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
Smith, R. E., Smoll, F. L., & Cumming, S. P. (2009). Motivational climate and changes in young athletes’ achievement goal orientations. Motivation and Emotion, 33(2), 173-183.
Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models.” This shows that sports are in fact helpful because they can grow children into being important role models for the rest of society. Studies have shown time and time again that playing sports can be beneficial to children and we also believe this to be true. Many people still think that sports cause “too many injuries”, or coaches “are not fair enough”, but adolescents will experience these things all throughout their lives because injury can happen anywhere and they will not always be the best at what they are doing. Sports are beneficial to the youth because they can teach children and teens important life skills, help them maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, all while improving their mental health.
It is advisable for such a person to engage him or herself in different sport and recreation activities within the industry. If possible, he or she should have one-on-one interviews with athletes and other sportspersons in order to gain early experience in dealing with the science of mental life in sports. Q8. Where do you see your field in the next 10 years? A. Over the course of time success is very different; although sport psychology has not been recognized customarily as a field in psychology.
I am a young ambitious student who strives to excel in everything I do. I want to study Sport Psychology as I know I possess the right skills to further and develop myself in the career of sports. I have the ability to understand others in sports as I also play sports myself. I have been in high pressured sporting situations which I have used my psychological skills to help increase my performance. What interests me in Sport Psychology is that I can make a big difference to not just my life but the lives of people in sport such as rehabilitating athletes or boosting athlete performance. I am fascinated by how different athletes perform in the same environment and getting practical with the mind, body and brain. Improving performance, consistency and stability in an athlete’s
Wiese-Bjornstal, D. M., Smith, A. M., & LaMott, E. E. (1995). A model of psychological response to athletic injury and rehabilitation. Athletic training: Sport health care perspectives, 17-30.
Sports Psychology Today. Mental Edge Athletics, 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Forde, Pat.
Have you ever wondered or thought about what the profession of athletic training is or consists of? “An athletic trainer is a healthcare worker who diagnoses and treats people who have sustained injuries to muscles and bones. His or her patients are usually athletes but others may seek treatment as well. An athletic trainer works under the direction of a physician and also teaches people how to prevent injuries” (“Athletic Trainer”). Athletic Training has a promising outlook with a high job demand. Athletic Training is an important, busy, and helpful profession in today’s society.
Creative new training methods, developed by coaches, athletes and sport scientists, are aimed to help improve the quality and quantity of athletic training ( Kellmann, 2010, p.1). However, these methods have encountered a consistent set of barriers including overtraining ( Kellmann, 2010, p.1). Due to these barriers, the need for physical and mental recovery in athletics brought an increasing attention in practice and in research ( Kellmann, 2010, p.1).
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 12.3 (Sept 1990): 217-222. Edwards, Tara and Hardy, Lew. “The Interactive Effects of Intensity and Direction of Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety and Self- Confidence Upon Performance.” Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology18.4 (Sept 1996): 296-312. Ferraro, Tom.
A lot of times, sports seem like a contest of physical skill― a test to see who is the fastest or strongest, who has the best eye or the most endurance, who can jump the highest or can handle the ball the best. What a lot of people don’t know is that there is so much more to a sport than just the muscle and coordination. In order to excel in a sport, an athlete requires a lot of self-discipline, concentration, and self-confidence. It’s the mental factor that makes a difference. Former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlon runner Bruce Jenner once said, “You have to train your mind like you train your body” (Gregoire 1). Success or failure depends on the mental factors just as much as the physical ones. The training of the mind of an athlete is called sports psychology. The use of sports psychology has a huge impact upon an athlete’s performance. The mental skills of a sport are just as important as the physical skills. All professional athletes use sports psychology. “If they aren’t currently using it, it’s almost guaranteed they’ve used it in the past, even if they are unaware they have” (Davis, Stephens, The Exploratorium 129). It’s hard to find an experienced athlete who hasn’t used sports psychology, because without it, they probably wouldn’t be where they are. The use of sports psychology is a crucial step to becoming a successful athlete.
Some athletes seek a psychologist for fears of failure and performance outcome or help with making sure they’re mentally prepared for the big game. Sports psychologist, as well as other psychologists, play a huge role in assisting clients to access their full potential. Helping an athlete to create and obtain goals can impact his or her performance. There are three main types of goals, outcome, performance and process goals. The completion of each goal has its result and level of effectivity. The choice of goal setting used depends on the individual’s unique need; this can also be a combination of goals or all three.
Sports psychology draws on knowledge from the fields of Kinesiology and Psychology. It involves the study of how psychological factors affect performance and how participation in sport and exercise affect psychological and physical factors. In addition to instruction and training of psychological skills for performance improvement, sport psychology may include work with athletes and coaches regarding injury, rehabilitation, communication, and team building (Weinberg, R.S. & Gould, D.,2010)....
In my opinion I think that sport psychologist is a good topic and it helps a lot in different ways, sport psychologists helps players and coaches achieve their goals by keeping them in shape or healthy. A mental game expert can help you improve confidence, focus, composure, intensity, and trust in athletic performance. These mental skills help athletes improve performance and can help in other areas of an athlete?s
Children who participate in sports are developing rapidly in sports skills, sportsmanship, and psychologically, but does this come from organized sports are just nature’s process. Children develop emotional and social benefits from participating in sports. Children experience character and leadership development through peer relations leading to an increase in self-esteem and a decrease in anxiety levels. Children will get opportunities to experience positive and negative emotions throughout their practice and games trials. It is important for the coach to understand the “psychology of youth sports and physical activity participation” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011 p.516).
Sport and exercise psychology is a mandatory aspect of the sport science discipline. This discipline contributes to the various professional practices associated with physical activities such as - teaching of physical education, recreation and health promotion, and kinesiology related professions - because it plays a mental role for the participants. Sport and exercise psychologists view physical activity in several different ways: physical activity as a tool for health, physical activity as a tool for human potential, and physical activity as a tool for social change. This aspect of psychology may be the most important aspect of physical activity, because of the contributions of exercise and sport psychology to health, human potential, and social change.