They give athletes a kick in the confidence

Psychologists are supplementing their incomes by providing sport psychology services to local athletes

By Lisa Rabasca
Monitor staff

Colleen Hacker, PhD, may be America's most beloved sport psychologist.

Her work with the U.S. women's national soccer team to build team unity, boost confidence and eliminate media distractions has been widely touted by the players and coach as a major factor behind their ability to capture the Women's World Cup in July--and the adulation and respect of millions of American fans.

"Colleen's opened our minds to new ways of thinking, to be more self-critical, to get more out of the psychological dimension," said team member Brandi Chastain in a USA Today article on the team's zeal and ability to focus.

Meanwhile, as Hacker of Pacific Lutheran University enjoys the spotlight, thousands of lesser-known sport psychologists are helping athletes of all ages and abilities achieve their goals--whether it's the weekend golfer who wants to build concentration skills or the budding Olympic star who needs help overcoming performance anxiety.

Many psychologists go into sport psychology because they find it gratifying to work with athletes who tend to be driven about making positive changes in their lives.

"Sport psychology is a rewarding way to work outside the managed-care system and work with people on positive psychology issues," says Shane Murphy, PhD, Div. 47 (Exercise and Sport) past president.

Most sport psychologists are clinical practitioners or sport scientists who offer sport counseling or consulting part-time. On the average, they gross between $5,000 and $10,000 annually for sport-related services, working with clients less than 10 hours a week, according to a 1997 survey of members of Div. 47 and of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology. The survey was conducted by Jim Whelan, PhD, and Andy Meyers, PhD, both of the University of Memphis.

Sport psychology services generally aren't reimbursable through regular health insurance because most athletes don't have diagnosable mental illnesses. Clients must pay for services from their own pockets. Athletes who are accustomed to spending money on their sport, such as members of private tennis clubs, are more likely to pay for these services, Whelan says.

Making youth sports positive

A burgeoning area of sport psychology is teaching young athletes to deal with the pressures of competition.

"Youth sports can be a positive experience if structured right, but a negative experience if structured wrong," says Murphy, a private practitioner in Monroe, Conn., who often works with young athletes.

While children have multiple reasons for playing sports--to have fun, improve their skills and be with friends--sometimes, he says, their goals aren't in line with those of their parents or coaches. Many of the calls Murphy receives are from parents seeking performance enhancement services for their children. A father, for instance, might tell Murphy that his daughter is in a slump or her achievements are disproportionate to her talents.

Murphy will look at the situation from the youth's perspective and teach cognitive behavioral and problem-solving skills to help young athletes handle stressful situations.

"Kids might be feeling too much pressure from the coach, they might be having a personal conflict with the team, or there might be stress within the family that the child is sensitive to but the parents aren't," says Murphy. "When a child comes back from a game, the first question most parents ask is 'How did you do? Did you win? How did you play?' That doesn't mean, 'Did you really enjoy it and have a good time?'" he says.

A gesture as innocent as stopping for a celebratory burger after a game whenever the team wins, can put pressure on a child to win every time.

When the cheering stops

Sport psychologists are also helping athletes prepare for the day the fans stop cheering.

Each year, only about 1 percent of college athletes is chosen to play professional sports, says Christopher Stankovich, PhD, co-owner of Champion Athletic Counseling in Columbus, Ohio. Those that don't go onto professional teams are faced with a difficult transition.

"Being told that you won't play professionally is essentially being fired from a job you love to do," says Stankovich.

Stankovich and his colleague Darin Meeker, developed a college course to help students make the transition into careers outside of athletics. The class has been offered at Ohio State University since 1995 and has helped more than 100 students "retire" from sports.

Most student athletes have devoted their whole lives to their sport and many have viewed themselves as athletes since they were in grammar school, Stankovich says. Suddenly losing that identity can be very stressful, he says.

The course encourages students to develop identities outside of sports and shows them how to transfer the skills they learned on the field to the workplace, from setting and achieving goals to performing under pressure and time management.

"The more strongly students sees themselves as athletes, the less prepared they are to move onto a career outside of sports," says Stankovich.

Getting a competitive edge

Recreational athletes are also seeking psychologists' help in increasing numbers. Kate Hays, PhD, for instance, has been teaching recreational athletes how to use cognitive behavioral skills, relaxation techniques, concentration training and imagery to sharpen their competitive edge for the last 25 years. She recently moved her private practice, The Performing Edge, from New Hampshire to Toronto, and has begun to include musicians, dancers and other performers in her practice.

Typical clients Hays has worked with include a marathon runner aiming to improve his speed and endurance, a teen-age skater struggling to move to the next level of competition and a tennis player seeking to improve her game.

Most athletes set goals that aren't specific enough and don't measure their own performance, says Hays, president-elect of Div. 47. For example, she says, they often set goals where the outcome can't be controlled, such as winning a race.

She suggests setting specific goals such as maintaining concentration throughout a race or cleanly executing a move during competition.

"It's best to have a number of goals so you don't stand or fall on one outcome," she says. For a swimmer struggling with self-confidence she might suggest as a goal to concentrate on breathing or a stroke technique, rather than dwelling on thoughts such as "I'm not going to win this."

Hays developed her practice by working with community athletic groups. Most recently she partnered with a local sporting goods store to offer a workshop for beginning runners.

To attract clients to his private practice, the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology in Beachwood, Jack J. Lesyk, PhD, speaks to local coaching organizations and athletic clubs about ways to motivate young athletes to improve their game. Charles H. Brown Jr., PhD, a family psychologist in Charlotte, N.C., says writing for magazines and newsletters that cater to athletes is a good way to introduce yourself to potential clients. He often writes articles about performance enhancement techniques for Inside Triathalon magazine.

Brown says developing a specialty in sport psychology has helped him stay excited about his profession.

"Cross-training in an athlete is a wonderful way to avoid burnout and keep performing at an optimal level," says Brown. "Clinical cross-training can do the same for clinical psychologists."

Jamie Chamberlin contributed to this article.

Further reading

* Hays, Kate F. "Working it out: Using Exercise in Psychotherapy" (APA Books, 1999).

* Lesyk, Jack J. "Developing sport psychology within your clinical practice: A Practical Guide for Mental Health Professionals," (Jossey-Bass Inc., 1998).

* Meeker D., Stankovich, C., & Kays, T. "Positive Transitions for Student Athletes: Life Skills for Transitions in Sport, College & Career," (Holcomb Hathaway, Inc., 2000).

* Murphy, Shane. "The Cheers And The Tears: A Healthy Alternative To The Dark Side Of Youth Sports Today" (Jossey-Bass Inc., 1999).

* Sachs, Michael L., Burke, Kevin L., & Gomer, Shawn, Eds. "Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology," (Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, 1998).



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