Applied Sport Psychology

788 Words2 Pages

In seeking to intervene and create motivation for individuals, tailoring will be the best place to start; tailoring at the very beginning increases the likelihood one will continue in an exercise program because it takes into consideration personal goals, lifestyles, habits, strengths and weaknesses (Greenberg et al., 2004). Another behavioral technique that works incredibly well with any gender, age, or race is social support. Creating situations where groups of individuals can exercise together and support each other only encourages progress. Motivation is very different for every individual; what motivates men to be in shape does not necessarily motivate women, nor what motivates one race to exercise might not motivate another. In addition …show more content…

More and more coaches, athletes, and athletic trainers are seeking the advice from an exercise psychology professional (Association for Applied Sport Psychology, 2011). Assume you have worked in the exercise psychology field for the past 15 years and have recently been asked to speak at a symposium regarding the changes and importance of this growing profession.

1. Discuss the psychology aspect involved in sport including individual and group counseling, working with diverse age groups, goal setting, and mental skills training. Sport psychology, as defined by the APA, is the “proficiency that uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, and systematic issues associated with sport settings and organizations” (APA). While applicable to sports, psychology is the foundation upon which the skill set sports psychologists are able to utilize is built. The ability to apply this particular skill set not only with athletes, but in any aspect where health and performance are concerned open up the possibilities of working with different groups and ages on the fundamentals of goal setting and mental skills training …show more content…

Psychologists are specifically trained in cognitive and behavior skills training for performance enhancement from the individual who wishes to control awareness and arousal before every games to the basketball team that needs to establish short and long term goals that ultimately lead to a championship win. Additionally, on both the individual and group level, sports psychologists are trained in counseling and clinical interventions from eating disorders and weight management to aggression and identity crises. Interestingly enough, the hardest part of applying psychology to the world of sport revolves around ethics; with most consulting taking place on sidelines, in locker rooms, and on planes to games, basic ethical requirements of the field present unique

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