(I have already posted on the PhD channel, but others with a sports psychology background might have good insights and recommendations!)

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share that I’ve recently been accepted into the Educational Psychology PhD program at the University of New Mexico. My background is in educational research and program evaluation, but I also have a long-standing passion for competitive sports, including tennis, cycling, running, and hiking. I initially came to the U.S. to play on a D1 NCAA tennis team and have since completed multiple long-distance MTB and gravel races.

My goal in pursuing a PhD is to deepen my expertise in research design and implementation on a larger scale. But I’d also love to find ways to bridge my professional background with my interest in sports psychology, specifically around topics like the psychological effects of competitive sports on middle and high school students. I’m particularly interested in areas like cognitive psychology, self-regulation, self-awareness, and self-efficacy—though I’m open to other ideas I may not have explored yet.

I’d appreciate any guidance or suggestions on how best to integrate a sports component into my PhD and my career path afterward. I’ve considered options like adding a minor, though exercise science (the most relevant department) doesn’t currently offer one. I’ve also looked into attending sports psychology conferences as a way to connect with others in the field.

Thanks in advance for any advice or recommendations!

Google and AI seemed to think the answer was yes, and I think so too.

However, is there anyone in the world working on that? I'd imagine that if some of the best sports psychologists got together and workshopped everything that makes sports fun to watch, they could eventually come up with a brand new sport, theoretically more fun to watch than any other sport, right?

I thought this was interesting. I love sports and would love to be a fan of a new one. What do you guys think?

I’m in college studying sports psychology. I also have a minor in health science. One of the class I have to take is not being taught this semester but I was allowed to instead do a training program of my choice only requirements is it has to be related to physical training in some way. Any suggestions?

Hey, I'm a 17 year old triathlete (ex swim and track). Last year, I injured my left knee due to overuse and a lack of strength. I only recently (about a month ago) was able to start running again for a variety of reasons (the first physio I saw wasn't too good, I moved to a new country and couldn't do any physio stuff for a while, etc). That injury was supposed to take 6-8 weeks to recover from. Since then I've become super paranoid about injuries in my training. Recently I developed a little (VERY VERY MILD) Olecranon bursitis in my left elbow, and freaked out about it. My parents took me to a sports orthopaedic, who recommended that I do some reading about sports/injury psychology. Anyone got any good books? Preferably related to swim/bike/run.

As a trainee sport psychology practitioner, I was wondering if there are any useful workbooks for improving how to implement mental training techniques (e.g. imagery, self-talk, self-confidence, etc.) with athletes. Thank you for your suggestions!

I put countless hours into playing basketball, practicing my shot, layups, handling, and sometimes I play pretty well, and sometimes I freeze up like an icicle, particularly when I’m on a fast break, lots of eyes on me etc.

It’s absolutely miserable and ruins my experience doing something I otherwise love. I feel like it would also affect my ability to play in more organized settings like tournaments, because the more pressure there is, the worse I play.

Are there any resources I can turn to before engaging a professional for therapy? I’m speaking with my regular therapist about these issues as well.

Hi All - I'm very interested in the sports psychology area, more for application to myself, my team mates at work . I'm a seasoned business executive and work with large teams. I've looked up the AASP list of references; while they're super exhaustive and some of those books are 600 pages long.

Can you recommend a book or an online course that'll provide me with all the key concepts of sports psychology - like for example attention management, psychological safety, self efficacy etc, so that I can absorb them and apply them to myself ? Even engaging with a certified mindset coach is only providing me with a smattering of this learning and it'll help me quite a bit to have good foundational knowledge even to make effective use of a psych coach.

For example ACT primers by. Steven C Hayes provide a very rich outline for self help. Are there any such books in the Sports Psychology space? Thanks a bunch!

