What is Sport Psychology?
 
Do you or the athletes you coach:

have trouble staying focused during competition?
lack confidence during games?
choke during important competitive events?
Are you looking for a competitive edge?
Are you concerned with your child's experience in organized youth sports?
Are you looking for a way to improve your sport or exercise experience?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then you should read this brochure for useful information about sport psychology. During the last two decades sport psychology has received significant and increasing attention from athletes, coaches, parents, and the media. Consider, for example: The growing number of elite, amateur, and professional athletes who acknowledge working with sport psychology professionals. Coaches at the high school and university levels who seek sport psychology professionals to work with their athletes and teams on game preparation, team cohesion, communication skills, and other areas that affect performance. Major universities, where sport psychology professionals are being added to athletic department staffs to assist athletes with life skills development and to improve coping with the demands of being a student-athlete. Exercise specialists, athletic trainers, youth sport directors, corporations, and psychologists who are using knowledge and techniques developed by sport psychology professionals to assist with improving exercise adherence, rehabilitating injuries, educating coaches, building self-esteem, teaching group dynamics, and increasing effectiveness. This brochure will explain what sport psychology is, why people use sport psychology professionals, what sport psychology professionals do, and how you can identify and find a qualified sport psychology professional in your area.
 
What is sport psychology?

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.

Why do people contact a sport psychology professional?
 
To improve performance. This is the most common reason for consulting a sport psychology professional. In general, performance may be enhanced through the teaching of mental strategies that either refine the practices of effective performers or help ineffective performers overcome obstacles that prevent them from reaching their potential. To overcome the pressures of competition. Athletes at all levels seek help in dealing with the pressures of competition. Such pressures may stem from parental and/or coach expectations as well as the athlete's own expectations regarding performance. To enhance to experience of youth sport participants. Youth sport organizations may employ a sport psychology professional to educate coaches about how to increase the satisfaction and enjoyment of participants and about the coaches' role in promoting the development of healthy self-esteem. To provide psychological assistance with injury rehabilitation. Victims of injuries may request assistance with adjusting to nonparticipant status, adhering to physical therapy, tolerating pain, or other issues.

What services can a sport psychology professional provide?
 
Sport psychology professionals may provide a variety of services depending on their professional training. The most common services focus on: providing information about the role of psychological factors in sport, exercise, and physical activity to individuals, groups, and organizations. They may, for example, assist with exercise adherence, communication, teamwork, or program development and evaluation. teaching participants specific mental, behavioral, psychosocial, and emotional control skills for sport, exercise, and physical activity contexts. They might, for example, focus on relaxation, concentration, or the use of imagery. Sport psychology professionals who have special training and/or certification in such areas as coaching, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology, marital or family therapy, or the administration and interpretation of psychological tests, may provide additional services.
 
What roles may sport psychology professionals assume?
 
Sport psychology professionals may be trained primarily in the sport sciences with additional training in counseling or clinical psychology, or they may be trained primarily in psychology with supplemental training in the sport sciences. 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 on 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.
 
Who is considered a "qualified" sport psychology consultant?
 
Only those individuals with specialized training and, with certain limited exceptions, only those with appropriate certification and/or licensure may call themselves a sport psychologist. Anyone seeking the services of a sport psychology professional should ask about the professional's credentials, clientele, experience, and membership in professional organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and/or the American Psychological Association (APA). A growing number of sport psychology professionals are certified by the AASP. These professionals - who earn the designation Certified Consultant, AASP (or CC, AASP) -- have met a minimum standard of education and training in the sport sciences and in psychology. They have also undergone an extensive review process. The AASP certification process encourages sport psychology professionals who complete it to maintain high standards of professional conduct while giving service to others.* Some sport psychology professionals may be listed on the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Psychology Registry, meaning that they are approved to work with Olympic athletes and national teams. To be on the Registry, a professional must be a CC, AASP and a member of the APA). Certification, however, does not guarantee competency.
 
How can a person find a qualified sport psychology professional?
 
Word of mouth, Talk to athletes and coaches who have worked with a sport psychology professional to find out how it was helpful, the types of services provided, and the names of competent professionals they have worked with. Many institutions have academic programs in sport psychology and/or sport psychology consulting arrangements with one or more qualified professionals through their athletic department. AASP or the USOC Sport Psychology Registry. You can get more information about sport psychology and about people certified by the AASP or listed on the USOC Sport Psychology Registry by contacting: www.aaasponline.org or www.usoc.org.
 
© Copyright 1997 by the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology This booklet was prepared and edited by the AASP Organization and Outreach Committee