Sport psychology is a subfield of psychology that deals with how psychological factors affect sports performance and how participation in sports affects psychological and physical well-being. It involves applying psychological knowledge and skills to optimize athlete and sports team performance as well as exercise, physical activity, and sports participation. Sport psychologists help athletes enhance performance, cope with competitive pressure and stress, and maintain mental wellness. They work with athletes of all levels from youth to professional/Olympic levels.

1. PSYCHOLOGY
SPORTS
MAJOR 19

2. Sport psychology is a sub-discipline of
psychology applied to a competitive sport as a
specific context of organized physical (motor)
activity. The major emphasis in sport psychology
is on the study and application of psychological
factors enhancing athletic performance and on the
impact of sport participation on a person’s (or
team’s) development.

3. Sports psychology is the study of how psychological factors
influence sports, athletic performance, exercise, and physical
activity. It is a proficiency that uses psychological knowledge
and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of
athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports
participation, and systemic issues associated with sports
settings and organizations.
Sport psychology attempts to improve athletic performance and
help athletes to concentrate better, deal effectively with
competitive stress, and to practice more efficiently. Moreover,
sport psychology also attempts to understand the impact of
long-term sport participation on development of personal
resources of athletes in the setting of organized competitive
sport.

4. The term ‘‘sport’’ is used as an umbrella term that includes different kinds of
sport, exercise, and other physically active pursuits. These types of physical
activity are also used in other settings such as organized physical education,
leisure, and rehabilitation (healing). Another important feature of sport
psychology is its double nature. On the one hand, it is a part of psychology; on the
other hand, its knowledge base is related to sport sciences focused on
understanding human activity in this particular context. Thus, in applications,
these two sources of knowledge help to better understand a person, the
environment, and the key aspects of the sporting activity.
Sport Psychology interventions are designed to assist athletes and other sports
participants (e.g., coaches, administrators, parents) from a wide array of settings,
levels of competition and ages, ranging from recreational youth participants to
professional and Olympic athletes to master’s level performers.

5. APA (American Psychologist Association) recognizes sport psychology as a
proficiency acquired after a doctoral degree in one of the primary areas of
psychology and licensure as a psychologist. This proficiency does not include
those who have earned a doctoral degree in sport psychology but are not
licensed psychologists
Sports psychologists investigate how
participating in sports can improve health
and well-being. They also help athletes
utilize psychology to improve their sports
performance and mental well-being. They
don't just work with elite and professional
athletes. However, they also help regular
people learn how to enjoy sports and learn to
stick to an exercise program. They utilize
exercise and athletics to enhance people’s
lives and well-being.

6. The importance of sport psychology has been realized for decades,
however many coaches and athletes pay too little attention to how it
can help them perform better. Many coaches and athletes still overly
focus on the physical aspect of sporting performance at the
detriment of the non-physical. There is a greater emphasis on
proven physical training programs and biomechanical analysis of
the equipment and technique. These physical aspects of sport are
critical and they become even more valuable when combined with
an effective mental training program.
No athlete, no matter how strong or physically gifted can be
successful if for example, they let their nerves overtake them and
they crumble in the heat and pressure of competition.
Why is Sport Psychology Important?

7. The specialized field of sports psychology has developed rapidly in
recent years. The importance of a sports psychologist as an integral
member of the coaching and health care teams is widely recognized.
Sports psychologists can teach skills to help athletes enhance their
learning process and motor skills, cope with competitive pressures,
fine-tune the level of awareness needed for optimal performance,
and stay focused amid the many distractions of team travel and in
the competitive environment. Psychological training should be an
integral part of an athlete’s holistic training process. This is best
accomplished by a collaborative effort among the coach, the sport
psychologist, and the athlete; however, a knowledgeable and
interested coach can learn basic psychological skills and impart
them to the athlete, especially during actual practice. To help the
parties’ air and resolve differences
Role of Sports Psychology

8. Attentional Focus
Visualization and
Goal-Setting
Motivation and
Team-Building
Rehabilitation
Anxiety

9. Attentional Focus
Attentional focus involves the ability to
tune out distractions, such as a crowd of
screaming fans,and focus attention on
the task at hand. This allows athletes to
manage their mental focus even in the
face of other things that are vying for
attention.Common strategies that might
be used include things like deep
breathing to help focus attention,
paying attention to bodily signals and
sensations, and mindfulness to help stay
focused on the present moment.

10. Visualization and Goal-Setting
This involves visualizing performing a task,
such as participating in an athletic event or
successfully performing a particular skill.
This area of sports psychology is centered on
helping athletes mentally prepare for a
performance or competition.
Visualization involves creating a mental
image of what you "intend" to happen.
Athletes can use these skills to envision the
outcome they are pursuing. They might
visualize themselves winning an event or
performing a difficult movement. It can also
be useful for helping athletes feel calmer and
more focused before an event.

11. Motivation and Team-Building
Some sports psychologists work with
professional athletes and coaches to
improve performance and increase
motivation. A major subject in sports
psychology, the study of motivation
looks at both extrinsic and intrinsic
motivators.
Team building is also an important
topic in this field. Sports psychologists
might work with coaches and athletes to
help them develop a sense of comradery
and assist them in working together
efficiently and effectively.