I read the recent thread casting some light over the very real limitations and illusions of the field, but what do you do when this field is all you can think of? I don't necessarily know why I'm even asking this, perhaps it's to turn to some encouragement because I have had next to none of it since 3 years of edging close to this dream. Part of this is also to ask if my story might practically sound as though this is my calling, more than me obsessing over something. I've religiously played sports especially soccer for nearly 20 years now. My bachelor's has been in Psychology, and I've had 7 years in therapy myself, which arguably has been where I've learned the most about the field, and developed this career plan due to. I stumbled upon soccer coaching opportunities in the past 1-2 years and I took them with open arms. It also gravitated me to the idea that perhaps i should look to supplement my coaching career with sports psychology, rather than pursuing the latter solely.

I even casted doubts over my obsession to this field, discovering in some deep psychoanalytic work as to what got me attached to soccer as a child. Instead of it leading to a loosening of my grip over the idea of this career path, I only felt more or at least equally inclined to it as before.

The next best thing I see myself pouring my personality into is some kind of humanitarian work, however, Sports Psychology and Football coaching are endeavours that seem to me to be the only line of work I'll bring a continuous-growth mindset to. For instance, ive also pondered over the idea of regular clinical practice as a psychotherapist, but I think I don't have the kind of raging passion for it that enables one to find the drive to forever refine ones theoretical orientation. It seems only soccer gets me going that much.

So, hearing me out, for those of you who have been set on this being what they are called to do by life, do views seem to be in parallel to yours?

I have experienced a physical tic in my serve that has negatively impacted my game for almost two years; to the point I am often unable to start play successfully.

I am set to see a sports psychologist soon but no amount of drilling, focusing, changing routine and gear, visualizing, etc. has helped. Starting to wonder if there is a physical or neurological component that needs attention. (Had tennis elbow and a pinched nerve prior to the yips starting; is that related?)

Doesn't seem like the sports or medical communities really know what causes the yips or how to overcome them.

I'd love to hear anecdotal stories of what worked for various athletes -- both mental and physical treatments or tricks.

I'd also love to read some helpful books recommended by this community.

Thanks in advance!

I've seen people saying 5 minutes is enough. It's been working for me so far, but I can't find any investigation on the topic that confirms this idea.

I also see people saying that a 20 minute mindful session is enough.

I'm completely fine with those timeframes, I'm just curious about the topic, and of course, I'd like to optimize what I already have.

Thanks in advance.

I am slightly interested in helping people that abuse substances, so I know that is more geared to social work and SUD counseling. On the other hand, I am big about sports and exercise, have volunteered at physical therapy office before and have seen a little bit of what that job looks like.

To be honest I know that these conversations happen a lot on forms like this but please if you were ever in my shoes trying to figure out where to go after a bachelor's in psychology, I would like to hear what your opinion. Previously I was big on Sports Psychology until I found out that there isn't a crazy number of jobs for it and its very competitive. Im rambling and I feel lost,

Anything helps!

A theme showed up on the "truth about sport psych" thread that I thought would be worth forking into it's own discussion.

A common justification in sport psych for a lack of secure jobs is the challenge we face quantifying our contribution. The industry stereotype of sport and performance psychs is that we do a thing and something maybe sorta kinda improves, but its a bit squishy and slippery and the data seems to have been misplaced. In other words, orgs hire us but we don't give them hard numbers back justifying our budget line. Which makes it hard for them to hire more of us.

So here's the challenge I propose. Bring together the data that shows we are producing value for performers and organizations. I know we have faculty and practitioners here. Post up your favorite peer reviewed article, meta analysis, book chapter, or case study that brings hard numbers. Lets make a collection for the budding professionals here so that they can learn how to communicate value from the start. And for us pros, how we can better measure and report so that we keep or even grow the funding opportunities in our beloved field.

