
(Please take notes on the reading and/or bring a photocopy.)
Week FIFTEEN:
M 12/10
Coaching / Team issues
Chs. 22-23
W 12/12
Children in sports
Sport psychology issues in youth soccer
(Swoap, 1996) – Go to powerpoint slides
to access the pdf of this.
F 12/14
Test II
Week SIXTEEN:
M 12/17
Interview Paper Due
Class evaluations / Wrapping up
Interview Project Guidelines and Due Dates
Overview:
1) Pick an area of sport psychology you want to learn more about
2) Develop a set of interview questions to investigate this area
3) Find an athlete who is willing to participate
4) Interview the athlete
5) Locate and obtain at least two outside sources related to your topic.
6) Write-up your summary of the interview
Specifics:
1) Pick an area of sport psychology you want to learn more about.
You can use your syllabus, your text, or other sources to pick an area. Examples:
Mental toughness, visualization, effects of coaching style, goal-setting, etc.
Send me your topic via email by 11/2 by 9 a.m.
2) Develop a set of interview questions to investigate this area.
Your textbook has a lot of interview questions in the early chapters. You can draw from these,
modify them, and/or create your own set of questions.
You should have enough questions so that your interview will last between 20-30 minutes.
The number of questions will depend on your topic. Keep your questions short and clear.
Practice asking the interview questions to one of your classmates to determine if you need to
reword any of them and to practice delivering the interview questions.
Send me your interview questions via email by 11/8 by 9 a.m.
3) Find an athlete
It would be best if you interviewed an athlete not connected to WWC. You can choose the level of
athlete (Olympian, professional, collegiate, high school).
Begin contacting athletes after you get topic approval on 11/2.
Your first contact should be to explain the project and to let the athlete know that their name will be
kept confidential. Give them the general topic you will be asking them about. Ask their permission.
When you get an athlete who gives you permission, please send me his/her name, sport, and level of
competition. This information should be sent to me by 11/8 by 9 a.m. (same as when your
interview questions are due.)
4) Interview the athlete. If you can, please record the interview (with permission of the athlete). If
not, take very good notes, since you will want to use key quotes in your paper.
You should interview your athlete in the month of November. Please email me when you have
completed your interview.
5) Find at least two outside sources related to your topic. You can find these in scholarly journals or
in textbooks on sport psychology. Do not use blogs or other informal sources. (Do not use “In
Pursuit of Excellence.”) You will use these to make connections to the interview and to investigate
your topic more fully.
6) Write-up your summary of the interview. This is due in class on Monday 12/17. Of course, you
may turn it in any time ahead of that. Late papers will be accepted through Wednesday 12/19. None
will be accepted after that. Turned in Monday after 11 a.m. = 10 points deducted; Turned in Tuesday
= 20 points deducted. Turned in Wednesday = 30 points deducted.
Writing an interview essay:

Immediately after concluding the interview:

Organize your notes

Transcribe the audio recording, or important sequences and quotes

Set your notes aside for a day or two to get a fresh perspective

Review the entire interview's notes and recording
Note three to five major themes around your topic of investigation.
(You are now re-structuring the interview from its "narrative" sequence
to one of themes)

For each significant theme, find an appropriate quote
and cut and paste these into their categories

Use outside sources (e.g., your text, an article on sport psychology) and begin to integrate
these into your paper/themes.

After completing the substance of the interview,
develop an introduction which has a thesis statement or question. Also, develop a conclusion
that includes personal observations (what you take away from the interview) and more general
interpretations.

Proofread, verify and cite your source(s), and spell-check.
Format: 4-6 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, font 12, standard margins.
Cover page with your name, date turned in, title of paper. (Don’t count the cover page in the 4-5 page
count. Do not count the separate page for references/citations. APA citation style, please.)
Staple your paper before you turn it in. Dog-eared papers will not be accepted.
Best Practices:
Create an outline for your paper and incorporate interview data into the outline to support your
arguments explaining a particular sport psychological phenomenon. Decide which published
sources (at least two) that you will use in your paper and note the order in which you will present
their arguments in your paper.
Write a rough draft of your paper, working on one or two sections at a time for a few hours each day
until your paper is complete. Take a day or two away from your paper and then come back to edit it
for flow, consistency and readability. Ensure that you have fully answered your thesis
statement/question and explained the concept you chose to examine.
Ask a classmate or someone in the Writing Center to review your paper for the same -- readability
and flow. Revise your paper as needed. Review your paper a second time for grammar,
punctuation, and adherence to style standards.