How to Become a Sports Psychologist in India-Sports Blog-IISM Mumbai

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How to Become a Sports Psychologist in India?

• Are you an athlete looking to hone a technical
  skill? For instance, bowling yorkers in cricket,
  practicing the bicycle kick in football, suddenly
  changing direction in Kho Kho, foot
• touching in kabaddi What would you do?
• You will work with your coach to break down your
  technique, then practice and improve your skill.
• But what if you need help with your mental game?
• Many athletes do nothing and leave everything up
  to luck. However, the finest of the best
  athletes do not make this mistake. They accept
  responsibility and concentrate on improving
  their mental health by seeking help from a
  trained sports psychologist.
• Sports psychologists work with athletes in the
  following three ways
• Provide clinical counselling to amateur and
  professional athletes
• Research on developing new tactics
• Educate the players, coaches, and their family
  members and work towards building an ideal
  environment for the athlete to perform at their
  best.
• Before we get into how to become a sports
  psychologist, lets understand what is sports
  psychology, who is a sports psychologist, how to
  become a sports psychologist, the roles and
  responsibilities of a sports psychologist, the
  skills that sports psychologists must have, and
  conclude with five advantages of becoming a
  sports psychologist.

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What is Sports Psychology? Sports psychology is
the study of the character, personality,
behaviour, mind, and emotion of an athlete, as
these factors have a significant impact on
athletic performance and physical activity. An
athletes mental requirements are as significant
as his or her physical requirements. As a
result, mental conditioning and sports psychology
are important components of any
athletes training regimen. It is seen that
athletes who properly train their minds give
their best more consistently, experience greater
joy, and increase their odds of winning a
particular match. Now lets get to know more
about Sports Psychologiststhe ones who
practice the profession of sports
psychology. Who is a Sports Psychologist? Sports
psychologists are the trained psychology
professionals who specialise in helping players
and teams develop mental toughness. They achieve
this by using a variety of cognitive exercises
and frequent counselling sessions. Sports
psychologists comprehend the psychological
condition and, through repeated sessions, reduce
their anxiety levels, helping them to build
confidence. They not only train athletes but also
train young talents who desire to play
professionally. These include children, teens,
and, in some cases, specially-abled
athletes. This was the gist of what sports
psychology is and who a sports psychologist is.
If youre intrigued by what a sports
psychologist can do and are looking forward to
becoming a sports psychologist in India, you may
be wondering about the education and training
requirements. Then that is exactly what we will
cover below. How to Become a Sports Psychologist
in India? Sports psychology is a specialised
branch of psychology, and since there are handful
colleges or institutes that offer a mainstream
degree in sports psychology, you need to have
a bachelors degree (B.A. or B.Sc.) in
psychology. You must have a degree in psychology
to pursue a career as a sports psychologist. Once
youre done with the bachelors degree, you can
either opt for further studies or start your
practice. If you opt for further studies, you
need to enroll in a M.A. or MSc. in Sports
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• Psychology. There are several universities that
  are now offering full-time, 2-year postgraduate
  degrees in sports psychology.
• After pursuing your masters, you can also enroll
  for an M.Phil. in sports psychology. Another
  option most frequently chosen by aspirants is to
  work with athletes and sporting organisations or
  pursue a doctorate in sports psychology.
• To apply for a sports psychology degree, you need
  to adhere to the rules set by the university. In
  India, many sports psychologists hold advanced
  degrees in psychology or sports psychology, with
  the most common degree being a masters or
  doctorate degree.
• By obtaining a degree in these areas, aspiring
  sports psychologists can develop the
  foundational knowledge and skills needed to work
  in this exciting field. But what about how much
  youll earn after receiving a formal education?
• Lets find out.
• How much will a sports psychologist earn in
  India?
• The starting salary of sports psychologists may
  not be as high as one would expect it to be.
  However, it ranges from ?15,000 to ?50,000 per
  month. Nevertheless, once youve
• established yourself as a skilled sports
  psychologist, you can always expect to be in
  demand and earn more than a decent income.
• With a solid foundation in their academic
  education, sports psychologists are able to take
  on the diverse and complex roles and
  responsibilities that come with their work.
• Lets now delve into some of the key roles and
  responsibilities of a sports psychologist.
• What are the roles and responsibilities of a
  sports psychologist?