I'll start with a few:

Barker, J. B., Slater, M. J., Pugh, G., Mellalieu, S. D., McCarthy, P. J., Jones, M. V., & Moran, A. (2020). The effectiveness of psychological skills training and behavioral interventions in sport using single-case designs: A meta regression analysis of the peer-reviewed studies. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 51, 101746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101746

Zhao, D. (2023). Samatha Meditation, Tao, and Routine Training: Case Study of a World-Class Rifle Athlete. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 0(0), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2023.2234865

Schenk, M., & Miltenberger, R. (2019). A review of behavioral interventions to enhance sports performance. Behavioral Interventions, 34(2), 248–279. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1659

Gervis, M., & Goldman, A. (2020). The Flourishing Footballers programme: Using psycho-education to develop resilience through ACT. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 146–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.09.004

Hello, I am second year undergraduate student in BA psychology, and I want to pursue a career in sports psychology, but my main concern is after reading a lot of articles it has come to my attention that it is not much of a stable job or career. My initial plan was to be a sports psychologist for a football team in any league particularly in Spain, but I realized that that would be a difficult goal especially of how competitive it is, so I have changed my goal to start my own practice and work with athletes. My GPA is around 3.0 and I'm doing certificates and the Barca innovation hub website as well as I've been trying to contact other sports psychologists and asking them if they could help me in any way but so far I haven't found my luck due to the current situation in my country (Lebanon) and that internships are difficult to find due to that sports psychology isn’t recognized in my country but I am looking for other internships even Tho they aren’t related to this field So, I would like to ask a couple of questions which are whether I should get my master’s in clinical and sports psychology or get my master’s only in sports psychology and then become a licensed psychologist and then open my own practice? #2 if there are any websites where I could find internships that could be online, or webinars could you please suggest them. #3 if there is anything that could help me out or if you guys have any tips, I would appreciate it.

If you’ve been thinking about investing time and money into a career in sports psychology, I’ll tell you the truth that very few people will tell you and I’ll bring receipts.

I’ve been in the industry for approximately 5 years. I was mentored by Trevor Moawad, the best of the best. He was on every big network, including ESPN, and worked with many professional sports teams and major college teams including Alabama, Florida State, etc.

Trevor told me the truth before I knew or understood it, so I’m going to do the same for you.

The field is filled with dishonesty.

Here’s the truth: there are very few jobs in the industry. VERY FEW.

No school that offers a degree in sports psych is going to tell you this because they want your money. The VAST MAJORITY of people who get sports psych degrees work in institutions of higher learning, not for sports teams. Working for a college sports teams sounds awesome—until you realize there’s no money or budget for our services. Even if a college program hires you, it’s temporary. And it’s extremely difficult to get hired. You maybe have a 1 in 1000 chance. Or worse.

You might think, well, I can work with college PLAYERS. Wrong. They have very little money to pay you anything at all.

Pros? Yes, most professional teams have a sports psychology professional, but, it often is not full-time, or again, is contract work for a year. Not a great outlook.

You can go to the general public and businesses, and these are your best options. Buckle up, because now you have to know how to start, run, and scale your business.

What about the governing body of AASP? I’ll tell you the harsh truth. It’s a joke. A complete joke. They are happy to take your money in exchange for your membership and certification.

Here’s the truth about the AASP. Search for “careers” in sports psychology. If there were jobs in sports psychology, you’d guess this would be the best place to find them. Go ahead. I dare you. I just looked this morning… in the first 516 job postings (out of 1575 jobs posted) ONLY 3 HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH SPORTS.

I’m not sure there is a more romanticized career than sports psychology.

Again, here’s the truth. To claim you’re a sports psychologist, you MUST be a liscenced psychologist. 80% of psychology is figuring out what’s wrong with people. Sports psychology definitely has that, but we’re more about finding out what’s RIGHT with people and sharing our findings with others. The AASP misleads you into thinking there’s lots of opportunities out there. THERE ARE NOT, but they are happy to take your money. So, unless you’re willing to become a licensed psychologist, put in the time and money, and jump through the hoops to get there, don’t bother with a sports psychology degree.

Now, if you want to be a mental performance coach, buckle up, because it’s another option. You get enough education to help you learn and know what you need to know. You get amazing clients. You learn running a business very quickly, and perhaps you’ll be fine with the grind of constantly having to get new clients.

