Sports Psychology

can matter a great deal toward a career, and students should choose the most prestigious program available to them. Unlike lower-level psychology degrees that instruct students on many topics, graduate-level degrees focus on specific areas of psychology and have a higher difficulty level for students. These students take classes on a variety of topics, ranging from sports science (such as anatomy, the study of the human body) to business applications. While a graduate student pursuing a career in sports psychology may take some coursework in other fields like marketing or criminal psychology, they usually do so only to apply its findings to their own discipline. They may also help their graduate instructor, or other university faculty members, to conduct research, since students with research credentials (like publications in academic journals) are seen as more productive and knowledgeable. Over several years (two years for an MS, four to five years for a PhD or PsyD), graduate level students will learn how to address issues that are common to athletes and teams, such as how to plan goals for the season or how to deal with frustrations. They also learn the standards and regulations for professionals in this discipline, so that they will understand the requirements they must follow once they begin their careers. Broadly speaking, sports psychology graduate programs can be broken down into three separate sub-disciplines that have different, although often overlapping, career paths: • Applied sports psychologists work with teams and athletes to develop solutions to problems that occur during games, practices, and training. • Clinical sports psychologists provide athletes with mental health counseling and support. • Academic sports psychologists conduct research and instruct students at universities.

Chapter 1: Becoming a Sports Psychologist

15