12. Anxiety
Professional sports psychologists often help athletes cope with
the intense pressure that comes from competition. This often
involves finding ways to reduce performance anxiety and
combat burnout.
It isn't uncommon for athletes to get nervous before a game,
performance, or competition. These nerves can have an impact
on performance, so learning tactics to help stay calm are
important for helping athletes perform their best. Tactics that
might be the focus of this area include things like relaxation
techniques, changing negative thoughts, building self-
confidence, and findings distractions to reduce the focus on
anxiety.
Burnout can also happen to athletes who frequently experience
pressure, anxiety, and intense practice schedules. Helping
athletes restore their sense of balance, learn to relax, and keep
up their motivation can help combat these feelings of burnout.

13. Rehabilitation
Another important focus of sports
psychology is onhelping athletes recover
and return to their sport after an injury. A
sports injury can lead people to experience
emotional reactions in addition to their
physical injury, which can include feelings
of anger, frustration, hopelessness, and
fear.
Sports psychologists work with people to
help them mentally cope with the
recovery process and restore their
confidence once they are ready to return
to their sport.

14. What are the Benefits of Sports Psychology?
Sport psychology is not just
about improving athletic
performance. It plays a
much large role within
performance.
Sport psychology can be about
developing interventions which
help to prevent mental health
among the athletic population.
Sport psychology can be about
teaching athletes transferable
skills that they can use in not only
sport but also in work and
family life.
Sport psychology can be
about helping athletes to
manage
transitions and deal with
issues associated with
retirement.
Sport Psychology is not just to help
people when things go
wrong. It is a field which can help
to move athletes to the next
level.
Sport psychology won’t just help you
to deal with problems or
issues, it will help you to learn more
about how you can be in
the best psychological state of mind. It
will help you to
understand how your self-talk can
influence your emotions
and behavior.

15. Importance of Sports Psychology in
Physical Education and
Sports
Sport psychology is an
interdisciplinary science that
draws on knowledge from the
fields of Kinesiology and
Psychology. It involves the study
of how psychological factors affect
on performance and how
participation in sports and
exercise affect psychological and
physical factors.
In addition to
instruction and training of psychological
skills for performance improvement,
applied sport psychology may include
work with athletes, coaches, and parents
regarding injury, rehabilitation,
communication, team building, and
career transitions. Sport psychology is
commonly referred to as “sport and
exercise psychology,” as it is used for
team sports as well as individual fitness
endeavors.

16. The Benefits of Sports Psychology for Athletes
Mental Game Coaching is that the
segment of sports
psychology that concentrates specifically
on helping athletes break through the
mental barriers that are keeping them
from performing up to their peak
potential. By focusing on the mental skills
needed to be successful in any sporting
competition, mental game coaching seeks
to achieve the overall goal of performance
improvement.
Sports Psychology is about
improving your attitude
and mental game skills to
help you perform your best
by identifying limiting
beliefs and embracing a
healthierphilosophy about
your sport.

17. Why do Athletes Need a Sports
Psychologist?
Some people have attached a stigma to
sports psychologists. They label athletes
who use them as mentally weak, not having
what it takes to make it on their own.
Making use of the services of a sports
psychologist is definitely not a sign of
weakness
Succeeding in a chosen sport indeed requires:
- A strong, fit and healthy body,
- Prowess on the field,
and- A strong mind that will push an athlete
evenwhen their bodies give up.
The first two are ably handled by the personal
trainer and sports coach. However, the last one
is something that only a sports psychologist can
handle.

18. To identify and operate in their
‘sweet spot’ more often
Through developing foundational mental
skills, sports psychologists’ help athletes
create an environment where it’s easy to step
into their ‘sweet spot’ or the ‘zone’, as many
athletes call it. In this mental space, the
athlete is able to block out all distractions and
to ensure that he is focused on winning.
To strategize and plan
Although coaches mostly help athletes
with their strategies and game plans,
sports psychologists can help athletes with
the mental strategies and plans in terms of
how the athlete will ensure that they can
meet the plans developed with the sports
coach.
To develop confidence
Whether it is after an injury or
particularly bad loss, all athletes
struggle with their confidence levels
at some point. Sports psychologists
can help reduce doubt during a
competition, increase focus and deal
with fears.
To find the right motivators
Just as in life, certain things
motivate us better, and for longer,
than others. Sports psychologists
help find athletes the optimal level
of motivation as well as specific
motivators to push them further.
To help athletes cope
with the pressure of
competition
Sometimes, all you
need is someone
who will believe in
you and give you the
tools to deal with
pressure, stress and
anxiety. And that’s
exactly why sports
psychologists are so
important. Not only
do they help athletes
deal with pressure,
they help them find
enjoyment in their
sport once again.

19. Top Ten Ways that You can Benefit from Sports Psychology
Improve focus and deal with distractions.
Grow confidence in athletes who have doubts.
Develop coping skills to deal with setbacks and errors.
Find the right zone of intensity for your sport
Help teams develop communication skills and cohesion.
To instill a healthy belief system and identify irrational thoughts.
Improve or balance motivation for optimal performance
Develop confidence post-injury.
To develop game-specific strategies
and game plans
To identify and enter the
“zone” more often.

20. Thank you!
prepared by : YVONNE V. GAJUDO
BPED 3A