Sport Psychologists Belong on Sports Teams by Claire Xue

There are many factors contributing to athlete performance, psychology being one of them. With the mind playing such a big part in everyday life, it should not be overlooked in sports. Sport psychologists help athletes overcome mental challenges and improve performance through mental strategies.

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When it comes to athletes struggling psychologically, though a coach or another member on the team may have good intentions, they are not professionals, and they may not be able to help like a professional can. More often than not, however, it seems that there is a reluctance from athletes to work with sport psychologists. Whatever the reason, it is key to remove the discomfort in going. A team can reduce that unwillingness by providing their athletes with a psychologist, for example, by hiring them to work with their team. Not only does this availability make finding a professional less of an issue, it contributes to the normalization of receiving help. To a group of people so often under pressure and in the public eye, recognizing mental health and providing the right help is really important.

It is not a loss for a team to hire a psychologist—their help goes beyond dealing with mental health. They can assist athletes with handling emotions and pressure, communicating with their team and pushing toward their goals (to name a few examples).

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In a time when mental health is being brought up more openly, it is also good to acknowledge how those facing great mental challenges in addition to physical ones deserve access to help. Sport psychologists belong on the team, and they are just as important in contributing to the team’s success as any other member there.