2. Introduction
The career I am interested in is Sports Psychology.
What is sports psychology?
A branch of psychology that focuses on the
psychological issues of athletes, children in
sports, or people who exercise.
Just as an athletic trainer maintains an athletes
body to be healthy, a sport psychologist will
keep a person’s mind healthy so they can
perform at their highest.
3. Sports Psychology
Sports psychologist also work with athletes on:
Enhancing performance
Self talk, visualization, relax and focus mind
Coping with the pressures of competition
Pressure from parents, coaches or even their own
expectations
Recovering from injuries
Tolerating pain, adhering to their physical therapy regimens or
adjusting to being sidelined
Keeping up an exercise program
Increase their motivation and tackle any related concerns such
as a chronic disease
Enjoying sports
Promote healthy self-esteem and a fun environment for children
or adults
4. Job Elements
Education
Master’s or Doctorate Degree
AASP Certified Consultants (CC-AASP)
Where do they work?
Professional Sports teams
Universities
Private Practice
Hospitals
Salary
BLS stated that general psychologist have a median of
$70,000 a year
Many sites say that a sports psychologist salary is $60,000 to
$80,000 a year
Outlook
Expected to increase by 12% between 2012 and 2022
5. History
In 1898, psychologist Norman Triplett found that cyclists
made better time when they were competing against
others in races versus when they cycled alone
In 1920, the first sports psychology laboratory was founded
by Carl Diem in Germany
Coleman Griffith is credited as being the true founder of
sports psychology
He started studying sports psychology as a graduate student in
1918. His research then focused on how vision and attention
predicted basketball and football performance
He also taught “Psychology and Athletics” at University of
Illinois.
In 1987, the American Psychological Association created
the sports psychology division, Division 47
6. Holland Results
I received my highest score of 13 in social and
artistic.
For my scores:
Social
My score shows that I have an interest in helping
people and communicating with them to solve
problems. I love giving advice or teaching someone
new hobbies or skills.
Artistic
My score shows my interest in creating new things
and new ways of solving problems. Also, I like having
freedom when I work to have the ability to be
creative.
7. My Skills
Skills
I decided to obtain a major in health science and a
minor in psychology
I wanted to have the knowledge of how the
medical and public health systems both worked,
so then I could have a different component to
bring when being a sports psychologist
This will allow me to work with medical doctors,
nutritionist, and exercise coaches and also
understand their work while using my psychology
background to find the best approach for a
client’s health solution
8. My Experience
I have worked at summer camps that include a
sport and exercise component to them.
Working with 5-11 year old children on:
teaching them how to play multiple sports
Motivating them to play fairly and correctly
Building their confidence
Teaching them to work as a team
Although this is at a lower level than professional
or college sports, I believe it is a good foundation
to working with the elements needed for this
career
9. Graduate Schools
I am looking to gain a master’s degree in
sports psychology
Schools with this degree I am interested
in:
University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Georgia Southern University
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
10. University of North Carolina –
Greensboro
UNCG has a MS/PHD program
Sport and Exercise Psychology specialization
5 year completion
UNCG has a MS Program
Sport and Exercise Psychology
Thesis and non-thesis
GRE scores required
11. Georgia Southern University
MS program
Sport and Exercise Psychology
GRE scores required
Minimum GPA of 2.75
Require students to complete a research-based thesis
or applied internship experience.
Offers Applied Opportunities in:
New York City Trip to consult with potential NFL Players
Individual and Team Consultations with NCAA Division I,
and High School Athletes
Guest Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology and
Coaching Education Undergraduate Courses
International Sport & Exercise Psychology Consultations in
South Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean
12. University of Tennessee –
Knoxville
MS in Kinesiology
Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior Concentration
Graduate students have the opportunity to
explore their own research interests as well as to
collaborate with faculty members on some of
their research.
Admit twenty to twenty-five master’s students
There are no pre-requisite courses for this
concentration
No GRE scores required
GPA of 3.0 (or a 3.0 or better in the senior year)
13. Conclusion
Sport Psychologist are consultants that focus on
the psychological issues of athletes, children
in sports, or people who exercise, and help
them perform at their highest mentally.
They work in a variety of locations and make a
median salary of $70,000 a year
The Holland code (SA) I received matches the
career of a psychologist or counselor
There are multiple graduate schools with the
program I am wanting to study near me.
