Delegates at the BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology annual conference heard that too great a focus on elite sports is preventing sports psychologists from tapping into potentially bigger markets.

And all too often, existing marketing courses for sports psychologists offer little that can help them grow their businesses.

These are the views of Matt Cunliffe, a sports psychologist of 10 years who has seen a ‘dramatic’ increase in clients over the past year since adopting a new marketing approach.

Matt presented his views using learning from ‘natural sales people’ and ‘expert deal closers’ to delegates at the conference, held in Liverpool on 29-30 November 2021.

‘Psychologists are masters of behavioural change.’ he said. ‘The transtheroretical model of change works really well. We have to take people from a place of contemplation to action.’ In reality this translates to having the ability to transform an email enquiry into an initial consultation followed by a session being booked.

Matt added: ‘The new client must love your product, love and trust you, and love and trust your company.’  

Many sports psychologists doubt their ability to make a decent living. Matt believes this is because of the focus on elite sports and missing opportunities to pick up a whole swathe of clients at the grassroots of sport and exercisers. 

The Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology AGM 2021 will be held on Monday 29 November 2021, 5.40pm at Crown Plaza, Liverpool City Centre, 2 St Nicholas Place, Liverpool, L3 1QW  

You must be signed-in to access the following material

• Download the AGM Agenda and Reports (member only) 

If you have any queries regarding the AGM, nominations or resolutions, please email Member Network Services

• January 2020 Newsletter

Sport and Exercise Psychology Review (SEPR) plans to publish a special issue in April 2022 on the theme of ‘equality, diversity and inclusion in sport psychology’. This proposed special issue is an attempt to contribute to the global movement focused to enhance ED&I in society and in sport.

In response to the current political and social climate it would appear timely to examine inequality, discrimination and oppression in UK sport and exercise psychology and discuss what we can do to combat sexism, ableism, racism, HBT-phobia and other forms of oppression that negatively impact everyone, not just those in minority groups.

Moreover, it is important to consider the role that sport and exercise psychologists play in advocating against as well as contributing to or perpetuating such “isms”.

The Guest Editor, Dr Emily Pattinson (Newcastle University, UK) is inviting submissions from researchers, practitioners and trainees in the field that cover the exploration, understanding and enhancement of ED&I across DSEP and the wider field of sport and exercise psychology.

Research manuscripts, opinion articles, position statements, commentaries, and applied case studies are welcome, and we would particularly encourage submissions on the following topics:

1. The current experience of ED&I across minority and majority groups in sport and exercise psychology. This theme aims to provide a window into the experience of different groups within the field.
2. The current understanding of ED&I in the field of sport and exercise psychology research, practise, and education. This theme aims to explore how ED&I is perceived, approached, or taught in the field of sport and exercise psychology.
3. Guidance for the enhancement of ED&I training, development and practise across sport and exercise psychology. This theme aims to showcase advocacy, interventions, guidance, and other actions aimed to enhance the understanding of ED&I and the experiences of those in minority groups across the field.

There are many other potential lines of work and themes that cannot all be listed here, and as such, authors are requested to submit an abstract of their paper for feedback ahead of full papers.

Deadlines

• Abstract submission deadline – 30th September 2021
• Manuscript submission deadline – 30th December 2021
• Feedback to Authors – 30th January 2022
• Publication – 1st April 2022

Submission Process

All abstract and full paper submissions should be sent to both the Editor-in-Chief Dr Chris Wagstaff ([email protected]) and Guest Editor Dr Emily Pattinson ([email protected])

Questions

If you have any questions about the issue please contact Dr Emily Pattinson ([email protected])

Well I can’t believe this is my last DSEP Chair’s blog post of my tenure as Chair. The conference in December will mark the end of my two-year period as Chair and the transition to a new Chair of the Division.

