What do they do?
What
courses should I take at William and Mary?
What
about after I graduate?
What kind of
careers could I choose from as a sports psychologist?
Links
Description
Sport
Psychology is the scientific study of the psychological factors associated
with participation and performance in sport,
exercise, and other kinds of physical activity. Goals include (a) using
psychological principles to enhance performance and (b)
understanding how participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity
affects psychological development, health, and
well being in all stages of life.
Sport
Psychologists are interested in how participation in sport, exercise,
and physical activity may enhance performance,
personal development and well being throughout the life span. They improve
performance by teaching athletes certain mental
strategies. They help athletes overcome the pressures of athletic
competition by redirecting their thought processes. Sport
psychologists sometimes enhance the sport experience in young children
by teaching coaches about motivation and developing
self esteem and cooperative social skills. Sport psychologists even
work with injured athletes, helping them cope with the
psychological aspects of pain and rehabilitation.
There are two types of sport psychologists:
Clinical sport psychologists- are licensed sport psychologists who
treat athletes with emotional problems (i.e. clinical
depression, phobias, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc.)
Educational sport psychologists- have extensive training in kinesiology,
and work with athletes to achieve optimal
performance via the development of psychological skills.
Techniques
Sport psychologists may choose from several of the following different
methods that can be used to alleviate emotional
problems and enhance athletic performance:
-Motivation – changing motivation from extrinsic (participating because
of external rewards, such as trophies or losing weight) to intrinsic
motivation (participating because you genuinely enjoy the activity and
it makes you feel good about yourself)
setting both short and long term goals for the individual and the team
-Confidence Building - improving perceptions of self esteem, body image,
and sense of control
-Regulating Arousal Levels - to achieve optimal arousal zones, (in
situations of competition and social facilitation), peak experiences, flow
-Relaxation Techniques - through breathing exercises, meditation
-Stress/Anxiety Management - handling pressure and preventing
over training, "choking," and burnout
-Use of Imagery - teaching imagery and visualization. (during training,
before competition, and in injury rehabilitation)
-Coping - with the psychological aspects of pain, injury, physical
therapy, and rehabilitation
-Team Building – creating cohesion (communication, cooperation and
unity) within a group or team, preventing social loafing,
promoting leadership
-Concentrating Techniques - to focus attention
-Cognitive Redirecting - positive thought training, self talk
-Biofeedback - taking physiological measures to study stressors in
the body
Preparation
at William and Mary
Most
sport psychologists are either mainly trained in the sport sciences, with
additional training in the psychological sciences, or
mainly trained
in the psychological sciences, with additional training in the sport sciences.
Dr. Evelyn Hall, a professor who
specializes in
sport psychology at William and Mary, recommends a major in psychology
to get started in the field. The
requirements for
this concentration are as follows:
Psychology Major - 32
Credits
The following courses are
required...
PSY 201 Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science
PSY 202 Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science
PSY 301 Elementary Statistics (satisfies computing
proficiency)
PSY 302 Experimental Methods
One of the following
advanced research courses:
PSY 410 Research in Developmental Psychology
*PSY 411 Cognition and Thinking
*PSY 412 Research in Personality
PSY 413 Research in Physiological Psychology
PSY 414 Experimental Social Psychology
PSY 415 Comparative Psychology
PSY 417 Sensation and Perception
*PSY 422 Behavior Modification
A C- or better in one
of
the following concentration writing courses:
PSY 302, or one of the above advanced research courses
The
remaining credits from the 32 hours may be taken in several different subjects,
but
for
sport psychologists, here are some ideas and *recommendations:
PSY 311 Learning and Memory
*PSY 313 Physiological Psychology
PSY 314 Social Psychology
PSY 320 Community Psychology and Prevention
*PSY 372 Motivation and Emotion
*PSY 375 Psychology of Decision Making
*PSY 376 Health Psychology
*PSY 498 Internship (Hands-on experience is essential, so internships are
very valuable.)
Course
suggestions from other departments include:
KIN 303 Human Anatomy
KIN 308 Biomechanics of Human Movement
KIN 312 Rehabilitation Techniques
*KIN 321 Health and Human Movement
*KIN 335 Play, Sport, and Culture
*KIN 355 Sport and Gender
*KIN 400 Sport Psychology
*SOC 360 Sociology of Sport
A double major or a minor in kinesiology would
be advantageous for those interested in a career in sport psychology.
Dr. Hall recommends a minor, so that students can focus more on the psychology
major, which she believes will be more valuable in the working world.
However, for reference, both the minor and the major are listed here.
The requirements for these options are as follows:
Kinesiology Minor - 21 Credits and
Two Activity Classes
The following courses are
required...
Choose at least one course from the following three groups:
Group I: KIN 150 Freshman Seminar
*KIN 204 Introduction to Kinesiology
KIN 493 Philosophy in Kinesiology
Group II: KIN 322 Motor Learning
KIN 340 Motor Development
*KIN 355 Sport and Gender
*KIN 400 Sport Psychology
Group III: KIN 304 Human Physiology
*KIN 303 Human Anatomy
Two
activity courses:
At least one each from two of the following areas:
Wellness, Lifetime Activities, Aquatics, Sports,
Dance Technique, and Outdoor Activities
The
remaining credits from the 21 hours may be taken in several different courses,
but
for
sport psychologists, here are some ideas and *recommendations:
KIN 308 Biomechanics of Human Movement
*KIN 312 Rehabilitation Techniques
*KIN 321 Health and Human Movement
*KIN 335 Play, Sport, and Culture
KIN 350 Science of Nutrition
Kinesiology
Major - 34 Credits and 4 Activity Classes
The
following courses are required...
