In The Zone: The Psychology of Sports

By: Nicole Houck

If you’ve never considered how mental health and sports might be connected, you may be surprised to learn that there is an entire field of study dedicated to this relationship: sport psychology. According to the American Psychological Association, sport psychology covers a wide variety of issues (you can read the APA’s article on sport psychology here). From motivation and self-confidence to eating disorders and injury, psychology is an integral part of the world of sports. Today, we’re going to learn about just a few common themes in this field.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

As is true for many other things, motivation is a key part of preparing for and participating in sports. Psychology identifies two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. But, what’s the difference, and why should you care?

Based on information from Simply Psychology, I’ve created a venn diagram to help visually explain these two ideas.

While both types of motivation can be and usually are present within sports, they serve different purposes and can lead to different outcomes. 

If someone is intrinsically motivated to do well in their sport, their motivation stems from within. They might enjoy the sport, want to challenge themselves, set personal goals, or find a sense of inherent enjoyment in the preparation and participation of the activity. 

If, however, someone is extrinsically motivated to do well in their sport, their motivation is derived from some external factor. This person may want to live up to the expectations of their coach, become team captain, or get a sports scholarship from a school they want to attend.

Extrinsic motivators, like the promise of a reward, are great ways to quickly get someone to do something. For example, if a parent wanted their child to be involved in a specific sport after school, they might promise them that they will receive five dollars or a trip to the store for some ice-cream as long as they go to practice. While this will be initially effective, external rewards tend to create a very conditional engagement in activities. This means that once that external reward is no longer there, the initial interest in the activity is not going to be enough to keep the individual motivated. 

It seems that a healthy combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is the best way to get people involved with and excited about sports. 

Mental Skills Training

A large part of sport psychology is mental skills training. This is a type of counseling that focuses on the development of skills that are important for athletes in high-pressure situations. A goal of mental skills training is that these skills diffuse into a well-rounded toolbox which clients can apply to high-pressure life situations outside of the world of sports.

The Ohio Center for Sport Psychology lists nine specific skills that clients of all ages can work on to improve their athletic performance. These skills are:

1. Choosing to have a positive attitude

2. Maintaining high self-motivation

3. Setting challenging but reasonable goals

4. Dealing effectively with others

5. Using positive self-talk

6. Using mental-images

7. Managing anxiety

8. Managing emotions

9. Maintaining a positive level of concentration

A sport psychologist working with a client on mental skills training will have a similar list of skills they believe a successful athlete should aspire to have. They can assess their client in each skill and help them work toward honing their abilities and being a more mentally-sound athlete. 

Parental Involvement

Something that may be challenging for parents of young athletes is knowing how to best support their child through the highs and lows of sports. According to a 2021 study, available here from the National Library of Medicine, parents are right to be concerned. The way that parents encourage, act, and react regarding their child’s athletic participation can have direct impacts. 

Parents who are actively and thoroughly involved in their children’s sports may come off as overbearing. This active involvement, depending on the intensity, is often interpreted by children as a high parental pressure to succeed. This high pressure can cause children to overexert themselves, leading to burnout, stress, and a loss of love for their activity. Depending on the context and culture, some children may want parents who are less directive and take a more supportive stance on the sidelines. 

In general, parents should try to balance the amount of support they provide with the pressure they impose on their children. To do so, they’ll have to consider their child’s personality, their personal parenting style, and other factors. 

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this specific field of study. If you are an athlete, a parent of an athlete, or find yourself filled with more questions and curiosity, I encourage you to take some time to explore the world of sport psychology.