Sport and exercise psychologist
Sport and exercise psychologists work with athletes, teams and coaches to improve their motivation and performance.
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£50,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a sport and exercise psychologist, you'll:
- assess clients' needs to develop fitness plans and recommendations
- set up activities to improve team and individual performance
- advise coaches and managers on team communication
- support athletes in coping with injuries, confidence and motivation
- teach people psychological techniques to improve their wellbeing and performance
Working environment
You could work at a sports arena, at a fitness centre, at a health centre, in a prison or on a sports field.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- knowledge of psychology
- customer service skills
- the ability to understand people's reactions
- sensitivity and understanding
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to enjoy working with other people
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a sport and exercise psychologist
You can get into this job through a university course.
University
To become a sport and exercise psychologist, you'll need to:
- study a psychology degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) or do a psychology conversion course
- gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership
- complete a BPS accredited master's degree in sport and exercise psychology
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 3 A levels or equivalent
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
Volunteering
It can be helpful to get some volunteering experience in a healthcare or education setting before you apply for a course.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT .
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
You could work for a local health authority, or on a GP exercise referral scheme. You could also assess exercise programmes in workplaces, prisons or psychiatric settings.
With experience and further study you could:
- become a senior psychologist
- work as a consultant
- move into lecturing or research
Professional and industry bodies
You can join The British Psychological Society for professional development opportunities.
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0