McChrystal 1

Adrienne McChrystal
Megan Keaton
ENC 2135-07
24 July, 2016
Genres within Sports Psychology
Sports Psychology is a branch of Psychology that deals with the mental and emotional
struggles that athletes face when performing, practicing, or exercising. Members of this
community work alongside coaches and athletes to increase motivation and improve
performance (Masters in pPsychology gGuide.com). This community works to apply methods
developed in a controlled environment to the psychological aspects of performance in training
and competition. The goal for members in this community is to facilitate optimal involvement,
performance, and enjoyment in sport and exercise (Association for aApplied sSport
pPsychology.com). In this paper the genres of academic journals, websites, and self-help books
within the Sports Psychology community will be thoroughly analyzed.
The Sports Psychology community includes the psychologists themselves, their clients,
students in the process of completing a degree in this field, and others who contribute to the
maintenance of an athletes well-being (athletic trainers, exercise scientists, dieticians, etc.)
Sports Psychologists work with athletes to stabilize their mental focus. This may include
techniques like self-talk, visualization, and relaxation. A large part of their job is to help athletes
overcome the mental aspects associated with an injury. Physical pain may be damaging, but
many athletes find it harder to cope with the psychological effects of inactivity (Masters in
pPsychology gGuide.com).
Aside from athletes, clients of a Sports Psychologists generally include coaches, teams,
families, and organizations. It is common for coaches to recruit Sports Psychologists when they
notice an imbalance in their teams chemistry or a lack of vitality within their athletes. Families
of high-level athletes (Olympic or professional level) benefit from meeting with Sports
Psychologists, gaining an understanding of the pressure and struggles their loved one is facing.

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Companies and organizations who operate in high stress environments often employ Sports
Psychologists to increase productivity (Careers in pPsychology.com).
The Sports Psychology community can also include students who have declared their
major in this exact field or in Psychology with a specialization in Sports. Many students studying
to become Sports Psychologists conduct vigorous research, allowing them to formulate their own
strategies that will one day contribute to their clients success. To become a Sports Psychologist a
student must complete a four year bachelors degree in Sports Psychology, a two year masters
program, and almost always complete a doctorate degree (Masters in pPsychology gGuide.com).
As a practicing Sports Psychologist it is common to work alongside others in the Sports
Medicine profession. The author of The Future of Sports Psychology: A Delphi Poll says It
was also expected that training approaches will increasingly expand and overlap, with an
increasing reliance on other fields for cross-training (Graddy 6). This may include customizing
a regimen for an athlete that also incorporates the help of a dietician and a personal trainer. Since
this is a common occurrence it is essential that the neighboring fields use similar jargon. While
not every career in athletics falls under the Sports Psychology community, many overlap
resulting in regular interactions. Some terms that are specific to the Sports Psychology
community include extrinsic motivation, internal monologue, and intrinsic motivation.
Topendsports.com defines extrinsic motivation as motivation from the outside.. Internal
monologue refers to maintaining positive thoughts during competition. Intrinsic motivation is
defined as the desire coming from inside an athlete (topendsports.com). While these terms are
most popular within the Sports Psychology community, outsiders with a brief background in
Psychology may be able to define these phrases in context. Dr. Jerry Holt, who was interviewed
for this research paper, is a Sports Psychology consultant who spends time helping athletes
overcome anxiety related to their performance. When conversing with colleagues Dr. Holt claims

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Any matters regarding academic research have a more formal tone, but informal conversation is
relevant when discussing run-ins with clients. (Holt). More common terms that have been
adopted by the Sports Psychology community include; arousal, attention focus, cohesion,
confidence, and imagery. These are just a few words and phrases that most educated people
understand, and the Sports Psychology community uses on a regular basis (topendsports.com).
Online publications or webpages are commonly utilized within the Sports Psychology
community. The purpose of using this genre is to spread information to as many viewers as
possible, while remaining credible. The medium used for this genre would be the internet, which
is readily available in most places around the globe. This allows readers both inside and outside
of the community access to posts made on these sites. The wide scale accessibility of the internet
is one of the largest reasons a web page may be used to display information and resources. These
pages are most often used by interested students and those who are just beginning their careers in
the community. The sites themselves are published or sponsored by organizations like the
Association for Applied Sport Psychology. It is common for these organizations to employ the
help of graduate students or established professionals to maintain and update their sites. The
backing of an established organization within the community, helps readers deem whether a site
is reliable or not.
Websites like careersinpsychology.com, mastersinpsychologyguide.com, and
appliedsportspsych.org can be found by typing the phrase Sports Psychology in a search
engine. The design of an online publication is usually user friendly, attracting and maintaining a
following due to content and ease of navigation. Creators of these sites, students or practicing
Psychologists, include a home page which displays a summary of what the site has to offer.
The home page also includes tabs that allow users to visit other pages within the same site. For
example, when visiting the website careersinpsychology.com you will be taken to the home

