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SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY BPS106

Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification
Statement of Attainment

Why Study Sports Psychology?

An athlete’s sporting performance is affected by natural ability, yes, but also by training and psychological factors. An athlete’s state of mind, stress and other psychological factors can affect how well they perform.

Study sports psychology to –

  • Understand psychological factors that affecting sporting performance.
  • Learn techniques and strategies to improve sporting performance.
  • Help athletes to control psychological factors affecting their performance.
  • Optimise sporting ability in athletes.
  • Help athletes to give their best performance.
  • Help teams to work well together.
  • Learn essential coaching techniques.

These techniques allow the athlete to relax, be in a positive mind frame and focus their attention on the task at hand. Being able to manage their psychology will give an athlete a winning edge.

Who Is This Course Suitable For?

A must for anyone working within the sporting field or interested in sports. For example, coaches, athletes, physical education teachers, personal trainers, fitness instructions etc.

What Will You Learn This Course?

You will learn more about -

  • performance and exercise psychology
  • the psychology of successful athletes
  • anxiety and arousal and how it can affect performance
  • team dynamics
  • leadership and coaching
  • etc.

It's easy to enrol...

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COURSE STRUCTURE

The course has eight lessons covering -

1. Introduction to Sports Psychology
Performance Psychology
Exercise Psychology
Environmental Influences
Aspects of Sports Psychology
Applying Sports Psychology

2. Psychological Traits of Successful Athletes
Personality Inventory
Cognitive Techniques
State of Mind

3. Anxiety and Arousal
Anxiety
Physiology of Anxiety
Psychology of Anxiety
Arousal
How to Maximise Psychological State
Focusing

4. Motivation
Basic Principles
Intrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic Motivation
Factors Affecting Motivation
Motivation for fun
Slimming for fun

5. Aggression
Mental Rehearsal
Error Parking
Using Self Consciousness
Word Association
Anger
Conflict
Measuring Aggression
Simulated Practice
e-Event Procedure
Reliving Success
Conflict Handling Techniques

6. Leadership & Coaching
A Coach’s Role
Getting Attention
Questioning
Punishment

7. Team Dynamics
Group cohesion
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Traits of an Effective Team
Suitable membership
Appropriate Leadership
Commitment to the Team
Concern for Achieving
Effective Work Methods
Well Organised Team Procedures
Ability To Take Criticism
Creative Strength
Positive Relationships
Positive Environment.

8. Special Groups
Stress
Post Game/Season Evaluation
Gender Differences
Elite Female Athletes
Special Considerations with Female Athletes
Disabled Persons
Children
Readiness
Dropping out

Each lesson includes set tasks and is completed with an assignment which the student submits to their course tutor.  The tutor will mark the assignment and return this to the student with comments and suggestions for further reading.

 

COURSE AIMS

  • Describe the nature and scope of Sports Psychology.
  • Identify psychological traits found in successful athletes.
  • Explain effects of state of mind on athletic performance.
  • Recommend ways of maintaining or increasing motivation in an athlete.
  • Differentiate between positive and negative application of aggressive emotions in sport.
  • Discuss the role of leadership in sports coaching.
  • Explain the impact on performance of psychological interactions within a sporting team.
  • Describe variations in the sports psychology of different demographic groups.

 

WHAT YOU MAY DO IN THIS COURSE

  • Read articles (magazines, newspapers), watch interviews on TV/Radio, etc. with elite athletes/coaches/sports persons. Try to find out what techniques are used to stay motivated, to reduce stress and tension, to remain focussed, to prepare for a competition, etc.
  • How do successful athletes cope with failure, error or poor performance in a major competition? Give an example of an acute stressor because of one of the above in sport and describe the techniques you recommend for an effective coping strategy.
  • Discuss the difference in coping with sports related stress for the athlete and
    the non-elite sportsperson. Include examples of their ability to handle fatigue,
    pain, competitive situations, and performance failure.
  • What can a coach do to reduce or eliminate learned helplessness?
  • Discuss the potential harm caused by this?
  • Talk to one or more athletes to find out what psyching techniques they use to help improve their performance. Have they tried other techniques? If so, why did they stop using them?
  • Think about two or three different activities (sporting, or otherwise) that you undertook recently but weren’t keen to do, or that you felt would be beyond your capabilities. How were you motivated to complete the activity – was the motivation intrinsic or extrinsic? Did you use different motivating techniques to accomplish each activity? How did you feel once you had accomplished each activity? Would you use the same motivating technique(s) in the future? Also speak to someone else and ask them the same questions.
  • Watch a range of altercations (such as a fight or collision between players) or aggressive behaviour in sporting events, such as in team sports like football or basketball, or in direct competition between two or more individual competitors such as in tennis, fencing, car racing, or distance running. What events have led up to the altercation/s or fight or aggressive behaviour? What form of behaviour did the aggression take? Who was it directed at? How many people were involved? How did it stop? What penalties, if any, where applied (e.g. fines, frees, time outs, lost points, etc.)?
  • Speak to a coach to find out what role they play in organising and training their athletes. Speak to a coach who trains children. Find out how their role differs to when they are training adults. What techniques do they use for gaining attention and motivating the children?
  • Discuss the development of a team with someone who has been a member of a sporting team (school, amateur or professional) for more than one season. Ask about their ups and downs and the reasons they think contributed to high points and low points. Investigate those reasons to see whether any situations or patterns relate to things you have studied in this lesson.
 

What Do Our Students Think of Our Courses?

"The course was useful for my goalkeeper coaching practises. [It} met my expectations and gave me some good insights; I liked the way the course was structured, especially the way I could work at my own pace WITHOUT any pressure. The course has specifically helped with ideas for motivating players."
Mario Rimati, Football Coach & Phys. Ed. Teacher, Italy - Sports Psychology course.

"The online courses are very easy to use and follow. Prompt friendly replies from tutor to any queries. Course structure flows freely. Very satisfied with course and results..."
Diana (completed ACS Online course in Intro. to Psych. and Psych. & Counselling).

What Next?

Studying sports psychology will demonstrate that you are keen to encourage and motivate sports people using modern psychological principles. Improve your performance or the performance of your team through a greater understanding of psychology.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

Or

Click here to Contact a Psychology Tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.
Courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world!

Meet some of our academics

Tracey Jones (psychology)B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies) Tracey began studying psychology in 1990. She has a wide range of experience within the psychology and social work field, particularly working with people with learning disabilities. She is also qualified as a teacher and now teaches psychology and social work related subjects. She has been a book reviewer for the British Journal of Social Work and has also written many textbooks, blogs, articles and ebooks on psychology, writing, sociology, child development and more. She has had also several short stories published.
Jacinda Cole B.Sc.,M.Psych.Psychologist, Educator, Author, Psychotherapist. B.Sc., Psych.Cert., M. Psych. Cert.Garden Design, MACA. Jacinda has over 25 years of experience in psychology, in both Australia and England. She has co-authored several psychology text books and many courses including diploma and degree level courses in psychology and counselling. Jacinda joined ACS in 2001.
Jade SciasciaBiologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager. Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.


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