Sports Psychology Careers

Sports Psychology Careers

Career OptionsA sports consultant identifies obstacles to success for individual athletes and teams, and employs psychological techniques to eliminate those barriers. Sports consultants should possess a strong exercisescience background. A researcher focuses her efforts on psychological factors that influence sports performance. She often applies her research hypotheses to realworld athletes and sports teams. A sports psychology educator teaches undergraduate and graduate college students. A doctorate is often necessary for sports psychology faculty positions.

Academic TracksStudents can select from at least four sports psychology academic tracks. in clinical psychology or counseling with specialized sports psychology training. A master's degree or doctorate in sports psychology also provides a solid foundation. Combine your counseling or therapy degree with sports psychology studies. You can also mesh advanced fitness training with a sports psychology background. Gain a good working familiarity with sports that draws your professional interest.

Internship OpportunitiesA sports psychology internship provides a valuable glimpse into the world of sports psychology and athletic performance. An intern commonly helps a professional sports psychologist analyze athletes' behaviors. He works with coaches to steer the athletes toward a higher performance level. The internship adds a human dimension to your textbook studies, and helps prepare you for realworld sports psychology opportunities. An exemplary internship performance can lead to a favorable career reference as well.

Applied Sports PsychologyChannel your sports psychology expertise into work with individual athletes, toward support of an entire sports team or to a combination of clients. For example, sports psychologists engage with the United States Olympic Committee to identify athletes and teams in need of training assistance. These sports psychologists often specialize in one or two sports to better tailor athletes' mentalpreparation programs. Olympic sports psychologists often maintain private practices as well. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web sitemany of the advertisements are served by third party advertising companies.