Reflections and directions: The profession of sport psychology past, present, and future.

Abstract

The authors review the historical context of sport psychology to explore the present state of sport psychology and make suggestions for the future of the field. The origins of sport psychology are rooted in efforts to improve athletic performance. However, the label "sport psychology" has been used to describe two different service delivery models: performance enhancement and therapy with athletes. Presently, advancements have been made in terms of organizational structure, but there has been little impact on the applied profession. In order to advance the profession, protect the public, and resolve confusion, sport psychology is examined. The authors identify performance excellence as the unique aspect of sport psychology and propose the field be identified as "performance psychology." In order to practice performance psychology competently, four areas of training are identified: (a) performance excellence, (b) mental health counseling, (c) consulting psychology, and (d) performance specialty domain(s). Finally, the authors recommend that a licensure specific to performance psychology be developed.In many significant ways sport psychology has been ahead of its time. When psychology was largely focused on pathology, sport psychology identified growth and psychological enhancement as worthy goals. When physical education was trying to isolate motor pattems, sport psychology expanded to mind-body connections. When academic departments were becoming increasingly specialized and segregated, sport psychology established interdisciplinary collaborations.Yet, in many significant ways sport psychology has lagged behind the times. While psychology distinguished itself from the medical field and established its own licensure and accreditation, sport psychology is still searching for its own unique identity. While physical education evolved into sport science and created applied professions, such as certified strength and conditioning coach and certified athletic trainer; sport psychology is struggling to identify and gain widespread acceptance in its target markets.

The Social Worker's Role in Serving Vulnerable Athletes

“…Yet the professional domain of sports psychology is broader, and the definition of its boundaries is evolving, since the field of practice is new, only having become organized in 1965 when the first World Congress of Sport Psychology was held. A recent article acknowledged a lack of clarity about the scope of the profession (Aoyagi et al, 2012). Currently, the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (2012) identifies three areas of focus in the profession: health and exercise psychology, which is concerned with health enhancing physical behaviors across the lifespan; performance psychology, which addresses performance in sports and exercise; and social psychology, which examines athletes, coaches, teams and spectators.…”

“…There must be guard against professional drift, which is the neglect of a profession's traditional purpose and functions in favor of activities associated with another professional discipline (Sheafor & Horesji, 2012). At the same time, the field of applied sports psychology, which is working to resolve confusion about the scope of its services (Aoyagi et al, 2012), should engage in the same examination of its competency in addressing the needs of vulnerable athletes associated with their social functioning.…”

Great Expectations: Career Planning and Training Experiences of Graduate Students in Sport and Exercise Psychology

“…Though little information is available in regards to the prevalence of paid work being done with this population, scholars have identified this group as a viable source of applied sport psychology work (Visek, Harris, & Bloom, 2013). Many in the field have also called for a broad application of the performance enhancement skills taught to students (Aoyagi & Portenga, 2010;Aoyagi, Portenga, Poczwardowski, Cohen, & Statler, 2012; Practice Committee, Division 47, Exercise and Sport Psychology, APA, 2011). Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSFF), a component of the U.S. Army's "Ready and Resilient Campaign," represents one such performance-based employer (U.S. Army, 2014) and is believed to be the largest employer of individuals who possess sport psychology training (Voelker, 2012).…”

Physical activity and sport as a protective factor against health- -threatening experiments with adulthood

“…The role of sport psychologist should also be considered in the context of young sportsman's risky behavior. Mental health counseling is one of the future goals for psychologists working with athletes [40].…”