The Intramural Program It is the goal of the Intramural Program to provide opportunity for each student, faculty, or staff

member to participate in a variety of wellness, fitness and sports activities. Activities are designed to accommodate all levels of skill. While most events involve competition, the Intramural Program emphasizes and promotes participation, sportsmanship, social interaction, and healthy exercise. The purpose of the Intramural Sports Program is to provide an opportunity for every student, faculty and staff to take part in competitive and non-competitive recreational sports activities within the framework of educational endeavors.

The objectives of the Intramural Sports Program are as follows: To provide opportunities for individual development through various activities. To provide opportunities for social contact and the development of lasting friendships. To provide leadership and fellowship opportunities through participation. To provide recreation for individuals, regardless of their skill ability. To provide opportunities which develop a positive attitude towards lifetime recreation. To provide opportunities for personal growth and development through employment and leadership experiences.

Sports psychology is the study of how psychology influences sports, athletic performance, exercise and physical activity. Some sports psychologists work with professional athletes and coaches to improve performance and increase motivation. Other professionals utilize exercise and sports to enhance peoples lives and well-being throughout the entire lifespan. History of Sports Psychology Sports psychology is a relatively young discipline within psychology. In 1920, Carl Diem founded the worlds first sports psychology laboratory at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Berlin, Germany. In 1925, two more sports psychology labs were established one by A.Z. Puni at the Institute of Physical Culture in Leningrad and the other by Coleman Griffith at the University of Illinois.

Griffith began offering the first course in sports psychology in 1923, and later published the first book on the subject titled The Psychology of Coaching (1926). Unfortunately, Griffiths lab was closed in 1932 due to lack of funds. After the lab was shut down, there was very little research on sports psychology until the subject experienced a revival of interest during the 1960s.

Ferruccio Antonelli established the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) in 1965 and by the 1970s sports psychology had been introduced to university course offerings throughout North America. The first academic journal, the International Journal of Sport Psychology, was introduced in 1970, which was then followed by the establishment of the Journal of Sport Psychology in 1979.

By the 1980s, sports psychology became the subject of a more rigorous scientific focus as researchers began to explore how psychology could be used to improve athletic performance, as well as how exercise could be utilized to improve mental well-being and lower stress levels. Sports Psychology Today Contemporary sports psychology is a diverse field. While finding ways to help athletes is certainly an important part of sports psychology, the application of exercise and physical activity for improving the lives of non-athletes is also a major focus. Major Topics Within Sports Psychology

There are a number of different topics that are of special interest to sports psychologists. Some professionals focus on a specific area, while others study a wide range of techniques. Imagery: Involves visualizing performing a task, such as participating in an athletic event or successfully performing a particular skill.

Motivation: A major subject within sports psychology, the study of motivation looks at both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Extrinsic motivators are external rewards, such as trophies, money, medals or social recognition. Intrinsic motivators arise from within, such as a personal desire to win or the sense of pride that comes from performing a skill.

Attentional Focus: Involves the ability to tune out distractions, such as a crowd of screaming fans, and focus attention on the task at hand. Careers in Sports Psychology

Becoming a sports psychologist could be an exciting career choice for many psychology students, especially those who have a strong interest in sports and physical activity. If you are interested in this career, learn more about the educational requirements, job duties, salaries and other considerations in this profile of careers in sports psychology. Sport psychology is an interdisciplinary science that draws on knowledge from the fields of Kinesiology and Psychology. It involves the study of how psychological factors affect performance and how participation in sport and exercise affect psychological and physical factors.[1] In addition to instruction and training of psychological skills for performance improvement, applied sport psychology may include work with athletes, coaches, and parents regarding injury, rehabilitation, communication, team building, and career transitions. SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY It has long been acknowledged that psychological skills are critical for athletes at the elite level. Athletes with the requisite mental toughness are more likely to be successful. In the past, it was assumed that these skills were genetically based, or acquired early in life. Now, it is commonly accepted that athletes and coaches are capable of learning a broad range of psychological skills that can play a critical role in learning and in performance. A. Role of Sports Psychology The specialised field of sports psychology has developed rapidly in recent years. The importance of a sports psychologist as an integral member of the coaching and health care teams is widely recognised. Sports psychologists can teach skills to help athletes enhance their learning process and motor skills, cope with competitive pressures, fine-tune the level of awareness needed for optimal performance, and stay focused amid the many distractions of team travel and in the competitive environment. Psychological training should be an integral part of an athletes holistic training process, carried out in conjunction with other training elements. This is best accomplished by a collaborative effort among the coach, the sport psychologist, and the athlete; however, a knowledgeable and interested coach can learn basic psychological skills and impart them to the athlete, especially during actual practice.