978-1-4222-3268-2

Hard at Work

CHAPTER 2

When the U.S. Olympic team traveled to London for the 2012 Summer Games, Dr. Sean McCann went with them. He and other sports psychologists were there to make sure the Americans competed at a high level against the world’s best athletes.

McCann started as a sports psychologist for the United States Olympic Committee 21 years ago, when his field was in its infancy. Back then, he spent time trying to convince teams that sports psychologists could help improve athletic performance. Now, they understand the importance of mental health for athletic achievement. McCann and his team demonstrate the key role of all sports medicine professionals: preventing medical problems or treating them afterward. But each type of specialty has different methods or tasks to accomplish those goals. Here’s a look at some of the realities of the careers in various parts of sports medicine.

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H ard at W ork