What training is needed for a career in exercise and sport psychology?
Exercise and sport psychologists receive their training through departments of psychology or sport sciences (e.g., physical education or kinesiology). Program content varies widely, so it is important to carefully select a program that supports one’s career goals. For example, a person who plans to professionally coach athletes will require different training than a person who wants to teach or conduct research at a university. Few training programs adequately integrate psychology and sport science. Therefore, regardless of which general program type a student selects (psychology or sport sciences), it is likely they will need to supplement their education in order to become certified. For instance, the U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology recommend that psychology students take supplemental courses in exercise physiology and other aspects of sport sciences, and that sport science students take courses in counseling and other