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page which attempts to intrigue visitors by posing the question Where will a career in
Psychology take you? If the visitor is interested they may explore the tabs for the different
pages including; Careers, Degrees, Jobs, Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, and
Therapists. By clicking a tab the visitor is redirected to the appropriate page, having the option to
return to the home page at all times. This is a common trend followed by each webpage
included as a source in this paper. To further simplify the process, most sites include a search bar.
This feature may be utilized by those who know the key words or subject of the material they are
looking for. Incorporating easy to use navigation features improves the layout and design
conventions of an online publication.
Self-help books can be compared to a manual or set of instructions for willing
participants to follow. This genre can be found through the medium of the internet or a printed
book. If the book is read thoroughly and meticulously followed, readers may see improvements
in their performance or daily life. These books are usually broken down into a series of steps that
can be followed, and built upon as the reader progresses through the book. In Pursuit of
Excellence was written by Terry Orlick, who holds a PhD in applied mental training. The
subtitle reads How to win in sport and life through mental training. This is a direct
acknowledgement from the author that the instructions provided can also be applied in the
readers daily life. This subtitle is also an indicator that those outside of the Sports Psychology
community may benefit from this book as well.
It is understood that those who view academic journals have a profound interest within
the community. This genre can be found predominately through the medium of printed books,
but increasingly more online. The text in this genre usually discusses a specific topic within the
field. The narrow view of an academic journal, allows the author to present detail oriented
findings to an audience with a vested interest in that specific topic. The text titled Biofeedback

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found within the Journal of Sport Psychology Training Programs. It includes in-depth
descriptions of programs and technology used to improve athletic performance in those with
mental disabilities like ADD and Aspergers. Quantitative Electroencephalographs are used to
complete stress profiles and performance tests (Linden and Strack 129Proquest.com). Readers
are assumed to understand the techniques and equipment utilized within these programs. If not, it
is expected that they will not continue reading. To meet the underlying expectation of
background knowledge needed to grasp the concepts stated in an academic journal, most viewers
are heavily involved within the community and hold a degree of some sort.
Each genre within the community is attempting to achieve the same purpose, to share
information related to Sports Psychology. Although they are working to achieve the same
purpose, each genre targets a different aspect of the community. Self-help books are aimed at
those who have not been exposed to the Sports Psychology community prior to reading the text.
Terry Orlick, author of In Pursuit of Excellence, lists accept criticism, dont be afraid to fail,
and maintain composure as aspects of committing to excellence (Orlick 44).These three
concepts are assumed to be understood by readers, even without a background in Sports
Psychology. Academic Journals are likely to be viewed by members who are fully immersed
within the community, for educational or career purposes. While self-help books usually attempt
to transform the reader using introductory level methods, academic journals may go further indepth, based on the mutual understanding between peers about complex subjects within the field.
Our technology includes heart rate variability biofeedback and electroencephalography (EEG)
biofeedback/neurofeedback, was included in the text of an academic journal for a Sports
Psychology training program (Linden and Strack 129Biofeedback). These terms are not expected
to be understood by members outside of the community because the context is concentrated to an
exchange between peers. Most Sports Psychology websites are the common link connecting

