5 Reasons to Pursue Sports Psychology Career

Sports psychology looks at how participating in sports can contribute to your health and wellbeing. Athletes also use knowledge of sports psychology to improve their performance in their particular sport. 

A career in sports psychology is a career path that can open the door to many specialization opportunities.

1. Sports Psychologists Are in High Demand

Sporting activities are all around us, many of which have their own season. This speaks to the sport-driven society in which we live. These sports have adoring fans that flock to stadiums, arenas or stream these various events from the comfort of their homes. 

With these wide fanbases, it has become increasingly important to athletes to have well-trained professionals that can cater to their physical and mental needs, which will enable them to improve their performance.

2. Salary

The American Psychology Association estimates the earnings of sports psychologists to be between $60,000 – $80,000 a year. If afforded the opportunity to work with a team, you could even double this amount. That is an incredible opportunity, and with it, incredible earnings. However, the possibilities do not end there.

Suppose you wanted to start your own business as a sports psychologist. In that case, there is no limit to what you can earn. Your clientele could range from high school and college athletes to professional athletes, who come to you for your professional expertise which could allow you to implement an hourly rate.

3. Doing What You Love

If you are a sports fanatic, this career path might be your perfect fit. Imagine being at the very heart of sports and being able to help athletes optimize their level of performance. As a sports lover, that sounds like a dream come true, and it is. 

The sense of fulfillment when you see improvement in your client or team is indescribable and don’t forget, you’re getting paid for it too.

4. A Diverse Career Path

A career in sports psychology has the potential to open many doors of opportunity. You could work in education, where you could function as an academic sports psychologist. This allows you to teach at universities and colleges and engage in research in this area. 

There is also applied sports psychology, where the focus is teaching athletes the relevant skills to improve their athletic performance.

Clinical psychology is also an option, which incorporates mental training and psychology catered to assist clients with mental health and eating disorders. 

If you are contracted to or work with a sports team, this could mean traveling with them to their different events to provide support. The opportunities are endless: work in education, work with a team, or as stated before, operate your own business.

5. Certification With Ease

If you have reached this point of the article and you are considering sports psychology as a career path but aren’t quite sure where to go from here, keep reading. A sports psychology masters programs online from a reputable place like Best Psychology Degrees might be what you need, especially in these changing times. These programs will allow you to study there even if you are geographically out of reach to the campus’ location.

With a career in sports psychology, you cannot go wrong, especially if you’re in it for the love of sports and helping others reach their best performance level.