Anyone who has participated in a sport knows that there is more than just muscle strength, agility and game strategy involved. In team sports, the intense camaraderie established between the players heightens the competitiveness while breaking records drives other athletes to keep striving for their personal best. The pressure to outperform the other teams or athletes increases dramatically in college-level and professional sports, given the hefty financial investment in these activities, and even the best athletes can suddenly get into a slump—with no idea how to get out of it. While coaches and trainers are responsible for honing physical abilities, sports psychologists utilize motivational strategies and techniques to improve sports performance and keep athletes focused and motivated through mental training and other methods.
Some sports psychologists are hired by professional teams to help optimize the performance of the players. They also get called in to counsel athletes who are recovering from injuries or traumas. Other sports psychologists work with athletes in university settings and teach academic courses. Clinical sports psychologists employ some of the methods that athletes use to set and meet goals to help people with mental disorders gain more control over their lives. There are also employment opportunities in health clubs and training centers.
A sports psychologist career is a good choice if you have interests in sports, the mechanics of physical activity and psychology. You should have a good rapport with athletes, individually and at the team level, and good communication skills. Figuring out how to best motivate players and help them realize their potential requires good problem solving skills.
Education
A Bachelor’s Degree in psychology is a good foundation for graduate work in sports psychology. Some universities offer two-year Master’s Degrees in sports psychology, with coursework in kinesiology (physiological and psychological aspects of human movement), applied psychology, health education, and career counseling. To become a licensed sports psychologist, however, you will need to earn a PhD or PsyD in the field. Along with coursework in clinical and applied psychology, look for courses in sports science, kinesiology, behavior, rehabilitation, exercise psychology, motivational practices, and coaching.
In addition to your academic work, you will need hands-on training in sports management and applied psychology with a mentor or internship program before you can enter these careers. Volunteer work as a sports coach is good background for this career.
License and Certification
After all the academic requirements have been met, a sports psychologist must become a licensed psychologist in order to legally practice the profession by passing the state board exam for psychology licensure.
Along with your psychologist license, you may want to get a certification in sports psychology from a professional organization, such as:
- Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)—Offers certification to members with a Master’s or Doctoral Degree in sports psychology or a related field and 300 hours of applied sport psychology experience.
- American Board of Sport Psychology (ABSP)—Offers certification to doctoral-level sports psychology majors who pass an examination; certification must be renewed with continuing education credits.
While this certification is not legally required, membership in a professional association will help you make contacts, and their seminars and conferences will keep you up-to-date in the latest developments in the field. It will also make you a stronger job applicant.
Employment
A degree in sports psychology will make you eligible for several career paths, including teaching motivational skills to individual athletes or teams, trainers and fitness groups. You may decide to work with professional athletes or non-professional teams. Some sports psychologists work one-on-one with Olympic contenders through the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Clinical sports psychologists specialize in using the skills and techniques from this field in their work with clients who have mental disorders or substance abuse problems. Others work for corporations to help promote teamwork and motivate employees to perform better.
Salary
Based on the statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, the average annual salary of a sports psychologist can range from $42,000 to $72,000. Jobs in this field are expected to increase, since amateur and professional sports remain such an important industry.
An athlete can have a high degree of skill and talent, but without the proper motivation and drive, may never realize her full potential. In fact, being able to motivate yourself to actualize a goal is a valuable life skill for non-athletes, too. Sports psychologists specialize in helping people actualize their potential and increase their well-being, whether on the field or in the gym. If this sounds like the kind of work you want to be involved with, a career in sports psychology might be the right choice for you.