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A sports psychology career involves helping sportspersons attain their goals and deal with the anxiety that may obstruct their performance and motivation. As a sports psychologist, you help your clients improve their performance by teaching them mental training techniques or skills they can apply for peak performance or more consistency. You can also teach them how to maximize their practice time and manage their schedule routine well.
Working as a sports psychologist is exciting and fun. However, its also challenging, which can help you grow professionally. This article discusses five benefits of choosing sports psychology as a career.
1. Opportunities for specialization
Sports psychology allows you to select a specific area to specialize in. You can study Clinical Sports Psychology which combines sports psychology mental training techniques with psychotherapy to assist clients or athletes with mental health issues. Applied Sports Psychology is another study area that helps you learn teaching skills to boost athletic performance, including imagery and goal setting. Specializing in Academic Sport Psychology paves the way to teach at universities and colleges and also do research. You can explore various Sports Psychology Masters programs to identify one that suits your career goals and requirements.
2. A decent pay
A sports psychologists salary in the United States ranges between $63,233 and $81,421 annually. Nonetheless, this differs depending on educational qualifications, area of specialization, and years of experience. Different cities and states pay differently, meaning the state or city you work in will impact how much you earn. Additionally, the level of the sportspersons youre working with will heavily influence your salary range. Working with professional athletes will make more than working with amateurs.
3. Its fulfilling
A sports psychologist helps sportspersons build mental prowess for success. They teach them to be more confident, remain composed under pressure, focus better, make their pregame routines more effective, and practice more efficiently. As a sports psychologist, youre an extension of an athlete or teams support team. You teach your clients skills that assist in their healing and optimal performance. Watching them improve and succeed in their endeavors and knowing you played a role in making it happen can be rewarding.
4. You can start your own practice
With the education, skills, and hands-on experience in sports psychology, you can become a private consultant or start a private practice to help upcoming athletes or professional sports persons. For instance, parents with promising athletic children can hire you to train their kids. You can also work with amateur athletes who want to enhance their performance. Other sportspersons, including tennis players, triathletes, and golfers, are prospective clients regardless of whether theyre pros or amateurs.
Starting your own practice offers limitless possibilities. With a private practice, you decide where to work, select your working hours, and pick your staff. It also lets you create a schedule that allows you to take time off when needed.
5. Capacity to work in different settings
As a sports psychologist, you can find employment in different places depending on what you want. You can work with individual athletes or a team. You can also work in psychology offices, schools, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, medical clinics, and more.
Endnote
A sports psychology career is exciting and rewarding. Learning everything about the sports psychology field, including its benefits, can help you decide if its a career worth choosing.