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Graduate students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are working with athletes locally and around the world to support their mental and emotional needs and help them reach their performance goals. The collaboration is a key part of the new Counseling Skills in Sport Psychology course offered in the Department of Applied Health for students pursuing a master’s in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise and sport psychology. 

Combining classroom-based and experiential learning, students spent the first half of the course refining their professional philosophies and learning mental performance coaching theories and techniques. Then, they worked with an area team or organization to provide mental skills training. 

“Prior to this course, there was not a specific course designed to give students the real-life practical experiences they needed, as these experiences were built into other courses,” said Matt Jones, PhD, visiting assistant professor. “Thus, we set out to design this specific course to emphasize real, practical experiences.” 

This experiential learning component is also helping students earn hours toward becoming a Certified Mental Performance Coach (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. A CMPC works with athletes to help them prepare mentally for the challenges of participating in competitive sports, such as improving focus, developing self-confidence and overcoming performance anxiety or adversity.

“Doing this work now, and gaining applied experience before they graduate, gives students a platform and space to perform where the stakes are low and the focus is on learning,” Jones added. “They are heavily mentored throughout the process, so they are also getting specialized attention that may not be as available after graduation.”

The online course allows students living across the country and around the world to connect with athletes in their local communities. Chicago-based student Meredith Tunney is a former soccer player who is using this opportunity to cultivate the next generation. She hosts weekly sessions with a high school girls soccer club and also attends their games.

“It allows me to get to know the athletes within the context of sport and in daily life,” said Tunney. “I have players who have reached out outside of the sessions to ask more individualized questions pertaining to confidence, imagery, pre-performance routines and performance anxiety. It brings me joy to be able to support the athletes from a psychological standpoint and understand what sport brings them.”

Closer to the Edwardsville campus, Sidnie Spargur is working with varsity, junior varsity and freshman basketball players at a local high school. Each week, she teaches a different psychological skill, such as goal setting, motivation, leadership, confidence and mindfulness. After a quick lesson, players take part in an activity and then debrief with Spargur and their teammates. Spargur has enjoyed getting to know the players and having the opportunity to dabble in consulting in a low-stakes environment. 

“I am grateful for this class because it throws us straight into the realm of consulting which can be intimidating at first,” said Spargur. “The real-world experience gained from this course has been one of my favorite aspects of the degree. Most importantly, I have learned how to develop a professional philosophy to carry me through my career.”

Omer Cohen is completing the course from his hometown in Israel, where he is working with a soccer team for players under age 14. With career ambitions of becoming a sport psychologist in Israel so he can help youth and adult soccer players overcome barriers, this course is validating his professional goals.

“This course has helped me better understand the field of sport psychology and how things actually work when I’m consulting, such as coach demands, parent questions and pressure from management to do beneficial sessions,” said Cohen. “This course has given me the confidence to believe that I can succeed.”

Photo: SIUE students pursuing a new Counseling Skills in Sport Psychology course (L-R) Meredith Tunney, Sidnie Spargur and Omer Cohen.