Why Sports Psychologists Should Be Employed
Ashleigh Dorman
The University of North Carolina is sometimes referred to as The University of Champions because of how much talent is displayed through the number of national championships its sports team is rewarded each year. A number of Carolina students will tell you how exciting it is to be able to call themselves a Tar Heel because UNC athletes are constantly coming out on top with their dedication, skill, and competitiveness. The athletes have a set practice routine and schedule and they have other training that might even include help from other people besides their coaches. Sports psychologists are used in sports to help improve an athlete’s focus and help them get their mind set on the task: scoring that basket or achieving that touchdown. Because of sports psychology being a more recent science, not many coaches and athletes are fully aware of how a sports psychologist could truly increase the chances of a team’s success by allowing the athletes to be not only physically trained but mentally trained as well.
Although it would be an extra expense for a sports team, a sport psychologist would be a smart investment for the success of a team. Sports psychologists help athletes improve their game through preparing them mentally, helping them focus better on the game. The only obstacle in the way of a sports psychologist helping an athlete is the way they are viewed by coaches and athletes. Sports psychologists are misunderstood but once coaches and athletes better understand how much the psychologists can really improve their mental preparedness for the game, there will be an increase in the number of sports psychologists used.
Because of it being new to the sports world, the idea of sports psychology is more popular than its practice actually being used. Sports psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology meaning that numerous coaches and athletes aren’t very knowledgeable of its purpose and objectives of mentally preparing the athletes for a successful game. If an athlete goes into a game with a clearer mindset, there’s a more likely chance the athlete will come out of the game with a victory.
Many coaches and even some athletes are unaware of how beneficial sports psychology is to the performance of an athlete. The connotation of the word psychology is just not helpful in the hope for an increase in use of their services. Coaches and athletes look at it and only think of a sports psychologist being able to help them sort through “problems.” Sports psychologists are compared to other mental practitioners by coaches so they are ruled out of involving the psychologists in their athletes’ lives. Athletes also have the wrong idea of sports psychologists. Athletes choose to avoid them because they don’t want a bad rep of needing a “shrink” to sort out their problems.
If coaches and athletes better understood the job of a sports psychologist, more would be used. Sports psychology is a positive advancement in science for athletes because its central goal is to help the athletes become better focused mentally and sustain that mental stability throughout the game, in turn increasing their chances of winning the game.
http://bmo.sagepub.com/content/34/5/386.full.pdf+html
Ashleigh Dorman
The University of North Carolina is sometimes referred to as The University of Champions because of how much talent is displayed through the number of national championships its sports team is rewarded each year. A number of Carolina students will tell you how exciting it is to be able to call themselves a Tar Heel because UNC athletes are constantly coming out on top with their dedication, skill, and competitiveness. The athletes have a set practice routine and schedule and they have other training that might even include help from other people besides their coaches. Sports psychologists are used in sports to help improve an athlete’s focus and help them get their mind set on the task: scoring that basket or achieving that touchdown. Because of sports psychology being a more recent science, not many coaches and athletes are fully aware of how a sports psychologist could truly increase the chances of a team’s success by allowing the athletes to be not only physically trained but mentally trained as well.
Although it would be an extra expense for a sports team, a sport psychologist would be a smart investment for the success of a team. Sports psychologists help athletes improve their game through preparing them mentally, helping them focus better on the game. The only obstacle in the way of a sports psychologist helping an athlete is the way they are viewed by coaches and athletes. Sports psychologists are misunderstood but once coaches and athletes better understand how much the psychologists can really improve their mental preparedness for the game, there will be an increase in the number of sports psychologists used.
Because of it being new to the sports world, the idea of sports psychology is more popular than its practice actually being used. Sports psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology meaning that numerous coaches and athletes aren’t very knowledgeable of its purpose and objectives of mentally preparing the athletes for a successful game. If an athlete goes into a game with a clearer mindset, there’s a more likely chance the athlete will come out of the game with a victory.
Many coaches and even some athletes are unaware of how beneficial sports psychology is to the performance of an athlete. The connotation of the word psychology is just not helpful in the hope for an increase in use of their services. Coaches and athletes look at it and only think of a sports psychologist being able to help them sort through “problems.” Sports psychologists are compared to other mental practitioners by coaches so they are ruled out of involving the psychologists in their athletes’ lives. Athletes also have the wrong idea of sports psychologists. Athletes choose to avoid them because they don’t want a bad rep of needing a “shrink” to sort out their problems.
If coaches and athletes better understood the job of a sports psychologist, more would be used. Sports psychology is a positive advancement in science for athletes because its central goal is to help the athletes become better focused mentally and sustain that mental stability throughout the game, in turn increasing their chances of winning the game.
http://bmo.sagepub.com/content/34/5/386.full.pdf+html
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