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Learn How to Become a Sport Psychologist

Understand the steps to take to become a sport psychologist.

Sport psychologists generally study the psychological and mental effects of participating in sports, as well as the way an individual participant’s own mental state impacts their performance.

At the same time, sport psychologists apply the knowledge gained from their studies to helping athletes and clients during everyday life events.

In the course of their work day, sport psychologists may perform the following duties:

• Work with athletes (both amateur and elite) to prepare them psychologically for competition
• Work with athletes (both amateur and elite) to help them deal with the psychological effects of competition
• Educate coaches on the best ways to enhance the team’s psychological state and become a successful, cohesive unit
• Research the effects of sport participation on athletes
• Teach university students who are studying for their psychology degrees
• Evaluate developmental disabilities

Salaries

Sport psychologists are part of the larger field of psychologists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual salary for psychologists is $117,580. Actual salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors.

National long-term projections of employment growth may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth. Because many sports psychologists are self-employed—or act in a consulting capacity—professionals in the field may enjoy a flexible schedule depending upon their obligations.

Work Environment

Because sport psychology is such a unique specialization, sport psychologists often work as consultants for many different teams, athletes or athletic departments. Generally this consulting work is combined with a position teaching college courses or researching. Some sport psychologists work full time with professional sports teams, but this is a difficult position to obtain.

Training and Education

For those who would like to become a sport psychologist, it’s often best to begin with a bachelor’s in psychology degree. If the undergraduate college offers courses in sport psychology, students should take as many as possible to learn about the field.

While some people are able to work as a sport psychologist with only a bachelor’s degree, most decide to go on to get a master’s degree or doctorate in either psychology or sports psychology. Fortunately advanced degrees in sport psychology are beginning to become more readily available, so you may be able to earn a specific degree in the field, and you can even find some degree programs for sport psychology in an online format. Otherwise you may consider obtaining a graduate-level psychology degree and combining this with sport psychology internships, which is another typical path toward full time sport psychology careers.