Several times a year, students aspiring to become sport psychologists ask me how to pursue a career in sport psychology. I happily mentor students interested in pursuing the profession, and here is what they typically ask and what I say:
What are the job prospects in sport psychology?
It is difficult to find a job in sport psychology. According to LeUnes (2008), the job picture in sport psychology is “not overly reassuring.” This is probably primarily because sport psychology consulting is not reimbursed by insurance companies and is viewed as not medically necessary; in other words, sport psychology consulting is a boutique service. Others are more optimistic.
How do I know if I should become a sport psychologist or consultant or mental performance coach?
Here are some questions to consider in deciding whether to become a sport psychologist (aka sport psychology consultant, aka mental performance consultant): 1) Are you intellectually curious, 2) do you like working with people, 3) are you interested and experienced in sport and human performance beyond being just a fan, 4) are you a strong student, and are you dedicated to going to graduate school? If answered “yes” to most of these, especially graduate school, and you decide that you want to pursue this career, you should also consider which of the following activities would be of interest to you: teaching, research, and/or practicing applied sport psychology.
What education, training, and experience do I need?
Graduate education is essential, so consider reviewing the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology. The best program for you is whichever program matches your professional goals. It will also be helpful if the program has a good reputation and excellent faculty scholars and supervisors, and if you want to practice in sport psychology, make sure that supervision is available and faculty are interested and engaged in doing high quality supervision. Also contact current students and alumni of the program to ask about their experiences in their program.
Getting a masters degree is a good start, and you can become a sport psychology consultant with this. A doctoral degree in psychology is the only way to become a licensed psychologist. A doctoral degree in psychology or the exercise sciences such as Ph.D. or Psy.D. may put you at some advantage because you will have more education, training, and experience by the time you graduate. If the degree is a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology, you will most likely be able to meet requirements for licensure as a psychologist, especially if you attend a regionally accredited school with APA accreditation as well as an APA-accredited doctoral internship.
Programs that help you to work toward AASP certification may be the best – even if the public doesn’t know the difference between non-certified and certified professional, certification helps you demonstrate your competence, and your job prospects are better. Combined with a doctoral degree, you’ll be competitive for many sport psychology jobs. You may also be eligible to be listed on the USOC (US Olympic) registry if you have a doctoral degree, AASP certification, and APA membership.
In short, practicing sport psychology is challenging and competitive. A more realistic career path in sport psychology may be to pursue a degree that leads to a license to practice in mental health with part-time sport psychology work, but the decision about whether to become a sport psychologist and how to do so is certainly yours.
So, you want to be a sport psychology professional?
The webinar below featuring Mark Aoyagi, PhD, CMPC, Kate F. Hays, PhD, CMPC, Judy Van Raalte, PhD, CMPC was created to help students identify a graduate training path for their career in applied sport psychology. It was co-sponsored by the Division 47 Society of Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA) and AASP. Check it out, along with Kate Hays’ website, to learn even more about sport psychology education.
http://www.appliedsportpsych.org/students-center/video-resources/#Professional
