---
title: "Sports psychology"
description: "Want to know whether to take a sports psychology degree? Find out what sports psychologists do, their key personality traits and how much they can earn."
canonical: "https://ads.pr1.ops.ads.arden-prod01.arden.ac.uk/psychology-subject-guide/sports-psychology"
published: 2022-09-07
updated: 2023-07-24
author: "Arden University"
---

# Sports psychology

WHAT IS SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY?

### Sports psychology focuses on how psychological factors impact the performance of professional athletes, coaches and sports teams, sportspeople and teams at an amateur level, and non-athletes looking to become more active. They also study how exercise can improve health and well-being.

The difference between winning and losing can hinge on the smallest of margins. When it comes to sports, we tend to focus most of our attention on being in peak physical condition as the key to success. But having a good mental state can be just as important – that's where sports psychologists come into play. They can focus on a variety of aspects, including motivation, performance enhancement, team building, injury rehabilitation and much more.

[Read more](#collapseExtraText)

## Sports psychologist personality traits

![Attention to detail](https://d2n98vq36tw7n9.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-09/Attention%20to%20detail.png?VersionId=MNbI4ycuMvZGV96wCjuRcl1t7jMiNqT3)

OBSERVATIONAL

![Highly Organised](https://d2n98vq36tw7n9.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-09/Highly%20organised.png?VersionId=8Ag3JGFGp6Uef6U.c2WvJPljmHYTnRIC)

HIGHLY ANALYTICAL

GOOD LISTENER

![Communication Skills](https://d2n98vq36tw7n9.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-09/Communication%20skills.png?VersionId=6v39OwwZzVe62YhMqRl8DwpgiOE6TTQV)

STRONG INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

## Our fictional famous sports psychologist

![Sharon-Fieldstone](https://cdn.arden.ac.uk/s3fs-public/styles/course_hero_low/public/2022-09/Sharon-Fieldstone.jpg)

Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Ted Lasso)

Dr Sharon Fieldstone is the clinical sports psychologist bought in by AFC Richmond in the TV series, Ted Lasso. She's initially hired to help the team's striker, Dani Rojas, overcome a traumatic event he experiences when taking a penalty kick. With Dr Fieldstone's sports counselling sessions, Rojas overcomes his trauma and plays a key role in his team’s success.

` ## The potential sports psychology careers

Educational sports psychologists are hired by many of the world's biggest sporting institutions, from Liverpool FC to the Olympic Games, to use psychological methods like goal setting and positive self-talk to boost performance.

Clinical sports psychologists work with athletes dealing with mental health issues. They draw from techniques used by educational sports psychologists and psychotherapists to boost mental health and sporting performance.

Exercise psychologists help everyday people to make exercising part of their normal routine. Again, there’s lots of crossover with the methods used, but ultimately, it's about motivating and inspiring people using psychological methods.

![](https://cdn.arden.ac.uk/s3fs-public/styles/quote_low/public/2022-09/Sports-Psy-Careers%20%281%29.jpg)

### How much do sports psychologists make?

A sports psychology graduate can expect a [starting salary](https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sport-and-exercise-psychologist) of around £20,000 per year. This then jumps to as much as £37,000 per year when you've established yourself as a sports psychologist.

When you reach senior or head of department level, you can expect to earn anywhere upwards of £48,000 per year.

[ Explore our psychology courses ](https://ads.pr1.ops.ads.arden-prod01.arden.ac.uk/distance-learning-psychology-degrees)

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