The increasingly dark nights of autumn signal the count down to the 2019 DSEP Annual Conference taking place this year at the voco St John’s hotel in Solihull, West Midlands. The conference taking place on 2nd and 3rd December already looks like it is going to be a great success based upon registrations to date. The conference has many highlights in the programme including eminent keynote speakers such as Prof Diane Crone, Prof Chris Harwood and Dr Allan Johnston. The theme for the conference is ‘New horizons in sport, physical activity and performance psychology’ and the programme will offer expert insight into many contemporary issues and challenges facing practitioners, researchers, educators, and trainees alike. To book a place at the conference visit the BPS conference page:

• Book a place at the DSEP Annual Conference

The CPD team within the Division continue to develop plans for delivery in 2020. At the time of writing we are in discussions with BASES about running a joint CPD event in 2020, as well as running free-to-member and free-to-Stage 2 trainee events, plus delivering the first DSEP webinars. As I write this in mid-October we are also running the first free-to-Stage 2 trainees event run by the Division focused on ‘Contemporary Practitioner Skills in Sport and Exercise Psychology’. If you are interested in running or organising a BPS Learning Centre workshop please get in touch.

I am sure you have noticed the increased presence of the Division across a range of different social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and the Division’s blog post page as well. Emily Pattinson has been working hard to provide regular posts and updates focused on sharing information, starting conversations, inviting comment, and advertising events relevant to our membership. We are also looking to launch a new annual Division members survey at this year’s annual conference to provide a further voice to the Division’s membership to influence and shape the future direction and focus of the Division in a rapidly changing British Psychological Society.

It is great to see the Division’s Applied Hubs continuing to grow both in terms of numbers and activity. It is also wonderful to see a session at the Annual Conference focused on the work of the Applied Hubs. The DSEP committee are currently exploring a number of ways we can seek to further support the Hubs and the reach of their activities.

Finally, you have hopefully seen the calls for nominations for DSEP committee members across the different communication channels. Membership of the committee is open to all DSEP members, regardless of age or experience. Anyone who is keen to continue the great work undertaken by committee members past and present is encouraged to put themselves forward for one of the roles. Being on the committee represents the opportunity to make a difference, to contribute to the profession in the UK, and to make new friends.

As ever, if you have any comments or suggestions, or would like to get involved please get in touch. You can email the DSEP chair at: [email protected]

Stewart Cotterill

DSEP Chair

People enter mass-participation running events like 10ks, half-marathons, and marathons for a range of reasons relating to challenge, health and fitness, mental health and wellbeing, raising money for charity, and being part of a community.

Crowds of family, friends, and strangers often show their support through their clapping, cheering, and spoken and written words of encouragement.

As runners pass by – whether excited or dejected, energetic or exhausted, resolute or unsure – crowds are a key form of support that can help or hinder with runners’ motivation, emotions, and confidence.

For runners aiming for a ‘PB’ or another performance goal (e.g., completing a certain percent of the event without walking), the impact of the crowd can be substantial – as big as any intervention in a sport and exercise psychologist’s arsenal (McCormick et al., 2015).

But, based on what we know in sport and exercise psychology, what should crowds (and in our context, ‘psyching teams’, e.g., Meijen et al., 2017) shout or display on motivational boards, if they want to make a difference? Are some words consistently helpful or unhelpful? And how is the encouragement experienced by runners? What meaning do they find in it?

Read the full article by Alister McCormick and Sophie Gibbs-Nicholls of Plymouth Marjon University.

The Race & Culture Workshop was the 2nd in a series of EDI events organised by the BPS Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology.

Although planning of the event began in Spring 2021, registration opened during the week when Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were subjected to racial abuse on social media for having their penalty kicks saved in the Euro 2021 Championship Finals.

This incident further highlighted the racial issues that pervade within our society and the pertinence of the Race & Culture Workshop event.

Our speakers, Prof Marcia Wilson and Dr Ohemaa Nkansa-Dwamena delivered an excellent presentation that was interspersed with theory, research and examples of lived experiences.

The Race-Based Traumatic Stress model was utilised as a framework for understanding racial trauma and helped to provide context for subsequent discussions and debate in the breakout sessions.

The delegates were split out into various breakout groups, and each group was provided with one of three case studies (Football and Racism, Mental Health & Identity, Black Women in Sport) for discussion.

I had the privilege to be a part of discussions in three different groups and it was fantastic to see Psychologists from a broad range of specialisms and cultural backgrounds sharing their experiences, reflecting and debating on how the issues could be addressed.

At the end of the breakout sessions, we returned to the main room for Q & A which also sparked an engaging, thought-provoking discussion where it became apparent that there is a need for more research that can further our knowledge and understanding of this subject area.

Although Racism is a societal problem, there was recognition amongst the delegates that we can all play a role to help tackle the issue.