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established members in the community to those just starting out. Many of these websites within
the community include resources applicable to a range of users. Degree programs and course
suggestions for students, career paths and opportunities for graduates, and background
information on Sports Psychology for those interested in joining the community can all be found
online (Mastersinsportspsychologyguide.com).
The language used by each genre changes based on the audience it is catering to. The use
of less community specific vocabulary and more informal language implies the audience has a
lack of knowledge within the specific field. Self-help books and the pages of websites geared
towards less established members of the community tend to use more informal language. Using
less formal language can be a sign that members of the community are attempting to
communicate with a more broad audience, to spread the communitys findings and ideologies.
Using self-help books as an example, concrete ideas within the Sports Psychology community
are broken down using more colloquial language, to be more easily explained to outsiders. The
abstract of a self-help book titled The Little Black Book for Athletes describes its content
saying it Offers spiritual advice for student athletes presented in short, simple lists and bullet
points filled with humor and hard-hitting truths. (Bartel 2). This description makes the reader
aware that the content will be easily understood because the author has broken down larger
theories into more understandable phrases. In contrast, academic journals use the most formal
language of the three genres discussed in this paper. Since these texts are published and assumed
to be viewed mostly by professionals within the community, formal language is a common
convention of this genre. Formal language is traditionally used within the Sports Psychology
community when establishing theories or presenting research among other high-ranking
members of the community. Between the three genres discussed in this paper each division
within the community (prospect, student, or professional) is able to understand at least one genre

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of text. The ability to be understood by such a range of education levels, makes the Sports
Psychology community inclusive of current members and those who want to join.
The three genres mentioned in this paper are connected because they share similar
information, in different ways. More dense, factual reports are found within academic journals.
This information is discussed by professionals within the field, agreed upon, and then translated
to be more widely understood throughout the community. The steps to better yourself that are
found in the book In Pursuit of Excellence were once researched and presented through more
formal genres like academic journals. The same process can be found when analyzing
information found on Sports Psychology websites. Before information and techniques are
published to a more public audience, they are solidified within the community. Academic
journals tend to stay predominately within the designated community, allowing Sports
Psychologists to verify the information presented through this genre before furthering its spread.
The information within this community can be seen as trickling down from the top, most
prestigious members to the newest additions to the Sports Psychology community. As the
information makes its way down the ranks, the genre in which it is written and presented
changes. Specifically from academic journals to websites or self-help books.
It is becoming a common trend for Sports Psychology websites to add pages that include
links to academic journals or online self-help books. Many articles published within academic
journals become accessible via the internet after the subject matter has been extensively
researched and proven (negative or positive.) Some academic journals can be found in the form
of e-books through online sources. For example, the Annals of Applied Sport Science is fully
published online. (The Annals of Applied Sport Science) publishes not only original articles and
review articles but also editorials and short communications in the sport sciences. The Journal is
published quarterly in electronic editions(aassjournal.com). The community has impacted

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genres by utilizing the same modes to distribute text, overall making them more accessible.
While it is obvious that Sports Psychology websites would be found online, it is now becoming
more traditional to publish an academic journal and a self-help book both online and in print.
During the interview, Dr. Jerry Holt commented Slowly this community seems to be making the
transition from print to digital, but the community still clings to print resources like textbooks.
(Holt).

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Work Cited
Annals of Applied Sport Science. Home page. Asian Exercise and Sport Science Association.
Web. 24 Jul. 2016.
Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Home page. Association for Applied Sport
Psychology. Web. 7 Jul. 2016.
Bartel, Blaine. Little Black Book for Athletes. Harrison House, Incorporated, 2004. Print.
Caiazzo, Massimo. Color and Sports: An Indivisible Relationship. 2015 International SoC
Design Conference (Nov. 2015): 220-1. Web.
Careers in Psychology. Home page. Careers in Psychology. Web. 24 Jul. 2016.
Graddy, Jeffrey. The Future of Sport Psychology: A Delphi Poll. University of Florida George
A. Smathers Libraries, 2007. Web.
Linden, Michael, PhD., and Benjamin Strack PhD. "Sport Psychology Training Program."
Biofeedback (Online) 39.3 (2011): 129. ProQuest. Web. 19 July 2016.
Masters in Psychology Guide. Home page. Masters in Psychology Guide. Web. 19 Jul. 2016.
Orlick, Terry. In Pursuit of Excellence: how to win in sport and life through mental training.
Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2000. Print.
Singer, Jack. "Develop the mindset of a champion: use the power of sports psychology to
skyrocket the success of your career." Senior Market Advisor (May 2011): 86+. Business
Insights: Essentials. Web. 18 July 2016.
Topend Ssports. Important terms in Sport Psychology. Topend Ssports. Web. 13 Jul. 2016.