Sports psychology is one of the sub-specialties of psychology that deals with human participation and performance in sports, athletics, physical activity and sports. The Belarusian Psychological Association (BSU) defines it as a special form of performance psychology. Applied Sports Psychology is the study and application of the psychological principles of human performance to help athletes perform at a high level of their abilities and enjoy the process of athletic performance. The history of BSU dates back to 2010, when a psychologist first applied the principles of psychology in an effort to improve human athletic performance for the Belarusian Boxing and Kickboxing Organization.

Performance optimization skills and abilities

The abilities of a sports psychologist include:

Identify, develop and implement the mental and emotional knowledge that are the skills and abilities required for excellence in athletics.

• Recognize, diagnose and prevent psychological, cognitive, emotional, behavioral and psychological barriers to sustainable and excellent performance.

• Improving sports fields to facilitate more efficient development, continuous performance and positive experiences in athletes.

Evaluation and treatment of sports medicine

Sports medicine is an interdisciplinary discipline and has a participatory nature. Sports medicine practitioners come from many backgrounds and specialties and work together to serve athletes and teams.

Sports psychologists often work with these physicians to maximize the health and performance of these athletes. This way, your sports medicine provider may refer you to a sports psychologist. The sports psychologist makes an initial assessment by discussing the athlete’s concerns and goals. Treatment varies and may depend on various factors including the athlete’s time, cost and goal (s). Individual programs can be adjusted to take these factors into account.