Psychology “…is the third fastest-growing field in America;” with that being said, it would be hard not to find a career in psychology (Lansing Community College, 2015). There are so many different careers including; a Career or Vocational Counselor, a School Psychologist, a Forensic Psychologist, an Engineering Psychologist, a Sports Psychologist and many more (Cherry, 2015). Each one of these careers studies completely different topics, which makes psychology so fascinating. Sports psychology is a very up and coming career in psychology and has become extremely popular. This field would be a good fit for anyone who has a passion for sports as well as exercise (Cherry, 2015). Sports psychology deals with motivation, the emotional and the mental side of sports, considerations towards sport related injuries and rehabilitation, …show more content…
The main areas of study in this field are kinesiology, sports science and psychology (American Psychological Association, 2015). Most positions for sports psychologists require either a master’s or doctorate degree, and a “state license in order to practice as a psychologist” (Alley Dog, 1998-2015). The American Board of Sport Psychology offers a couple of different professional certifications (Cherry, 2015). The highest-level credential a person can get “…is the Board Certified Sports Psychologist-Diplomat, which signifies that the holder has advanced training an experience in Sport Psychology and is … aware of ethical, methodological, and research issues associated with the application of methods to enhance the psychological performance of athletes” (Cherry). There are very few graduate programs that offer specializing in Sports Psychology; with that being said, Division 47 of the APA recommends ”…that sports psychologists should be licensed psychologists…” with experience in applying different psychological principles in different sports settings (Cherry,