Skip to Main Content

Sport/Exercise Psychology

Background Information

The Oxford English Dictionary offers the following definitions for sports medicine and psychology:

Sports medicine n. the branch of medicine concerned chiefly with the physiological aspects of athletic performance, esp. the treatment of injuries sustained during or caused by participation in sporting activities.

Sports psychology  n. (a branch of) psychology applied to aspects of participation in sport, esp. with the aim of enhancing performance in competitive sports.

According to Credo, "sport psychology is concerned with the psychological and emotional factors that influence both participation in sports and performance activities and the psychological effects derived from them. There are many dimensions to participation in sports, exercise, and performance activity that are influenced by psychological factors... The field has been broadened and is now called sport and exercise psychology. Sport psychology has two primary specialties: (1) clinical sport psychology and (2) educational sport psychology. A significant distinction is made in the field between the two. Clinical sport psychologists have extensive training in clinical and/or counseling psychology and have developed their skills to detect and treat individuals with emotional disorders... Educational sport psychology consultants often provide “mental coaching” and psychological skills training. They are often called on to work with teams and individual athletes to teach anxiety management strategies, improve athletic confidence, improve coach-athlete communication, and build team cohesion." (cont. here) 

Reserve Books