Roles and functions of a sport psychologist are described in the categories of clinician, educator and researcher Do the clinical counseling sport psychologist is a person trained in clinical or counseling psychology and may be a licensed psychologist. Generally clinical counseling sport
The Research Sport Psychologist
For sport and exercise psychology to be a recognized and respected science, the knowledge must continue to grow. It is the scientist and the scholar who serve this important role. For the practicing sport psychologist to enjoy professional credibility there must exist a credible scientific body of knowledge.
Accreditation Issue in Sport Psychology
The issue of who is qualified to deliver sport psychology services has been addressed to some degree by AAASP with its certification program, the issue still remains as to who is qualified to prepare or train sport psychologists. Accreditation is the only way to ensure quality and consistency of academic training. Students graduating from accredited programs would be prepared to be certified AAASP consultants.
Multicultural Training Issue in Sport Psychology
Another issue that must be addressed is the issue of multicultural training. Graduates of sport psychology programs should be adequately trained in issues that relate to culture and race. Multicultural counseling is defined as counseling that takes place among individuals from different cultures/ racial backgrounds. Multicultural training of sport psychology students should be provided in four domains. First, Students should experience a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to cultural groups different from their own. Second they should gain knowledge about people who belong to cultures different than their own. Third, students should learn helping and intervention skills through the process of role playing and stimulated interaction. Finally, each prospective graduate should experience a supervised practicum to gain hands-on experience working with members of a different culture or race.