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Help athletes enhance their performance The
psychologist will help the athlete develop a
winning mindset, teach them how to manage their
emotions, and show them ways to give their best.
The psychologist will also help the athlete set
realistic and achievable goals so that they can
achieve them, thereby helping them maintain a
positive mindset. Help athletes enjoy the game to
the fullest The psychologist will help the
athletes build a positive mindset and
resilience. The sports psychologist will teach
them effective ways to manage stress and
anxiety. By enhancing the athletes enjoyment of
the game, they are inevitably helping them
perform better and achieve greater success. Teach
athletes mental skills A sports psychologist
will do a one-on-one counselling session with
the athletes and conduct workshops to teach them
various mental skills. The sports psychologist
will closely work with the coaches, family, and
friends of the athletes to learn the deep-rooted
issues, if any, and teach them techniques that
will help the athlete overcome
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• the obstacles. They will also teach the athletes
  how to concentrate on the task at hand and avoid
  distractions.
• Help athletes mentally recover quickly from
  injuries Getting injured can foster a lot of
• negative emotions and can be very demotivating
  for the athlete. The sports psychologist will
  help the athlete cope with these emotions by
  teaching new relaxation techniques and helping
  to maintain their emotional state. The sports
  psychologist will help the athlete reframe the
  negative thoughts and create a more positive
  outlook on life.
• That being said, lets now have a detailed look
  at some of the skill sets that a sports
  psychologist must have.
• What are the skills that sports psychologists
  must have?
• Sports psychology is a highly specialised field
  that requires a unique combination of skills and
  expertise in order to work effectively with
  players, coaches, and teams.
• Some of the key skills that a sports psychologist
  must possess are
• Excellent communication skills
• Knowledge of sports and games
• Empathy compassion
• Problem-solving skills
• Cultural competence

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Excellent communication skills The sports
psychologist should be able to communicate
clearly with the players in order to establish
trust and build rapport. Only with their
excellent skills will they be able to help the
players overcome obstacles and grow. Knowledge of
sports and games It would really help if the
psychologist is a sports player and is aware of
the challenges that players face. Also, an
understanding of sport and exercise science is a
must, as this understanding will help them
develop strategies to optimise the athletes
performance and try new tactics that will help
manage stress and anxiety. Empathy compassion
Sports psychologists must be able to empathise
with the challenges faced by players and teams.
They should provide compassionate support and
guidance during the athletes tough
time. Problem-solving skills They should be able
to think creatively and develop strategies to
help the athletes overcome obstacles, manage
stress, and achieve their goals. Cultural
competence As they will have to deal with
players and teams from different cultural
backgrounds, they should be eager to learn more
about various cultures and have a clear
understanding of the cultural effects on the
lives of athletes.
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• Now that we have cleared up how to become a
  sports psychologist and the skills that sports
  psychologists must have, lets conclude with the
  advantages of becoming a sports psychologist.
• What are the advantages of becoming a sports
  psychologist?
• The field of sports psychology is relatively new
  and growing, and it offers unique advantages for
  those interested in pursuing a career in this
  area.
• The main advantages of becoming a sports
  psychologist are as follows
• Specialise in sports psychology.
• Opportunity to make athletes mentally robust.
• Accompany the athletes or teams.
• Growing career field.
• Start your own practice.

Specialising in sports psychology When it comes
to professional career pathways, everyone wants
options, and becoming a sports psychologist gives
you just that. There are several job options
available after completing sports psychology.
These include practical sports psychology,
clinical sports psychology, and academic sports
psychology. Opportunity to make athletes mentally
robust As a sports psychologist, you do more
than train them to keep calm under duress. You
will also be able to work with the entire team
and teach them ways to be emotionally,
physically, and mentally healthy. These lessons
will have a positive impact on the lives of the
athletes.
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Accompany the athletes or teams If you work for
a sports team, you will almost certainly be
required to travel with them. This implies that
you might have to keep them motivated and
stress-free before the match so they can give
their best. Growing career field If you want to
build an impressive resume, then you will have to
put in a lot of effort and hard work throughout
the early years. A masters degree is necessary
to work as a sports psychologist. You have a
plethora of options to pursue after completing
your undergraduate degree in psychology. Start
your own practice As a sports psychologist, you
can start your own clinic or undertake research
in addition to supporting a sports team. This
means you can arrange your day and never be
bored since there is always something new to
learn and someone who needs your
assistance. Though these advantages may seem
appealing to some, becoming a sports psychologist
means you will have to put in those extra years
of study, practice, and dedication. To sum it
up This was an in-depth blog on how to become a
sports psychologist and the details you should
be aware of if you want to pursue a career in
sports psychology. So, if you are truly
interested in a career in sports and have always
wondered how the human mind works, a career in
sports psychology is extremely rewarding and one
you should pursue.