Getting a Sports Psychology Degree
The interest for pursuing a sports psychology degree has skyrocketed among students in recent times. Sports psychology is a discipline, which, among other things, analyzes an individual’s mental wellbeing as it relates to their performance in sports. Specialists in this field are interested in all types of sports and athletes, including those participating in team or solo sports, and individuals who are just training for fitness.
The field of sports psychology has only been recognized for several decades. Although this topic has exploded in popularity in recent times, the first sports psychology lab was started in communist Germany during the late 1980’s.
With the realization that athletes need to be psychologically fit to excel at their athletic endeavors, there has been an explosion of interest in how sports psychologists can serve athletes, sports managers, directors, trainers and coaches. This has resulted in high demand for psychological experts who are knowledgeable in this field. Sports psychologist are often known for teaching athletes how to initiate relaxation, enhance attention, and visualize goals. But this is merely a sample of what these experts are trained to do.
In general, the role of a sports psychologist is to perform the following for their clients:
- Prepare athletes for optimum performance during competitions
- Enhance self-esteen and confidence for those involved in sports
- Instruct trainers on how to better motivate and guide their players
- Analyze the impact of intense sport participation among athletes
- Research and modify theories, techniques and the application of sports psychology
A person with a sports psychology degree will commonly work with athletes, teams and sport institutions as a consultant. In this relationship, the patients who they treat are referred to as clients. Many sports psychologists split their work between consulting jobs and positions in academic institutions, where they might teach or conduct research in a lab.
Although it is difficult to find full time employment as a professional consultant, you’ll get more hours by being hired by a sports team or sport institution (clubs). Those looking for prestigious job placements will need to prove their expertise and experience in this exciting line of work.
If you wish to earn a sports psychology degree, you must first obtain an undergraduate degree in psychology. During this time, you should enroll in courses that are related to sports psychology, including behavioral and cognitive psychology. In addition, you will need a firm understanding of human anatomy, biology and drug therapy. Choose courses and programs that will assist you later in graduate school.
Although you may be able to find work as a sports psychologist with only a Bachelors degree, you stand a much better chance of securing a highly paid employment opportunity by furthering your education and earning a Masters or Doctorate degree. However, it may be difficult to locate a university or college that offers such a degree program. If this is the case, you may want to consider trying distant learning and earning your sports psychology degree online. Alternatively, you could get a graduate degree in another field of psychology and combine this with an internship experience that is related to the field. This has the added benefit of giving you real work experience.
Whether you are attending classes on-campus or online, ensure that your chosen school offers accredited programs so that your credentials will be recognized where ever you choose to work as a sports psychology consultant.