About Sport Psychology

Psychology is generally defined as the study of academic and applied science which concerns itself with the human mind and behavior. Sport Psychology concerns itself with the human mind and behavior as it applies to an athlete in his or her sport or athletic endeavor. The athlete's performance is determined by far more than his or her physical training for the respective sport. It embraces all aspects of the athlete's experience including his or her use of the mind in performance, the relational support system that surrounds them (coaches, teammates, friends, and family), attentional strengths of focus and concentration, and the motivation to succeed. A Sport Psychologist applies these factors to specific areas in the athlete's experience such as performance enhancement, injury rehabilitation, player-coach relations, and team cohesion. The application of the principles of Sport Psychology are widely valued and accepted by athletes, coaches, and administrators in sport and exercise at entry levels of participation through professional athletics.