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Sports Psychologist

What does a Sports Psychologist do?

Sports psychologists help athletes maintain high levels of performance by prioritising mental fitness, and explore how physical activity and mental well-being intersect and affect psychological and physical well-being.

The field addresses a wide array of psychological aspects and focuses on the developmental and social aspects of sports participation, as well as systemic issues associated with sports settings and organisations. As a sports psychologist, you will gain a better understanding of how thought processes can affect an athlete’s behaviour.

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What qualifications do I need?

In order to become a sports psychologist, you will need to follow the same path as clinical and counselling psychologists. There is currently no recognised sports psychology category in South Africa and this means that sports psychologists need to be registered with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA). There are a limited number of universities that offer sports psychology as a qualification. Specialising in sports psychology would mean focusing any project, research or report, in sports-related areas during a students’ journey through tertiary education. Opportunities to specialise may be limited, but could certainly be done at an honours or master's level while writing a thesis or dissertation.

What subjects do I need?

English
Additional Official Language
Physical Science
Life Science
Mathematics

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Where can I study?

UNISA
Sports Psychology Module 

Nelson Mandela University
Sports Psychology Module 

Trifocus Fitness Academy
Sports Psychology Short Course

Where can I get more info?

Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) - www.hpcsa.co.za
Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) - www.psyssa.com
Educational Psychology Association of South Africa (EPASSA) - www.epassa.net

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Interview with a Sports Psychologist

Neil Tuck | PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT / CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST | Private practice at Sports Science Institute of South Africa

Neil Tuck | PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT / CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST | Private practice at Sports Science Institute of South Africa

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Why did you choose this profession? 
From a young age, I was fascinated by the complexity of human behaviour and passionate about the prospect of being able to help people, both those experiencing mental health challenges as well as those merely wishing to improve their overall mental and emotional wellbeing.

What training did you undergo and where?
My studies were conducted at UJ (University of Johannesburg). I completed my undergraduate studies in communication studies and journalism, with psychology as a third major. I then did my honours in psychology, after which I was selected into the clinical psychology master’s programme. After completing my master’s, including a one-year internship, I registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a clinical psychologist.

Describe a typical day
My days are often quite varied and could include individual psychotherapy consultations; meeting with corporate clients to discuss their training and development needs and to prepare proposals on how best to meet those needs; consulting with individual sportspeople to assist in optimising their “mental fitness” as they compete in their various sporting disciplines; designing and facilitating workshops or other training input on a wide range of topics relating to individual and team performance.

What do you enjoy most?
My work is my passion. I feel privileged to work with people from all walks of life; from young people trying to find their way in the world, to people who are needing guidance and support in dealing with particular mental health challenges and optimising performance and collaboration.

What don’t you like?
Many people who desperately need the services of someone like me, do not have the resources to access professional help.

What hurdles have you had to overcome?
I had to self-fund my studies, which required me to do several jobs while studying. Although this was challenging at times, I have no regrets and believe it made me appreciative of what I was able to achieve. 

Any highlights?
I have two: The moment I learnt that I had made the final selection into the clinical master’s programme (they select a very small percentage of students from those who apply). The second is a repeated highlight: whenever I get feedback that someone has found positive benefit from my involvement with them. 

What are your future goals?
To more effectively use technology to package and disseminate the expertise and experience I have gained over the years – with the goal of being able to reach a much wider target audience than is possible with traditional face-to-face engagement.

Is there a type of personality best suited to this work?
No, but you do need to be authentic and empathic. You can have all the academic knowledge in the world, but it needs to be underpinned by genuine empathy and unconditional positive regard for other people. You also need to be reasonably resilient – this work is emotionally demanding, as much as it is rewarding – and flexible, open and receptive to ongoing learning and self-development.

Any advice for budding performance consultants?
Be patient – you may start out doing work that falls short of your career aspirations, but as long as it builds experience and aligns with and takes you closer to your goal, it’s right. And stay true to yourself! It requires courageous self-reflection and openness to feedback, when assessing whether you’re cut out to be a therapist. Remember: If you’re not suited for whatever reason, it simply means that your gifts and skills lie elsewhere.

 

Interview date: May 2023

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