KIN 308 Biomechanics
Prerequisite: KIN 303 Human Anatomy
KIN 322 Motor Learning
KIN 394 Statistics and Evaluation (satisfies computing
proficiency)
KIN 442 Exercise Physiology
Prerequisite: KIN 304 Human Physiology
KIN 493 Philosophy in Kinesiology
A
C- or better in one of the following concentration writing courses:
KIN 470W Independent Study in Kinesiology
KIN 480W Kinesiology Research
KIN 493W Philosophy in Kinesiology
KIN 495W Honors
KIN 496W Honors
Four
activity courses:
At least one each from four of the following areas:
Wellness, Lifetime Activities, Aquatics, Sports,
Dance Technique, and Outdoor Activities
The
remaining credits from the 34 hours may be taken in several different subjects,
but
for
sport psychologists, here are some ideas and *recommendations:
KIN 204 Introduction to Kinesiology
KIN 208 Emergency Care
KIN 312 Rehabilitation Techniques
*KIN 321 Health and Human Movement
*KIN 335 Play, Sport, and Culture
KIN 350 Science of Nutrition
*KIN 355 Sport and Gender
*KIN 400 Sport Psychology
**KIN 498 Internship (Hands-on experience is essential, so internships
are very valuable.)
Professional
Preparation after William and Mary
Since
the popularity of sport psychology has recently been rapidly expanding,
competition for jobs is fierce. The number of job
opportunities
has been increasing as more people take interest in the field, but the
supply is much greater than the demand.
Advanced
graduate training is becoming a necessity for nearly all students.
Graduate Schools
The following is a list of schools that have both master's and doctoral
programs, with the master's programs taking a maximum of two years and
the
doctoral programs averaging at four years:
University of Virginia
University of North Carolina at
Greensboro
University of Florida at Gainesville
University of Arizona
Michigan State University
According to the U.S. News and World Report, these are the top American
graduate schools in psychology, specifically in counseling
psychology, a field very closely related to sport psychology:
University of Maryland at College Park
Ohio State University
University of Minnesota at Twin
Cities
University of Missouri at Colombia
University of Iowa
Certification
Although there are no national certifications
required for becoming a sport psychologist, a popular certification program
is available through the
Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP).
To see the criteria for becoming a Certified Consultant (CC, AAASP)
click here.
Clinical psychologists must be state certified to treat people with emotional
disorders.
Professional
Prospects
Depending
on the interests and training of the sport psychologist and the kinds of
people he or she would like to work with, there
are
a few different prospects for careers in the field of sport psychology:
University Professors - the majority of sport psychologists work
in this area. A professor's responsibilities include researching,
teaching, and serving the
community. In the sport psychology area, they often act as part time
consultants, who work with smaller college sport teams and individual
athletes, or with teams in community programs.
Athletic Counselors - very few sport psychologists get to work
with college sport teams, professional teams, and elite athletes.
There are so many
people who want to do this and a much smaller number of openings in these
positions. However, the United States Olympic Committee and
some large universities will hire full-time sport psychologists, consult
with the athletes and coached in areas such as performance enhancement,
personality development, and lifestyle management. For example, in
a full-time job with a large college team, a practitioner may work with
the
team for twenty minutes, three times weekly, with individual meetings available
by appointment. Whereas in a part-time job on a smaller
college campus, they may only offer half or full day, or week long seminars
with no individual consultations, all depending on the availability and
interest of the sport psychologist, the coach, and the athletes.
Sport psychologists may be employed in a private practice or a consulting
firm.
Corporate Health Promotion Specialists - these sport psychologists
may focus on worksite health promotion for a large corporation or smaller
business,
under the popular belief that performance enhancement techniques apply
to employees as well as athletes. Companies want to maintain
efficiency by keeping their employees happy and reducing their levels of
personal stress about their jobs.
Sports Medicine Consultants - some sport psychologists even work
in sports medicine or physical therapy clinics. At these worksites,
they help patients
deal with the psychological aspects of injury rehabilitation, pain, therapy
program adherence, and their temporary non-participant status as a
result of their injury.
These
are the most popular positions for sport psychologists right now.
But as interest in the field increases and more people
look to the idea of harnessing their mind to improve their physical performance,
opportunities are appearing in less competitive
areas. In the near future, more sport psychologists will probably
be working in high schools, community sport programs, fitness
centers, and possibly middle or elementary school systems.
Links
to other Sport Psychology Web Sites
Association
for the Advancement of Sport Psychology
American Psychological Association,
Division 47, Exercise and Sport Psychology
Human
Kinetics - Psychology of Exercise and Sport
Psych
Web
North American Society for Psychology
of Sport and Physical Activity
About:
The Human Internet – Sport and Exercise Psychology