About My Interest in Psychology

     Sports Psychology is a proficiency that uses physiological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well being in athletes. This is an branch of this science in my opinion due to the fact that there has been people on my current and past teams that always seem to not maximize there potential due to something that's going on in their head. Continuing to do strenuous workouts over a period of time can also effect the mental aspect of an athlete by literally wearing them down. It can lead to things like lack in concentration and attention control. Sports psychology is a branch of science that keeps the minds of an athlete to be well tuned which in essence can maximize a players potential.
     There are 3 branches to sports psychology and are the following: cognitive and behavioral skills training for performance, counseling and clinical interventions, as well as consultation and training. these 3 branches help with different difficulties that could occur in day-to-day life. Cognitive and behavioral skills training for performance has to do with keeping someones head on the right track while in training as well as a season. it has to do with some topics like leadership skills, motivation, and performance planning. Counseling and Clinical Interventions has more to do with what athletes tend to abuse. Some topics discussed in this would be substance abuse, grief, depression, and eating disorders. Lastly, Consultation and training has to do with being able to motivate athletes as well as coaches. This is more of a teaching side of things that can also teach coaches how to correctly motivate. A doctors degree is needed in order to be able to help people with any of these types of problems.
     Coleman Griffith is like the father sports psychology. Having received his undergrad at Greenville while playing baseball and basketball, he kept that interest in the game while receiving his Phd in psychology at the University of Illinois.
     Specific examples that draw me into this field of study would have to be the Professional Football Hall of Fame Coach, Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy Johnson was a coach for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990's and was able to win. He was able bring players in that many organizations had problems with and turn them into not only great players but great teammates. People like Charles Haley who was known for cussing his fellow players and coaches ended up having a great relationship with Jimmy.
     I know from personal experiences of being on a football field where all three of these branches could be important. During a season the body and mind become exhausted. Not only is on working out but is also training for football which provides a lot of physical abuse on the body. This can wear down a player due to being so tired. Football is not only a game for the bronze but also for the mind. a player must know the basis of a defense and each weak must remember how the coach that week wants to utilize that basis to exploit an offense and vise versa of the offensive side. I feel that the reason i would be better in this field than others would have to be because of my background knowledge in the behaviors of individuals on a football field or in sports in general.
 
   

http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/sports.aspx

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboysheadlines/2015/01/28/what-the-hall-johnson-shame-haley-other-boys-defenders-on-92-93-title-teams-not-in-canton

https://www.psysci.co/famous-sports-psychologists/