One last thing about schools that offer sports psychology degrees. All your kinesiology classes are a waste. Professional athletes and even college athletes already have that area taken care of. You’re paying for those classes for NOTHING.

Now, if you want to help kids or young adults with your knowledge, that’s awesome. It’s just that you won’t be able to make a living at it.

So, there’s the truth that nobody will say out loud.

I even have proof, FROM THE AASP, that LESS teams are hiring sports psych people.

One last thing… most teams pay their sports psych consultants terrible.

Hope this helps, even if it’s the harsh truth.

I am in my late 20s trying to pivot into this field without any prior experience. I aspire to work with young athletes, especially asian athletes, to help them perform better as well as de-stigmatize mental health in the asian community. I am aware that to work with issues like depression and anxiety I would have to become licensed as a Doctor. My question is, how would you go about selecting grad school programs if my end game is to get a PsyD, get CMPC certified, and have sports training experience?

My preference is to stay in the Southern California area. Should I do a MA that specializes in Sports Psychology with a PsyD in Clinical Psych? or would an MA in Clinical Psych and PsyD in Clinical Psych also work? I just want to make sure I can also do classes that will allow me to get CMPC without having to pay extra, while also getting sports psychology training hours in the process. Thank you!

I'm curious about how journaling before/after practice may help with performance or athletic development. I saw some blog posts about some Olympians this year using journals. Curious what y'all may have heard! Also wondering if there are any good articles/studies on this. Thank you!

I am in my third year pursuing my Psych BA and this growing interest of sports psychology has left me with a lot of questions. Can I even pursue this kind of field with my Bachelor's in psychology? I see a lot of people on here started out with Kinesiology/Exercise Science. Im curious if I can still find a way in, I'm thinking taking courses catered to this area, and ultimately find a master's program but I'm not quite sure what program I can go into with this background. Any kind of personal experiences or resources available is greatly appreciated, I'd love to hear what you have to say if you started from a psych background and eventually got to work with athletes. I know I want to do some kind of mental health counseling but I have no idea how to get there or where to start.

Also, what classes would you take to get more familiar with this area?

Hey y'all,

I am going through my application for my CPMC through the AASP and for knowledge area K2: Sport Psychology, they say that you can be exempt from the three required course if "degree seeking applicants enrolled in an area clearly related to sport science or psychology graduate program prior to Jan 1st 2023 or b) postgraduate professional who can document completion of any K area courses in pursuit of CMPC certification between Jan 1 2019 and Jan 1 2023"

I am a bit confused about whether I qualify or not. I completed my MSc in sports psychology from 2017 through 2019 but am just starting the process of MPC certification, so would I qualify for A or B?

Thoughts?

Also any recommendations/tips for going through the application appreciated. TYIA!

Hello. Don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but nonetheless, I'll give it a shot.

I play darts, recently got in a decent form to play in tournaments and even challenge the best of my local league. The issue is that I bottle it, whenever I find myself in a challenging game or situation, I just can't finish.

My last game I was winning 3-0 and my opponent came back and beat me 4-3, I had plenty of opportunities to win the match (for those who don't know, in short terms, you win a leg by scoring 501 points exactly and finishing in a double segment). Throughout the game I kept myself calm and trying to battle with nerves (which I did fairly well) also trying to reset mentally whenever I was entering in a frustration cycle also focusing in technique and going one dart at a time.

But didn't work, my opponent had his chances and took them, once I lost, shook his hand and I just left the place, my mind was swarmed with horrible thoughts, self loathing and wanting to stop playing forever because I bottled it, I had it and it slipped away, and it's draining me emotionally this recursive feeling of not being able to cross the line, to have more disgusts and bad moments than good ones, I'm tired of not showing what I'm capable of after dedicating it time and effort.

It's a pretty ruthless sport, after all, I do like the game. Maybe I wouldn't be this distressed if I gave a good performance? I don't know.

