Case studies: Sport psychology lecturer: Hayley

After a degree in psychology Hayley progressed to study for a Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology...

Hayley is lecturer in sport psychology at the University of the West of Scotland. She is also a probationary sport scientist in her third year of the supervised experience pathway for sport psychologists with The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). Following completion of her supervision, she will be an accredited sport psychologist.

Having studied an undergraduate degree in psychology, Hayley progressed to study a Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology before gaining her lecturing position. She advises that although the role of a sport psychologist may seem glamorous, the supervised experience process is also hard work and can be like having a part-time job on top of a busy lecturing and research timetable. Motivation and determination are prerequisites.

She offers practical advice for students in relation to getting a supervisor and for those wondering about the benefits of choosing the British Psychological Society (BPS)  or The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)  route to become qualified:

'I have found the BASES experience to be thorough and incredibly structured. Your Masters course may tick many of the boxes for the first year of supervised experience such as the structured reading required, perhaps designing an intervention or even attendance at related workshops. The opportunity to become chartered through the BPS is still open to me even though I have nearly finished the accreditation route through BASES, so don't think that just because you choose one route over another it narrows your options. Also, the regulation of the title 'psychologist' can only improve the service that the public receive and will improve the quality of future delivery.

'When choosing your supervisor be prepared that you may not get the first person you ask. Supervisors are often full-time lecturers and supervision is on top of their workload. Geographically this might not be ideal for you and you should be prepared to travel. I have monthly meetings with my supervisor and, at times, I would have liked to meet more often, but due to travel time this is not always possible.

'I make use of phone, email and I have a blog online which my supervisor has access to so he can provide comments. Remember that supervised experience is another learning experience in psychology and as such your supervisor may be of a philosophy that you have been less exposed to. This makes for a great learning experience: for instance, you will be able to contrast a cognitive behavioural approach that you have read about in a journal with a more humanistic stance that your supervisor may adopt.'

Despite all the hard work and effort, Hayley points out that her summer 'working holiday' to Hawaii went some way towards redressing the balance. In order to develop an understanding of the diverse performance needs within competitive sport, she works with teams as well as individuals and also different client groups, like disabled athletes or older age groups.

The trip to the University of Hawaii provided a chance to work in an enviable location and different sporting culture, while profiling athletes for the university as part of their scholarship. She explains that the perception of sport psychology within the USA is one where the science is intrinsic to the sport, which is not yet the universal perception in the UK. Here, there are misconceptions that the psychologist is there only to help with a problem and not also to help improve existing performance.

Hayley has also learned through her supervised experience to expect the unexpected and advises students to:

'Be open to anything happening along your three-year journey. I initially thought I would gain my experiences in football, golf and athletics - the sports I mainly knew about. Due to opportunities arising I have worked mainly in rugby, speedway and rowing, with only brief work in the sports that I expected to work in. This requires you to consider the psychological demands of sports you are not so familiar with, which can be an advantage as you bring no bias with you.'

The locations where consultations take place also add variety. As a practical rule, Hayley advises that for every hour she spends consulting with a client in her office, she will try to match that with an hour in the individual's field setting, e.g. at the local country park rowing club. She has also carried out consultations in hospital, thankfully not because the athlete was injured; the client was a rugby player who also happened to be a doctor.