Sports Psychology

free products in Major League Baseball clubhouses, with the expectation that players would use them as a form of advertising. Illegal narcotics are also prevalent throughout many levels of sports; for example, former NFL player Ricky Williams used marijuana as a way to self-medicate conditions like social anxiety disorder and borderline personality disorder. Prescription drugs are also commonly abused: former NHL player Mike Richards had a contract worth over $25 million voided due to having been arrested for illegal possession of OxyContin, an opioid pain-relief medication. Finally, the most “athletic” drug of all, steroids, is commonly abused at all levels of sports to get a competitive advantage. Steroids promote muscle growth, speed up the recovery process, and increase aggression—all valuable traits for an athlete. However, they also have severe health consequences, and abuse of these drugs can be fatal. While the highest-profile athletes who abuse substances make for the biggest headlines, that behavior takes place across almost every level of sports. One NCAA study revealed that 30 percent of female athletes and 40 percent of male athletes reported binge drinking (consuming four to five drinks in one sitting), while 25 percent of NCAA athletes used marijuana. Dr. Bryan Denham, of Clemson University, cautions that high-school athletes are at even greater risk of addiction and substance abuse: “If prescription pain relievers are overprescribed in certain regions, their use may trickle down to adolescents. Use of narcotic pain relievers may become a habit with some adolescent athletes.” Sports psychologists receive extensive training on how to detect substance abuse, how to discuss it with athletes, and how to develop treatment plans that can lead to recovery. Given that substance abuse is so widespread in society and not limited to athletes—nearly 100,000 Americans die each year from reasons related to alcohol—a great deal of psychological

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Sports Psychology