Sports psychology is a growing profession with a wide range of applications. Since the specialty focuses on the mentality necessary to improve performance and gain a competitive edge, sports psychologists are finding themselves in demand outside of the athletic world as well. Big business, couples counseling, and even government departments all have positions available for which a trained sports psychologist would be an excellent fit. This opens up a wide range of potential career opportunities for people who are interested in the practice.
Below, you will find a list of five great websites for sports psychologists. Each of these sites provides a wealth of information and professional support.
1. Premier Sport Psychology
Premier Sport Psychology offers counseling and other services to athletes at every level of performance, and maintains ample opportunities for professionally accredited sports psychologists who wish to expand their practice. Because they work with a wide range of individuals, from youth sports to professional competitors, their material covers a wide variety of psychological specializations (including developmental psychology). Premier is on the cutting edge of treatment for mental health disorders related to athletic performance.
2. Association for Applied Sport Psychology
The Association for Applied Sport Psychology is a professional association for athletic and exercise psychologists. Their website offers access to numerous case studies relating to cutting-edge practices in the sport psychology field, and membership in the organization allows access to a wide-ranging network of individuals who work with every level of athlete. Whether or not you’re a member, the website makes ample resources available, and there are newsletters and other periodicals which include a wealth of pertinent information about the specialty.
3. Peak Performance Sports
Going by the mantra “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Peak Performance Sports is a heavily support-based website which focuses on mental training to gain a healthy, yet competitive edge over the competition. Their practices come highly recommended for individuals who have made athletic performance a significant part of their life, but they are also highly effective in terms of encouraging self-discipline, responsibility, and personal motivation in other respects. Their website includes resources for athletes, access to athletic coaching services, and resources for parents to help build the confidence of younger athletes during their critical, formative years.
4. Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology
The Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology is a worthwhile resource regardless of geographical location. With so many practices differing from one country or culture to another, SCAPPS offers a certain amount of fresh perspective, opening up a world of practices, theories and techniques which might not be so readily accessible elsewhere. The society offers several annual conferences, as well as publications related to some of the techniques employed by Canadian sport psychologists. SCAPPS members serve some of the world’s most accomplished winter sports athletes.
5. North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
The North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, otherwise conveniently referenced as NASPSPA, offers a wealth of interactive detail, including access to numerous studies and abstract summaries concerning the latest in sports psychology techniques and practices. A quick signup is all that is needed to access the full range of the website’s interactive features, and to make purchases of its materials. NASPSPA puts a wealth of resources right at your fingertips, and is regularly accessed by thousands of member psychologists from all over the country.
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As with other disciplines reliant upon qualified training and regular supplementary education, sports psychology benefits from a wealth of great websites. You can’t have too many good resources bookmarked.