Sports Psychology

The study of sports psychology actually began in 1920 in Berlin, Germany. It was begun to see how psychological factors affected sport performance. The thought was that personality, muscular tensions and relaxation, reaction time, and mental awareness played a very important part in the athletes' overall performance. By applying the knowledge gained from these studies it was hoped there would be improvement in athletes' motivation.

It wasn't until the 1960s in the USA that physical education departments in many institutions of higher learning began to offer courses in sports psychology. A group of sport psychologist formed a society that became known as the North American Society of Sport Psychology and Physical Activity. They began to publish a journal, the Journal of Sport Psychology. There is increasing interest in this field with many sub-fields to go into.

Some who desire to go into this field will desire to teach and research in sports sciences. They may also want to work with athletes on enhancing their performance. Others may wish to provide clinical and counseling services to people. There are some that are interested in promoting health and still work with athletes. Some want to get involved with youth sport organizations and help the very young with sports psychology. They may desire to educate coaches about the coach’s role in advancing the development of self-esteem in young athletes.

The careers in sports psychology have both good and bad. There can be beneficial and disappointing aspects to working in sport psychology that need to be mulled over before pursuing a career in this field.