Training in sport psychology

I often get emails from young Italian psychologists who want to work in sports, asking what might be the best training  for them. The master in Rome where I was involved in its management is not currently active and I do not know if there will be further editions. There are other master in which I teach but I do not frankly say how good they are because I do not know what is the proposal of training and the time spent by those who directed him in leading this type of training . Even though I do not want to frustrate the expectations of these young gentlemen in not giving them an answer . So here are some pointers .

The sport psychology is a very diverse discipline that may involve interventions in sport performance but also interventions in sport for all and the promotion of the movement as a form of welfare , also applies to all age groups from elementary school children up to senior citizens. In general, the degree in psychology does not know what the psychology of sport , whether it was an athlete at an amateur level or high-level can refer to his direct experience or knows what what the media transmit , but do not have a knowledge of matter.

First activity to be carried out for those interested is to read up not reading popular books but textbooks sports psychology , it is in Italian but absolutely must read in English to know what his colleagues are studying in other countries. Human Kinetics is the leading publishing house to which to refer .

Second activity is to be carried out to study motor learning that is the basis of all forms of learning that it is to learn the basic movements ( walking, running, jumping, throwing ) or specific sports movements . This type of knowledge is not part of the curriculum of psychologists, while it is important to be able to understand how cognitive- emotional aspects involved in the various stages of learning.

The acquisition of this knowledge does not transform into sports psychologists but allows us to understand what this discipline and this matter really interests us or if we were dazzled by the imagination of famous athletes follow and do to some extent their lives.

In essence, read and then read again in order to build a solid theoretical foundation . At this point it is useful observation of coaches to work, if you have this opportunity ; make to understand how they behave and interact with each other and students.

Finally , go to the website of Division 47 of the American Psychological Association will find the groups to which you can subscribe and begin to exchange information and maybe ask where to go for work placements or study in Europe or North America.

These are some tips that I hope will be useful to you .