NCAA Division-I Administrators’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Sport Psychology Services and Possible Roles for a Consultant
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In the current study National Collegiate Athletic Association D-I athletic directors (n = 198) and presidents (n = 58) were asked to rate their perceptions of the benefits of various sport psychology services and their support of possible roles for a sport psychology consultant (SPC). Participants gave higher ratings for (a) services that were performance-related (e.g., dealing with pressure) than for those that were life-related (e.g., preventing burnout) and (b) a role for a SPC that involved the provision of services but not a full-time staff position or interactions with athletes at practices and competitions. Results indicated that while administrators acknowledge the potential benefits of sport psychology services, some remain reticent to employ them on a full-time basis. Future research is recommended with administrators that have employed SPCs full-time to determine their perceptions of the impact of sport psychology services on their student-athletes.
Wrisberg is with the Dept. of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Withycombe is with Withycombe Consulting, Knoxville, TN. Simpson is with the Dept. of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Barry University, Miami, FL. Loberg is with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, Athlete Career and Education, Park City, UT. Reed is with the Statistical Consulting Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
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