Careers in Sports Medicine
Sports Psychologist
Description of a Sports Psychologist
This is the study of how psychology influences sports, athletic performance, excercise and physical activity.
Duties of a Sports Psychologist
General Duties: They work with athletes to prepare them mentally for competition and to help them deal with the psychological efects of competition.
Specific Duties: They give athletes someone to talk to and work with sports team to make them stronger mentally.
Current Employment Trends
Organizational Psychologists help buisnesses the same way sports psychologists help sports teams. Approximately, there are a few hundred who specialize in this field of medicine.
Qualifications
Health and Physical: must be sharp mentally
Personality: outgoing, understanding, and have an intrest in sports
Education: Bachelors, Masters, and PHD or PsyD
Schools
Two schools that specialize in Sports Psychology is Alder in Chicago, Illinois and Argosy in Seattle, Washington.
Average Salary
Beginning Salary: $30,000
Average Salary: $89,900
Exceptional Salary: $109,950
Common Injury Treated By Sports Psychologist
There are many different injuries that Sports Psychologists treat. Some common ones are helping the patient deal with denial, anger, and depression. What causes the injury is usually if the athlete suffers from a very serious injury they may begin to present some of these symptoms because of being hurt and also not being able to play something that they love.
Personal Reflection
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to go into medicine. Just in the past years I have decided that I would like to do something related to Sports injury. I am interested in sports physical therapy and after doing this project I have added something else to the list of things that I may want to do when I grow up. I am interested in presuing a career in this field because I personally know what it feels like to have to sit on the sidelines for more than one game, when I got hurt I think I was more upset about not beign able to play then actually being hurt, in other words it hurt more emotionally than it did psychically. So with that said, I think becoming a Sports Psychologist would intrest me because I would love to help athletes deal with different injuries they may face throughout their career.
Citations
"Welcome to All About Counseling .com." Counseling Services – Marriage, Family, Substance Abuse Counselors. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
"American Psychological Association (APA)." American Psychological Association (APA). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
By: Katie Guntz