If you’re interested in sport psychology or athlete mental health, you’re not alone. Over the past few years, interest in this field has grown quickly as athletes, teams, and organizations have started to talk more openly about mental health and the mental side of performance. With that growth, though, comes a lot of questions.
This guide is meant to help you make sense of it all. Below, you’ll find an overview of the field and the most common educational pathways. You’ll also find practical tips for researching graduate programs and figuring out which options best fit your interests and goals. Whether you’re just starting to explore sport psychology or are actively planning your next step, this information is meant to give you a clearer picture of what getting started in this field looks like.
Learn About the Field
The field of sport psychology is growing, and it’s growing fast. With that comes a lot of interest from many people with diverse backgrounds, degrees, experiences, and levels of expertise (or lack thereof). The best ways to learn about the field of sport psychology are to review the websites of professional organizations, join said organizations, and/or talk to professionals already working in the field. The two most prominent professional organizations in sport psychology are:
Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
The Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) is the most prominent and active professional organization in sport psychology. It also offers the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) certification, which is the only credible certification in the industry.
Additionally, AASP offers a wide range of educational resources, professional conferences, and publications that are great for those interested in sport psychology. Of the two organizations listed here, AASP places greater emphasis on the “mental side of performance.”
American Psychological Association (APA) Division 47
This division of APA is dedicated to sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It serves those who are licensed psychologists (or working toward licensure) and have a specific interest in the mental health and well-being of athletes and other high performers.
APA Div 47 also gives attention to the mental side of performance, though, as a whole, this organization places greater emphasis on the traditional forms of mental health in athletes.
Choose Your Educational Path
There are plenty of pathways into the field of sport psychology. First and foremost, you’ll want to decide whether you want your work to focus on helping athletes address their mental health or on helping them master their mental game. Some professionals choose to pursue both.
Those interested in helping athletes care for their mental health will need to obtain a degree (and eventually a licence to practice) in a mental health field. Examples include:
Doctorate Degrees in Psychology
- PhD: These degrees tend to place more emphasis on research, though a PhD in Clinical Psychology typically has a stronger emphasis on research than a PhD in Counseling Psychology.
- PsyD: These degrees usually give more emphasis to applied forms of psychology. For those who know they want to practice and have little interest in research, these programs are often a good fit.
Master’s Degrees in Professional Counseling, Clinical Social Work, or Marriage and Family Therapy
- Each degree, and its associated licenses, leads to work in mental health. In the field of sport psychology, social work tends to have a stronger sports presence than counseling, and marriage and family therapy has the smallest presence.
For those who prefer to focus their work on sports performance and helping athletes master their mental game, the CMPC certification is the best way to truly distinguish yourself as someone with appropriate education, training, and experience in sport psychology.
Some students/professionals prefer to only work on the mental game with athletes (without holding a mental health license), while others prefer to do both mental health and sports performance work. Regardless, the CMPC certification is the best way to set yourself apart.
CMPC Without Licensure
It’s important to note that while this is a viable career path, there are limits to the types of clients you can work with and the kinds of concerns you can address. A professional without a license to practice mental healthcare cannot address mental health concerns in athletes. Thus, if an athlete who is working on their mental game develops (or already has) a mental health concern, they will need to receive that specific care from a professional who holds a mental health license.
For some, this means finding a second provider and working with both a licensed mental health professional and a professional who can assist with their mental game. For others, this may mean finding a professional trained to support both an athlete’s mental health and sports performance.
Regardless of which pathway you choose, you’ll want to research specific programs to ensure their requirements and standards match your interests. The resources below will help you do so.
It’s also strongly recommended that you contact the program faculty directly (via phone or email) to ask questions and ensure you’re pursuing the best pathway for you.
Explore Graduate Programs
Books to guide your search:
- Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology
- Insider’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Both books outline the schools and degree programs that offer training in areas such as clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and sport psychology. The Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology outlines sport psychology programs, while the Insider’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology outlines programs offering training in those domains.
Various pages of university and college websites also contain a wide variety of information about their programs. Just remember: it’s strongly recommended that you contact the school directly to learn more about specific details of the program and confirm you’ll be able to reach your goals by completing your degree at that particular institution.
Final Tips
- If pursuing a psychology degree, choose APA-accredited programs.
- Make sure programs that list a “sport psychology emphasis” actually offer meaningful coursework and/or practicum experiences. Many programs will say they offer this emphasis, but only have a small collection of elective courses.
- If you want to support both an athlete’s mental game and their mental health, it’s ideal to find a program that leads to licensure in mental health as well as the CMPC certification.
- Reach out directly to programs. Faculty mentors, areas of research/interest, and the projects they’re currently working on make a BIG difference!
- Ask about funding, assistantships, and other options to minimize your costs to attend graduate school.
- Look for options that provide practical, hands-on experience in addition to the didactic learning you will be doing.
Getting started in sport psychology can feel overwhelming, but there is no single “right” path into the field. The most important step is taking the time to understand the differences between mental performance and mental health work, and choosing the route that aligns with your interests.
By doing your research, asking questions, and seeking out quality training, you’ll be in a much better position to build a meaningful career supporting athletes. Take it one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to reach out to professionals who are already doing the work you hope to do!
