33.3: Finished Your Studies...What Next?

One of the most exciting yet terrifying times is once all studies, training, and placements are done, and students become fully registered psychologists. Depending upon the timing of graduation and confirmation of registration, knowing what comes next can be a daunting prospect. Many aspiring sport and exercise psychologists dream of landing a job as a full-time practitioner working out in the field with an elite sporting team or program. However, as many suggest (Eubank & Tod, 2018; Fitzpatrick et al., 2016; Sanderson, 2017), for nearly all graduates, this is not the reality they end up experiencing. Often SEPP opportunities fall into one of two categories: teaching and research roles usually in academia; or in applied work via private practice and consulting. Often it can be a combination of all three, with SEPP applied work occurring across a range of settings and organisations.

33.3.1. Sport and Performance

In Australia, work within sporting contexts can consist of being contracted to provide SEPP services to a range of sporting bodies and organisations. For example, National and State Sporting Institutes, otherwise known as the National Institute Network (NIN), which covers key Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic sports, in addition to some professional sports (i.e., Football/Soccer) across developmental through to elite level athletes. Additional services are utilised across a range of National Sporting Organisations (NSOs), which covers both amateur and professional sports such as Cricket, Swimming, Triathlon, Golf. Other professional sports such as Australian Football League (AFL), Rugby League, Rugby Union, Tennis, and V8 Supercars additionally use SEPP services through contracting providers. Contracts can vary in terms of length and scope, with full-time positions only rarely being available and often on a one-year basis only with an option to renew. Furthermore, with the increased focus on mental health and well-being within the context of sport, organisations such as the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the AFL and AFL Players Association have more recently introduced well-being frameworks that include positions such as Well-being Managers and/or psychologists providing mental health support services. Many of these roles are often filled by sport and exercise psychologists.

Through private practice and consulting, SEPP practitioners can also often provide services to High School sporting programs or more general physical activity co-curricular programs. These can include both individual sessions or group/teamwork that can cover anything from performance enhancement and mental skills training, interpersonal and team dynamics, alongside supporting students cope more effectively with academic and/or personal issues. Additionally, individuals may access psychological services through referral from a General Practitioner (i.e., medical doctor) as amateur or recreational athletes.

Within performing arts settings, typically services can include individual clients accessing support via self-referral or referral from a professional company/training institution/health-care provider; the facilitation of group workshops on key performance-psychology topics or sessions that focus on collective group issues; and the provision of consulting advice to management and administration about addressing psychological issues, recommended solutions, curriculum, or the development of specific programs (see Moyle 2019a). Similar to sporting settings, being an embedded SEPP practitioner in an organisation or program has been observed to be more effective than being an external consulting psychologist. However, usually reduced funding within performing arts settings that can be allocated to SEPP services can limit the scope of practice and service provision that can be achieved. In such circumstances, prioritisation of identified servicing needs is critical.

Photo credit: James Dillon, QUT Dance

33.3.2. Exercise

When focusing upon the exercise side of sport and exercise psychology, there are a range of career opportunities across medical, health, and occupational related settings. SEPP practitioners often work in hospitals and clinics as part of a multidisciplinary health team dealing with such issues as pain management, weight-loss, smoking cessation, injury rehabilitation, including occupational rehabilitation regarding supporting individuals recovering from physical or psychological injury to return to employment. Additionally, many SEPP practitioners will work as the sport and exercise psychologist within a physiotherapy practice, assisting in the case management of individuals undertaking sports injury rehabilitation programs.

33.3.3. Other Areas of Professional Practice

Training in SEPP provides a strong foundation and set of skills that can position graduates to apply their knowledge to areas beyond sport yet related through a focus on supporting performance and enhancing human potential. For example, sport and exercise psychologists may work in career counselling, given a significant part of supporting athletes and performing artists is with transition—including entry into, during, and exiting out of their careers. Working in employment services is another sector where the specific skills that SEPP practitioners develop are very beneficial, whereby facilitating group workshops in topics like self-confidence, motivation, and goal-setting compliment individual sessions with job seekers in exploring strengths, skills, and career aspirations. Furthermore, depending upon the training pathway and the tailored experiences students undertake, SEPP practitioners are valued within business and corporate settings with their ability to support individuals, teams, and leaders obtain the best performance and outcomes possible.

33.3.4. Further Training and Endorsement

Depending upon what type of career opportunities and experiences SEPP practitioners end up having, alongside what regulatory framework is in place, there are further training and endorsement options that can be explored. For example, SEPP practitioners interested in clinical sport psychology can look to upskill in clinical areas through short courses and professional development activities to further enhance their understanding, knowledge, and skills related to those areas. Additionally, in Australia as an example, if psychologists wish to obtain a second endorsed area of practice (e.g., clinical psychology), they can choose to undertake a bridging program that meets the registration and endorsement requirements for that additional field of practice (see Figure 33.2). Further areas of endorsement also require sport and exercise psychologists to meet continuing professional development for each specific area of practice. Another avenue for further training and development includes ongoing supervision, which can involve formal supervision from a more experienced psychologist, as well as peer supervision both individually and in groups. Ensuring that you continually reflect upon your practice or psychological work (i.e., teaching and research), is an integral part of being an effective psychologist.