Sport and exercise psychologist job description

You will need patience, a motivating attitude, and the capacity to handle with potentially difficult circumstances if you want to work as a sport and exercise psychologist. Being physically fit is not the only talent you need to have to work in this field.

As a sport and exercise psychologist, the behaviors, mental processes, and overall health of the people, teams, and organizations that are engaged in sport and exercise will be the focus of your attention. You will often choose to specialize in either sports or physical activity; however, some people work in both of these professions.

If you choose to specialize in sport psychology, you will work with athletes and teams participating in sports at all levels, from amateur to elite professional, with the goal of assisting them in mentally coping with the demands of their respective sports. You will also assist them in improving their personal growth as well as their overall performance.

You will work with the general public in your capacity as an exercise psychologist to enhance motivation and involvement in physical activity. You will also encourage a healthy lifestyle and provide advice on the psychosocial advantages that may be gained via physical activity.

Responsibilities

In order to be successful in the field of sport and exercise psychology, you will need to:

Determine the requirements and capabilities of your customers, and keep an eye on their behavior and performance in sports.

Implement techniques that will assist customers in overcoming challenges, improving their performance, or realizing their potential.

collaborate with a group of specialists from a variety of fields, such as other psychologists, dietitians, general practitioners, coaches, and physiologists.

provide counseling and/or courses addressing topics like goal setting, relaxation, and visualization.

research in sport or exercise psychology, and then put that research to use.

In order to have a successful career in sport psychology, you will need to:

work with a variety of clientele, including individual athletes, teams, coaches, and referees, at levels ranging from amateur to elite professional, in a variety of athletic disciplines and arenas.

Create individualized programs to aid players in their preparation for competition and their ability to cope with the psychological pressures that come along with their sport.

equip players with mental methods to help them deal with and triumph over challenges including as injuries and disappointments.

Give the coaches advice on how to enhance the cohesiveness or communication of the team.

conduct group workshops on topics such as methods to enhance mental skills within the context of sports, such as how to do a self-analysis of performance.

In order to have a successful career in exercise psychology, you will need to:

Clients who are sick, in poor physical or mental health, and who may benefit from participating in more frequent exercise should be counseled to do so.

Inform people about the positive effects, both physical and mental, that may result from regular exercise.

work with clients on an individual and group basis in a range of locations, such as general practitioner offices, workplaces, the client's home, clinical settings, and community fitness centers.

Exercise programs should be designed, carried out, and assessed according to the client's specific requirements.

You should provide counseling and consultations to a cross-section of the population, including individuals who are sad, people who have been referred by their general practitioners, people who are incarcerated, and groups of workers who are participating in an exercise program at their place of work.

Salary

Beginning salary are typically between £20,000 and £22,000.

The range of salaries that are usual for experienced sport and exercise psychologists is between £27,000 and £37,000.

Senior psychologists and department leaders may get an annual salary of around £48,000 or more.

Visit the website of the University and College Union to see the most recent compensation scales for jobs in higher education and further education (FE and HE respectively) (UCU). It is reasonable for experienced consultants who deal with top professional athletes to anticipate to charge between £500 and £1000 per day in fees for their services. Depending on the kind of company, salaries might range widely. It is common practice for the wages of employees working for professional clubs or national governing bodies to be greater than those of individuals working for amateur organizations.

The monetary amounts listed are just meant to serve as a reference point.

Time spent working

The number of hours that practitioners put in each week varies greatly from one client to the next and from sport to sport. Even though you would normally work during office hours, you could also be needed to work evenings or weekends so that you can fit in your workouts and other sporting commitments.

The hours of operation for most educational and medical institutions are from 9 am to 5 pm.

What may be anticipated

Work settings may range from an office located on a university campus, a general practitioner's office, or a hospital, to field settings such as the athletes' village at major sporting events, the team training base, or the employers' premises.

There are a variety of employment opportunities accessible in the United Kingdom and internationally with a variety of sports teams and organizations, as well as universities and colleges. The field of sport psychology has a solid foundation in the United States.

When dealing with athletes or other experts in their field, it is not unusual to have to travel over the course of a workday. You can be asked to serve as a member of a support crew that travels with a team or athlete to various contests and tournaments on a local, national, or worldwide scale.

Qualifications

In order to become a licensed sport and exercise psychologist, you will need to finish the following requirements:

a degree in psychology that has been recognized by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and which leads to the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)

an MSc in sport and exercise psychology that is approved by the British Psychological Society

The BPS Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology, often known as QSEP Stage 2, is the second stage (two years of supervised practice).

After you have successfully passed Stage 2 of the BPS QSEP, you will be able to use the term "sport and exercise psychologist" and become eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

If you already have a degree in something other than psychology but are interested in becoming eligible for GBC, you will need to take a conversion course that is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). This course will typically take either one year full time or two years part time to complete. Find an Accredited Course is a page on the BPS website that provides information about authorized courses.

It is not feasible to get entry with merely an HND or foundation degree.

The admissions process for master's degree programs is notoriously difficult, and most institutions require applicants to have a minimum of a 2:1 grade point average. Graduates who have earned a 2:1 degree and who possess a higher certification that is research-based may be considered for admission. Check sure the HCPC has given its blessing to your program before submitting an application (see the HCPC register of approved programmes).

Before you can get registered with the HCPC, you will first need to finish the master's program and then complete two years of supervised practice after that.

You will need to pursue a career in research if you wish to one day teach courses in the field of sport and exercise psychology. In most cases, a doctoral degree in a sport or exercise-related field is necessary.

Conduct research on postgraduate programs that focus on sport and exercise psychology.

Skills

You will be required to provide proof of the following items:

a passion for the athletic endeavor

superior abilities in both speaking and interacting with others

talents in active listening as well as reflecting

patience, as well as the capacity to inspire and encourage people

ability to adapt in order to succeed in a variety of contexts and with a wide range of customers

problem-solving skills

decision-making ability

dedication to furthering one's knowledge via study and ongoing training (CPD)

capacity to operate well under pressure and remain composed under difficult circumstances

a systematic way of going about one's task

IT skills.

Practice in the workplace

It is crucial to have some experience working in a sport or exercise setting, and you may accomplish this by shadowing, volunteering, doing a placement or internship, or taking a holiday job. In order to be admitted into a master's program, you will, in addition, be required to have appropriate work experience.

On its website, the British Association for Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) provides users with a large amount of pertinent information on chances for work experience. You might also try getting in touch with the local sports club in your area to inquire about volunteer opportunities. You may not be able to gain experience in sport psychology until you have completed the necessary training, but you can still obtain experience that is beneficial by working in fields such as sports performance, coaching, fitness and exercise instruction, health promotion, or physical education teaching until then.

Find out more information on the many types of work experience and internships that are currently offered.