So the question is, how can I overcome this feeling? How can I keep enjoying it with these adverse situations? Thanks

Hello people! I'm Zain from Pakistan. I'm shortlisting Universities (primarily in the US, but open to other regions) for a Masters in Sports Psychology. However, people mostly recommend top tier institutes to me, and that doesn't serve me well; although I have a Bachelor's in Psychology from a decent University in Monash, my GPA is a measly 2.

I guess that brings me to my first question; should I realistically have any hope to secure a fully funded place?

This question itself demands that I elaborate on my practical experience, which I'm more confident about; Other than my a) Bachelor's, I have b) a few certificates in Sports Psychology from FC Barcelona's Innovation Hub. c) 3-4 month internship/training working under senior sports psychologists, with professional athletes. d) Football coaching experience for the second year running, at multiple academies altogether (eventually I want to use my sports psychology degree to make me a more alluring football/soccer coach) e) Volunteer and paid experience at communal development initiatives, drawing from psychology and philosophy.

I mentioned the last bit because I want to draw from those personal experiences to mention in my application essays how I want to align my sports psychology qualifications to bring future sports teams together as a community, other than offering just one on one mental counseling.

So guys, if you think I stand a chance, please suggest me universities I should look into. My first concern is funded programs, not the ranking or quality of education. If you have any recommendations, give me average or below average uni's even, where I may have a realistic chance. Google etc only suggest the creme de la creme, and that doesn't work for me.

Hello everyone,

Wanted to get peoples advice or thoughts here..

I am 35, and worked for the past decade as a personal trainer/S&C coach. I have a strong passion for fitness and sports, but also in everything regarding mind/mental game/psychology. However, with psychology, it has been simply a passionate thing I have studied on my own to help my own performance as well as my clients. I have no formal education on it.

I was thinking of going back to school to make a career change into sports psychology. It would be an awesome field that combines both my interests.

I have a bachelors degree in Sociology from 12 years ago. I read that to be a sports psychologist, I need a masters. Am I correct in assuming I can go back to school and get a B.A. in psychology in 1~2 years since I already have a bachelors, and then the masters program will take another ~2 years?

Do you think I am at any disadvantage by going this route at the age of 35?

I read that the field is growing so the job forecast is at least decent right?

Anything else I should consider or know?

Hey all!

Looking to revamp my social media algorithm. What are your favorite mental wellness or sport psychology instagram and twitter follows??

Wanted to start off by apologizing if most of these questions have already been answered, I’ve been trying to do research but feel like I’m getting lost at every turn. Currently I am in my senior year of undergrad, majoring in psych and had a few questions regarding the path to sports psychology.

1. Do I need to apply to a masters program that is specifically sports psych to get my cmpc or could I do something more broad such as clinical or counseling psych?
2. Is becoming a sports psychologist with a phd worth it in this field or would just a masters degree be sufficient?
3. What does the job outlook look like now for sports psych?

Atheltes, coaches, other sports psychologists. We're looking to just sort of network and get in the game!

I'm thinking of returning to school for a Psych degree. I'm interested in Performance Psychology, which I think of as being about maximizing personal potential in any given endeavor.

Does this exist independently as a degree, or is it generally rolled into a Sports and Performance Psychology degree?

Hello!

I’ve had a problem for a while of getting tunnel vision while I’m playing. There are things I know I need to do on the field but it’s like I can’t really remember it and I’m a bit on auto pilot when I’m playing, to the point where sometimes I don’t hear what people are yelling to me from the sidelines even though I’m close to them. If anyone knows how I could combat this that would be great!

so my sciatica (on both sides, not simultaneously though) every time i’m stressed out it flares up, like pain where i’m unable to train for my sport. This all started when I began my sport and had a traumatic experience with my team at the time involving my sport (the experience lasted for about a year) and thats when it happened for the first time. Now whenever I get really stressed it flares back up. i’ve seen articles about how you can store trauma in your hips? i’m not sure if that was true but i wanted to verify. Why does this happen?