Sports Psychology is a Key ‘Player’ in Building Strong Athletes

Photo by Mōhai Peloso

The growth of sports psychology presents the potential to positively shape athletes and their communities.

Sports psychology is the study of how psychological factors influence athletic performance and an athlete's well-being. It involves strategies to support athletes in maintaining mental resilience, motivation, confidence, and healthy approaches to growth and improvement.

As the discussion around this element of athletics grows worldwide, coaches, athletes, and program heads are considering ways to implement sports psychology into training programs. As sports psychology develops a larger role in coaching and athletic performance, athletes are set up with healthy training and lifestyle habits. Through the study, coaches can address focus, team dynamics, and injury recovery, according to Speakstone.

In elite and professional athletics settings, sports psychology is garnering attention and attribution for positive changes in team dynamics, athlete happiness, and performance outcomes. England’s football team’s success at the 2018 World Cup, much of which was attributed to the team’s sports psychology, according to ESPN.

Mitigating anxiety at games or meets and building the mental strength required to be adaptable during tough games or practices are among the many applications of sports psychology. England’s psychologist worked to build team relationships and culture as well as resilience in the athletes, after which the team saw an increase in success in their performance and general experience in games. 

The kind of attention that this addition to the team resulted in, however, reflects the social attitude around mental health and its connection with physical performance. Press headlines and social media activity following the team’s success poked fun at the idea that psychological intervention was involved and relayed a message that this was surprising and abnormal, according to ESPN. This only further exacerbates the issue of mental health being a taboo topic, especially in contexts like athletic spheres, where physical strength is primarily celebrated.

However, physical strength and health, for that matter, are deeply interconnected with emotional regulation and mental well-being. According to Frontiers, athletes under chronic stress or mental fatigue may face slower injury recovery or higher injury risk overall.

College athletics is no exception when it comes to the influence of sports psychology. In fact, the study’s applications are especially relevant to college athletes because they are confronted with balancing their academic lives with physically and mentally demanding training schedules and competitive seasons. Dedicating time and effort to maintaining healthy habits that support their mental health as well as their physical health can help student-athletes stay grounded during busy, stressful seasons.

Furthermore, college athletes are in a unique position to make an impact regarding the stigma around mental health. Though it may not be to the extent of professional athletes, college athletes are still figures who attract admiration and support from friends, students, sports fans, and the communities around. By embracing sports psychology elements in their routines and the value of mind-body wellness to their athletic careers, they can influence those around them to consider the importance of mental balance and emotional regulation. This ultimately contributes to  building a culture of young students who engage in thoughtful discussion around mental health.

Getting a larger community of students to see psychological health as a key element to athletics will promote the viability of these ideas for generations to come. Students can pass this perspective down to younger athletes in their lives, whether it be their siblings, youth sports teams they coach, or even their own kids someday. This sets the next generation of young athletes up with the skills to maintain stronger mental and physical health, as well as effective relationships with training and performance.