From a learning perspective, we need to create more opportunities in future for Sport & Exercise Psychologists to continue developing their awareness and understanding of the critical issues pertaining to Race & Culture.

On 15 January, a Zoom meeting was held for sport psychology trainees which involved a debate on paid vs voluntary work.

Int his blog DSEP members Loriellen Eirene Patsi and Nathaniel Hatch-Johnson lay out and discuss the variety of opinions presented regarding this topic.

Read the full blog on paid vs voluntary work during sport psychology training.

I began my QSEP Stage 2 in March 2019 and aim to finish in early 2021.

And while I have gained a lot experience (particularly evident reading back over early first year reflections) I still find it extremely difficult not to compare my own success to the levels others have achieved.

However, when I reviewed my first portfolio and the completed work piled up in one Zip file, I saw how much time and effort had gone into it.

I won’t list out my achievements for two reasons, firstly, because I think deep down I still find it difficult to accept them as successes, even writing the word ‘achievement’ makes me feel uncomfortable, and secondly, because I do not want others to see them as something to compare themselves to either.

During my Key Role 3 research, which involved an investigation into Covid-19 and the impact it has had on psychological support provided and received by Sport and Exercise Psychologists and elite athletes, I was privileged enough to have frank and honest discussions with many practitioners who had much more experience than myself.

And it was during these conversations I noticed that self-doubt was still, at times, an element that needed to be addressed and managed.

I gained two things from these conversations; comfort and hope. Comfort knowing that regardless of experience, questioning one’s ability was a natural challenge that arose, and it was not a direct reflection of my abilities when I was doubtful, and hope that even though practitioners may feel insecure of their value and what purpose they serve it is still possible to have a successful career.

Upon reflection I realise of course a certain amount of doubt is normal.

However ,when I began to notice it impeding my progression I knew that was the time to make a conscious effort to focus on my own accomplishments and upcoming goals.

This overwhelming self-doubt occurred in month 8 of Year 1 when I began to feel paralysed as I assessed what task or Key Role to tackle next. I found I was faced with so many options I could not choose anything without highlighting the expertise I lacked to effectively execute the work required.

I looked around at fellow Trainees and all the contacts they were making and work they were acquiring and felt inferior in just about every area of QSEP.

9 months on from that time there have definitely been some changes in how I review my work.

Firstly, setting a timer on social media on my phone of a half hour each day has helped tremendously.

It may seem small and counterproductive when trying to self-promote but now I have an allotted time which, being so short, prevents me from dwelling so much on others.

Secondly, I broke down my Key Roles into sections each month. For example, writing one good quality reflection for each meant I gradually created my next submission.

I also set writing targets for the case study meaning I could review them at a later stage through more experienced eyes.

Thirdly, I re-assessed whether this was something I truly wanted to do, putting aside the financial commitment, did I actually want to do this knowing the challenges associated? I did; however, this was not a light decision and was now made without the naivety I began QSEP with.

This is not an article of strategic advice but rather a very honest account that sometimes needs to be read by others to highlight the variety and range of insecurities felt by the majority at some point in their career regardless of wealth or scope of experience.

We will each experience training routes differently, and it is paramount we only compare to where we started, rather than another’s perceived successes.

Learn more about the Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology.

About the author

Louise Byrne is an aspiring Sport and Exercise Psychologist currently nearing the end of her qualification with the BPS.

Having grown up immersed in sport and all types of exercise Louise applied her passion to becoming a Sport and Exercise Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, aiming to help others help themselves.

She is now nearing the end of this qualification with only a few months to go.

Her experience within a high performing investments firm allowed her to understand what it takes to become a high achiever and follow through on goals that may seem a little out of reach.

Louise’s clients range from recreational exercisers to elite athletes including those that want to achieve something they have not done yet. Her past work has involved sessions with triathletes and novice marathon runners from the very beginning of their journey.

Being an avid runner herself she knows the perseverance and strength it often takes to go beyond and accomplish what seems impossible.

Being involved in sporting and business organisations gives her the opportunity to apply transferable knowledge across both environments. Her aim for those involved is to foster a new progressive perspective enabling positive change in results.

Her driving force behind her practice is evident throughout her work; providing people the opportunity to learn how to help themselves, with an open and direct practitioner supporting their progress.

Fulfilling one's abilities and maintaining momentum for change is the core of her work, aiming to enable positive growth and development.

• Find out more at www.louisebyrne.uk