Evolution Of Sports Psychology

Beneath every successful athlete is a story that some may never guess. In any sporting career, there is a rollercoaster of failures and triumphs. Life as a competitive athlete can be very difficult, and for many athletes, a sports psychologist is a necessity. Sports psychologists study how people are affected by playing sports and work to improve an athlete’s mindset. Sports psychologists work with athletes of all levels, from amature to professional. They are usually called upon by the athlete or coach when the focus and drive are lost. Even though an athlete may have a hard time staying focused and lacking drive to pursue their sport, it does not mean they should quit. Sports psychologists are there to help. Sports psychology is very important …show more content…
In the early stages of sports psychology, sports organizations began to view their athletes as valuable assets, recognized that psychologists could help improve their players' concentration and mental abilities. Sports psychology became recognized as a field of study in some of the best graduate schools in the world. The curriculum of this independent field is split into three categories: group dynamics, counseling intervention, and mental skills training. Also in this field, the benefits of exercise being a form of stress management are studied. Some colleges offer sports psychology as a bachelor's degree program including several psychology courses and physical education courses. There are also masters and doctoral degree programs offered with this field of study. (http://careersinpsychology.org ) For many high level athletes, having a sports psychologist is almost unavoidable. Coaches will seek out a psychologist for their athlete as soon as they notice a complication on the mental side of the sport; typically when they notice their athlete being anxious, losing focus during competition, having trouble communicating with teammates, a struggle to control their temper or even just losing motivation to exercise. In a serious circumstance, the athlete might struggle under pressure and choke at important moments during a …show more content…
The option to have a sports psychologist as an olympian can make the world of a difference in performance on the big day, however, there are several ethical concerns for the practitioner. Many challenges include: traveling with the team, relationships, media, team identification, servicing multiple teams at once, and self care of the psychologist himself. About a year before the olympic games, travel time for the sports psychologists kick into overdrive, they are almost never in their homestead. Travel time includes attending and observing the team practice, sitting in on coaching sessions, facilitating team meetings, sharing a hotel room and meals with the team, and meeting individually with each athlete and coach to mentally prepare for such a big event. Though there are many obvious advantages to being a sports psychologist for an olympic team, there are also disadvantages. The sport psychology consultant is the only person on the team to do their job, leaving them almost always on the clock. The consultant is usually away from home for an extended period of time. The group of athletes they travel with are frequently in high pressure, stressful situations, which can get quite challenging. Although unrealistic, many sports psychologist consultants prefer there to be a second person available to avoid risk