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1/5

Sports and Exercise Psychologists work to help individuals or sports teams to improve

their performance (Green & Benjamin, 2009). Alternatively the work may involve encouraging

public participation in sport and exercise. In the main, careers in this broad field tend to

specialize in either sport or exercise psychology.

Sport psychology is focussed on improving performance or helping people cope with the

stress of participating in major sporting events (Weinberg & Gould, 2010). On the other hand

Exercise Psychologists work with the general public seeking to increase participation in, and the

benefits of, exercise. In both cases, the work is likely to be multi-disciplinary and to involve co-

operation with others with an interest in exercise or sports coaching (Weinberg & Gould, 2010).

Both careers involve working in a wide variety of settings. Most people will work both as

a freelance consultant and in an academic or research setting. Some Sports and Exercise

Psychologists are employed full time by national sports bodies. Exercise psychologists may also

find themselves working to devise exercise programs to help with rehabilitation, in connection

with other psychological work or in settings such as prisons (Goodwin, 2009).

In its formation, sport psychology was primarily the domain of physical educators, not

researchers, which can explain the lack of a consistent history. Nonetheless, many instructors

sought to explain the various phenomena associated with sport and physical activity and

developed sport psychology laboratories.

In North America, early years of sport psychology included isolated studies of motor

behavior, social facilitation, and habit formation. During the 1890s, E. W. Scripture conducted a

range of behavioral experiments, including measuring the reaction time of runners, thought time

in school children, and the accuracy of an orchestra conductor's baton (Fuchs, 2009)


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The first individual to perform comprehensive research and applied sport psychology

work in the United States was a professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois

named Coleman Griffith (Green, 2009). Griffith began his work studying the psychology of sport

after the University of Illinois funded the Research in Athletics Laboratory in 1925. Until the

laboratory's closing in 1932, he conducted research and practiced sport psychology in the field.

Griffith also published two major works during this time, The Psychology of Coaching (1926)

and The Psychology of Athletics (1928) (Green, 2009; Gould & Pick, 1995).

Coleman Griffith made numerous contributions to the field of sport psychology, but

perhaps most notable was his belief that field studies (such as athlete and coach interviews)

could provide a more thorough understanding of how psychological principles play out in

competitive situations (Green, 2009; Gould & Pick, 1995). Griffith devoted himself to rigorous

research, but published for both applied and academic audiences, noting that the applicability of

sport psychology research was equally important with the generation of knowledge (Green,

2009). Finally, Griffith recognized that sport psychology promoted both performance

enhancement and personal growth.

In North America, support for sport psychology grew out of physical education. The

North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) grew

from being an interest group to a full-fledged organization, whose mission included promoting

the research and teaching of motor behavior and the psychology of sport and exercise (Weinberg

& Gould, 2010).

In 1985, several applied sport psychology practitioners, headed by John Silva, believed

an organization was needed to focus on professional issues in sport psychology, and therefore

formed the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP). This was
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_Griffithhttp://www.naspspa.org/http://www.naspspa.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_Griffith


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done in response to NASPSPA voting not to address applied issues and to keep their focus on

research.

Following its stated goal of promoting the science and practice of applied sport

psychology, AAASP quickly worked to develop uniform standards of practice, highlighted by the

development of an ethical code for its members in the 1990s. The development of the AAASP

Certified Consultant (CC-AAASP) program helped bring standardization to the training required

to practice applied sport psychology. Also during this same time period, over 500 members of the

American Psychological Association (APA) signed a petition to create Division 47 in 1986,

which is focused on Exercise and Sport Psychology.

As of right now Division 47 has as acting President, Gloria Balague-Dahlberg, PhD.

They will have a journal called: Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (quarterly,

beginning in Spring 2012) (APA). They also have an Online Newsletter (APA).

Pay ranges vary considerably within sports psychology based on training, education, and

area of specialization. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the

U.S. Department of Labor, average salaries for clinical and counseling psychologists range

between $41,850 and $71,880. The median salary for university faculty positions was $55,000 in

a 2001 salary survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) . Some top sports

psychologists earn six-figure salaries working as consultants for professional athletes, but most

earn a more modest yearly income (Goodwin, 2009).

Entry-level positions with a bachelor's degree are rare, usually taking the form of

internships. Most positions require a master's or doctorate degree in clinical, counseling or sports

psychology as well as direct training and experience in apply psychology to sports and exercise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psychological_Associationhttp://www.apa47.org/http://apa.org/pubs/journals/spy/index.aspxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psychological_Associationhttp://www.apa47.org/http://apa.org/pubs/journals/spy/index.aspx


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The American Board of Sport Psychology offers a few different professional

certifications. The highest level credential is the Board Certified Sports Psychologist-Diplomat,

which "...signifies that the holder has advanced training and experience in Sport Psychology and

is especially aware of ethical, methodological, and research issues associated with the application

of methods to enhance the psychological performance of athletes." Many who hold this

certification are also certified or licensed clinical, counseling or health psychologists.

Because there are few graduate programs offering specialized degrees in sports

psychology, it can be difficult to determine what exact combination of training and experience

qualifies a professional to be called a 'sports psychologist.' Division 47 of the APA suggests that

sports psychologists should be licensed psychologists with "experience in applying

psychological principles in sports settings." Additionally, an extensive educational background

and training in sports, motivation management, performance and athletics is also recommended.

The activities of a particular sport psychology professional will vary based on the

practitioner's specific interests and training. Some may focus primarily on conducting research

and on educating others about sport psychology (Goodwin, 2009). Typically, these individuals

teach at colleges and universities and, in some cases, also work with athletes, coaches, or athletic

administrators. They provide education as well as develop and implement programs designed to

maximize the overall well-being of sport, exercise, and physical activity participants (Goodwin,

2009).

Other professionals may focus primarily applying sport psychology knowledge. These

individuals are typically more interested in the enhancement of sport, exercise, and physical

activity performance or enjoyment. They may consult with a broader range of clients and may

serve in an educational or counseling role.


5/5

References

Fuchs, A. H. (2009). Psychology and baseball: The testing of Babe Ruth. In C. D. Green & L. T. Benjamin

(Eds.), Psychology gets in the game(pp. 144-167). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Green, C.D. & Benjamin, L.T. (2009). Psychology gets in the game. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska

Press.

Green, C. D. (2009). Coleman Roberts Griffith: "Father" of North American sport psychology. In C. D.

Green & L. T. Benjamin (Eds.),Psychology gets in the game(pp. 202-229). Lincoln, NE: University of

Nebraska Press.

Goodwin, C. J. (2009). E. W. Scripture: The application of "new psychology" methodology to athletics. In

C. D. Green & L. T. Benjamin (Eds.), Psychology gets in the game(pp. 78-97). Lincoln, NE: University of

Nebraska Press.

Gould, D., & Pick, S. (1995). Sport psychology: The Griffith Era, 1920-1940. The Sport Psychologist, 9,

391-405. Retrieved October 11, 2011 from PsycNET.

Weinberg, R.S. & Gould, D. (2010). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Champaign, IL:

Human Kinetics.

http://www.careersinpsychology.co.uk/careers-sports-psychology.html

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http://appliedsportpsych.org/

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