What is Sport Psychology?
Sport Psychology involves the application of psychological skills and team-building to enhance performance. Sport Psychology is for anyone who wants to perform at their best-- it's not just for elite athletes. In fact, many of the skills learned during Sport Psychology training are transferable to other areas of life, including academics and career. Research on Sport Psychology has shown that it can help people develop mental toughness, experience better performance, have more "flow-state" or peak performance experiences, decrease performance jitters or freezing, improve injury recovery, and experience more enjoyment. Sport Psychology techniques can help teams communicate and function better.
Who is Sport Psychology for?
Sport Psychology interventions can be provided for individuals as well as teams/ groups. You don't have to be a professional athlete to want to experience your best performance in a competitive area of your life. Sport Psychology is not just for athletes or sports teams. Professionals in a variety of fields can benefit from applying the techniques of Sport Psychology to their professions. Virtually anyone that relies on the expert and refined execution of skills or on your performance and presentation could benefit from the techniques used in Sport Psychology (e.g., musicians, actors, public speakers, dancers etc.). Sport Psychology has also been used to improve the performance of business executives, managers, and even surgeons. If you work with a group of coworkers, your "team" could benefit from learning the techniques of Sport Psychology that apply to teams. If you want to perform at your best, then Sport Psychology is for you!
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What kinds of topics are included in a Sport Psychology consultation?
Topics are focused on the needs of the individual or group. Below, you will find a list of more common topics, but this is not a comprehensive list.
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Effective Goal Setting
Effective Communication
Relaxation Skills
Imagery for Performance Enhancement
Character Building
Modifying behavior
Creating a new team culture
Coaching Behaviors and Philosophies
Values Based Coaching
Enhancing Motivation
Confidence Building
Team-building and Cohesion
Conflict Management
Focus/ Concentration Skills
Achieving Sport-Life Balance
Mental Skills for Injury Recovery
Transferable Skills: Applying an Athletic Mindset to Academics and Career
Spectator and Parent Concerns
Developmental Issues in Sport (for Coaches and Parents-- tailored to the age of the athletes)
Who provides Sport Psychology services?
Sport Psychology services should be provided by a person who has been trained in at least a Master's degree program that teaches how to use mental skills to improve the performance of individuals and teams. Some Sport Psychology professionals are trained in Psychology Doctoral programs that prepare them to provide mental skills training and mental health services, since many athletes also encounter mental health concerns, like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, AD/HD, and learning disorders. One potential advantage of working with someone trained in Sport Psychology and mental health is that they are qualified to recognize when an athlete may need more than mental skills training.
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Dr. Mae MacIntire has been working with athletes for over 10 years. She earned a Master's degree from Springfield College in Athletic Counseling, the Psychology department's Sport Psychology program and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. MacIntire has worked with high school and college athletes at the Division I, II, and III levels. She was a Division I college athlete after walking on to the University of Cincinnati rowing team. She has also coached Rowing at the high school and college level. She is currently a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Colorado, Texas and Ohio.
What do Sport Psychology Services cost?
Rates vary, depending on distance/ travel, as well as number of clients served. Sessions start at $150 per hour for an individual (14 or older), plus $75 for additional time in 30 minute increments.
Children/ Teens with Parents are $200 per hour, plus $100 for additional time in 30 minute increments.
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Team sessions (up to 20 athletes) are 2 hours minimum commitment, which may include pre-workshop time (e.g., needs assessment with coaches prior to any team workshops and post-workshop debriefing with coaches). $300 per hour, plus $150 for additional time in 30 minute increments.
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Travel rates begin outside of Tyler, TX for each 30 minutes of travel.