Sports Psychology DegreeThinking about a sports psychology degree? Are you interested in sports, exercise and fitness? Do you like to read about its impact on mental factors and individual behavior? Do you like: • Assisting coaches in working with athletes
If any of these apply to you, consider a sports psychology degree program. A career in sports psychology may be just what you are looking for. Read on to find out for sure. What is a Sports Psychology Degree? Sports psychology is a sub discipline of Psychology but it can also be viewed as a sub discipline of Sports and Exercise Science. This profession is growing as many athletes are seeking services of psychologists that can help them with challenging mental aspects of sports training. Many people presume, mistakenly, that sports psychology deals exclusively with professional athletics. However, this field also addresses a range of scientific, clinical and applied topics involved in sports, fitness and exercise. As a sports psychologists you would apply the principals of psychology to organized sports and exercise programs. You would focus on issues of personality, motivation, leadership, goal setting as it relates to a sport oriented environment. You would promote mental training skills such as focus, relaxation, goal-setting and anxiety reduction. What do I have to do to obtain a Sports Psychology Degree? If you don’t like school – we have some bad news for you. Entry level positions with a bachelor’s degree are vary rate. You will find that most positions within this field require at least a master’s degree. Thus, to be able to call yourself a Sport Psychologist you must have a masters or doctorate degree, sport psychology training and the proper licensing your state requires. Licensing helps maintain "quality standards" in the field and insures that someone who calls themselves a Sport Psychologist has the necessary qualifications. There are few graduate programs offering specialized degrees in sports psychology. As a result, you will have to design your program to fit your career goals. You could receive specialized training in school psychology (Masters or Doctorate degree), or a doctorate degree in counseling or clinical psychology but make sure to receive training in therapy and exercise science/fitness, application of psychological principals to sports settings as well as courses covering topics such as motivation management, performance and athletics. Careers with a Sport Psychology Degree Sports psychology does encompass a number of things allowing you to choose and tailor a career to your liking. You could work in academics, teaching and conducting research. You could also work directly with athletes to increase their motivation, goal orientation and performance. You could also conduct client and athletic counseling. How much can I make with a Sport Psychology Degree? Like for other psychology degrees, your salary as a sports psychologist will very greatly depending on your chosen career focus, level of schooling and training. While the US Department of Labor does not cite salary ranged specifically for sports psychology, it does note that clinical and counseling psychologist make between $41,850 and $71,880. A university faculty position averaged at $55,000. However, you could make a six figure salary if you become a successful consultant to athletes. If you are seriously considering a career in sport psychology I would suggest joining the
Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP).
This will allow you to receive their newsletters and journals and to become aware of new things going on in the world of sport psychology.
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