1. Sport psychology has a long tradition, well-established training and practice pathways and it is a main, growing area of interest for sport sciences in Europe and in the World. It is a distinct sub-discipline within both psychology and sport sciences, that has its own academic curriculum and training path for entry level into the profession of sport psychology. The application of sport psychology has its own explanatory, technological theories (e.g., cognitive and behavioural bases of sport, psychomotor learning, exercise to enhance wellbeing and mental health) and skills (e.g., sport specific psychological assessment and mental skills training for performance enhancement) as well as its own methodology and sport specific ethics (e.g., managing confidentiality in sporting environments, being seen in public with clients, working with coaches and athletes simultaneously).

Sport Psychology:

a. covers specific and differentiated roles and social activities, not covered by other fields of practice. Sport psychologists work with a variety of groups within the context of sport such as athletes, coaches, teams, parents, referees and officials. In health environments, the Sport Psychologist may work with other professionals in medical, education and health industries as well as individual clients.

b. focusses on performance enhancement, including psychomotor skills.

c. deals with clients who are psychologically healthy and stable, but also with clients in psychological crises (e.g., career termination, injuries).ⁱⁱⁱ

d. deals with reasons for sedentary behavior addressing barriers to physical activity engagement (e.g. motivation, wellbeing, anxiety, body image) or reasons for dependence on exercise (body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorder, overtraining).

e. addresses the benefits of regular physical activity involvement for physical (e.g. non communicable diseases), mental (e.g. depression, anxiety) and social (e.g. prosocial behaviour, reduced isolation) health conditions.

f. requires complementary competencies in sport sciences (e.g. training sciences, physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, sport sociology, sport management, sport pedagogy).

2. In recent years in Europe^iv as well as worldwide^v, the number of applied sport psychology positions with professional teams, national and Olympic training centres and universities has grown dramatically. This rapid expansion of opportunities and growing interest in sport psychology is also demonstrated by numerous articles, publications of textbooks, speciality books for the general public and commentaries by specialists in the media. Furthermore, sport psychology is increasingly being recognized by national governing bodies in sport and medical associations as a unique area of practice and the recognition of exercise and physical activity in the treatment and care of mental health conditions and non-communicable diseases by think tanks, government departments and international agencies (e.g. World Health Organisation).

Examples of this growth are:

A) There are currently more than 30 national and regional sports psychology associations with an approximate total membership of 6000-8000. All of these organisations are reporting growth in membership numbers.

B) Growth of participants at FEPSAC Congress from 600 in 2007 to 1000 participants in 2019; the International Congress in Sport Psychology celebrated in Sevilla-Spain in 2017 had 1100 registered; growth of the association of young practitioners in sport psychology, with 150 participants at the latest ENYSSP conference

C) Number of journal submissions to the European leading journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise has increased from about 200 in 2005 to 650 in 2018.

D) Increased number of journals, studies, both original research and meta-analytic reviews, demonstrating the effectiveness of sport psychological skills training in the optimization and enhancement of competitive performance published in highly ranked scientific journals.

E) Increase in master programs in sport psychology (36 programs: see list by Hutter^vi in appendix)

F) Increased demand for sport psychological services (e.g. some nations as Spain and Germany, require a full-time sport psychologist in their talent development programs).

G) Consensus statements involving Sport Psychology experts on athlete welfare issues within sport and subsequent development of improved provision of services (e.g. concussion protocols, mental health awareness training in sport).

H) Growth in mobile and health technology that incorporate the measurement of and psychological strategies to increase physical activity.

I) Growth in corporate responsibility to provide greater physical activity opportunities and reduce sedentary time in the work place.

J) Recognition of the importance of physical activity in Covid-19 pandemic responses.

3. There are varying programmes throughout Europe for the education of sport psychologists and a unified minimum standard of practice is necessary to ensure quality and protect clients from malpractice and harm. Having agreed standards of education and training for sport psychology in Europe would help to further develop the profession in Europe, in particular to help countries who are working towards higher standards in their negotiations with educational institutions and state bodies. We argue that establishing a field of practice will protect the field from self-defined “mental coaches” and will help build a job market that provides quality sport psychological services in Europe. Clients will be protected against receiving services from “mental coaches” and will be assisted in identifying educated and qualified sport psychologists. Providing a list of sport psychologists who have met agreed standards will be the way of the future when athletes, coaches, sport clubs and sport associations search for high quality sport psychological services in Europe.

4. A number of European countries have already established specific training programmes in sport psychology following a Bachelor or Degree level in Psychology and undertake a differentiated postgraduate training in sport psychology. Having a designation of sport psychology for Basic EuroPsy psychologists protects the public by helping clients identify who is trained to a particular standard endorsed by EFPA.

5. Clients expect specific knowledge and skills from sport psychologists. Research highlights that clients (e.g. athletes / teams, coaches, parents, and organizations) demand specific knowledge related to the contexts of sport and exercise not covered in a general psychology degree, for example:

a. doping and substance abuse

b. management of disordered eating and weight regulation

c. prejudice and discrimination

d. abuse of power including sexual harassment

e. aggression and violence

f. inactivity, behavior change and exercise dependence

g. overtraining, burnout, career termination

h. injury, rehabilitation and return to sport / exercise

i. organizational culture and systemic change

vii;viii,ix.

Conclusion
Specifying Sport Psychology as a Specialist Certificate will create a common culture of competences in the profession. By significantly enhancing and harmonizing the education, training and practice of sport psychologists, the public will be protected through adequate quality assurance in the delivery of services throughout Europe. Establishing a Specialist Certificate in Sport Psychology will help to promote the profession of psychology and establish a common set of knowledge and competencies in Europe. Finally, having a designation of Sport Psychology gives recognition to Sport Psychology practitioners in Europe from a European professional psychology body.

References

ⁱ Lunt I., Peiró J.M., Poortinga Y.H., Roe R.A. (2015) EuroPsy: Standards and Quality in Education for Professional Psychologists. Göttingen: Hogrefe Pub.

ⁱⁱ Hutter, R.I. (V.), van der Zande, J.J., Rosier, N. & Wylleman, P. (2016). Education and training in the field of applied sport psychology in Europe. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

ⁱⁱⁱ American Psychological Association. PETITION FOR THE RECOGNITION OF APROFICIENCY IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. Retrieved from Https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/sport.pdf

^iv Raab, M., Wylleman, P., Seiler, R., Elbe, A.-M. & Hatzigeorgiadis, A. (Eds.). (2016). Sport and Exercise Psychology Research: From Theory to Practice. Amsterdam: Academic Press Elsevier

^v American Psychological Association. PETITION FOR THE RECOGNITION OF APROFICIENCY IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/sport.pdf

^vi Hutter, R.I. (V.), van der Zande, J.J., Rosier, N. & Wylleman, P. (2016). Education and training in the field of applied sport psychology in Europe. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

^vii Gualberto C. J. y Tashman, L.S. (2014). Becoming a Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Professional. A Global Perspective. New York, USA: Taylor & Francis (Routledge).

^viii Cantón, E. (2016). Professional Specialization in Sport Psychology. Revista de Psicologia Aplicada al deporte y al Ejercicio Físico (Journal of Psychology Applied to Sport and Physical Exercise), 1 (1), 1-12.

^ix Fletcher, D., & Maher, J. (2013). Toward a competency-based understanding of the training and development of applied sport psychologists. Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology, 2(4), 265–280. doi:10.1037/a003197