What is Sport Psychology?
What is sport psychology? I've been asked this question time and time again by everyone from athletes I work with to random people I meet. It seems that as soon as I say I have a certification in sport psychology, or that I’m a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, the response is typically initiated with an “oh wow” or “very interesting”, followed by the same questions..."What exactly IS sport psychology? What do you do?" I’ve heard many great answers from fellow colleagues, ranging from “developing mental toughness in athletes” to “helping athletes stay in the zone consistently.” Simply put, sport psychology is the blending of the psychology and kinesiology fields. Combining psychology and kinesiology studies allows practitioners to develop expertise in both human thought and human movement; as a result, sport psychology consultants work with athletes' to increase their physical performance through the use of mental training.
The importance of understanding human thought as it pertains to sport performance is generally recognized, but the actual connection is often harder to grasp. Many high-achieving athletes insist that mentality is the most important aspect of sport performance. Coaches preach mental toughness, and recite tried-and-true cliches such as “the game is 90% mental.” Both coaches and athletes understand what a strong mentality in practice and in competition looks like and know the feeling when slumps, lack of focus, and confidence issues inhibit performance. However, the aspect largely unknown to the general public is how to help an athlete or team develop the mental skill set required to emerge from slumps, increase focus and improve confidence, allowing consistent performance at the highest level. The importance of sport psychology is that it provides training specific to the greatest performance difference-maker: the mental aspect of the game.
People typically think about sport psychology as treating an issue that is causing poor athletic performance. This perception comes from the biomedical model used by our western society for mental health for decades; if something is wrong, get it fixed. Sport psychology is different; the majority of athletes that work with sport psychology consultants work with do not have a “problem”. Instead, sport psychology professionals are utilized to increase performance for all athletes as the field continues to grow in the realm of teaching mental skills for performance enhancement. High-level athletes seek sport psychology consultants to help supplement their physical training, just as a serious athlete would seek a strength and conditioning coach or nutritionist. Areas that sport psychology consultants can work with athletes on include: increasing focus, goal setting, self talk, imagery, breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, team cohesion, building confidence, getting and staying in the zone, fueling motivation, and thinking clearly and concisely when it matters most...in those few dire seconds when the game is on the line.
Dan Matulis, MS, CMPC