Sports psychology is a growing field. A general definition of sports psychology would be learning to use the brain to accomplish maximum sporting performance. There are several common tools used in sports psychology, and as more is learned about the way that people respond to different tools, they will continue to change and develop accordingly. Much of the information learned about sports psychology is through academic learning, and several schools offer a sports psychology masters program.

Goal setting is one of the most important tools used in sports psychology. It is the process of setting an ideal for what you would like the future to be, and then determining ways to make that ideal a reality. By setting goals that are clearly defined you are able to tell more quickly how well you are doing in achieving those goals. Measuring your successes becomes easier when you set goals, and it provides motivation when those goals are either met or not.

A second tool used for sports psychology is imagery. Imagery is basically training with your mind. Using imagination is the basis for imagery, and can boost performance in sports by allowing you to practice when injured, pre-experience the achievement of goals, and mentally prepare for an athletic event and anything that might go wrong, without having to actually experience it physically.

Focus and flow, or how to achieve perfect concentration is the third tool used in sports psychology. In order to achieve what they call "flow" there are several factors which need to be in place. Some of those factors are the ability to perceive that your skills are good enough for the task you are looking to do, your competition is not too easy and therefore you do not become bored with it, you are in a relaxed environment, however, you are very alert, and you are not easily distracted. Being able to handle stress, avoid distraction and being fully focused on the task at hand are all very important. Focus and flow are at the very heart of sports psychology.

There are many different types of jobs which are available in sports psychology. Speaking to someone in your area, or researching online the different paths you might take can be very helpful in determining whether sports psychology is a career you might wish to pursue.

Certainly a masters degree program, or a PhD program benefit in being able to find a job in this field, and working with any professional sports teams is certainly a competitive field. The rewards of working with a team, and becoming a part of that team are certainly many, and this is part of what drives people to become involved in a job in sports psychology. Source: Accrmasterspsychology dot com