Major: Psychology with an emphasis in Sports
Minor: Sports Management
Why did you choose your major?
I chose sports psychology because I have been a competitive athlete my whole life and realized that there is a big mental side to the sports world. Each athlete is put to high standards to perform not only for their teammates but also their fans and it really can take a toll on their mental health. I feel like the mental health of athletes through sport, injury, and competition is not advocated enough and I wanted to be another source to increase knowledge on this topic. I also am very interested in the mind and how it works with dealing with stress and performance, so this major was the exact area for me.
Why did you choose your minor?
I chose a Sports Management minor to get another part of sports background, and to help me get my foot through the door in the sports world.
Would you recommend your major and minor to a future student? Why?
I would absolutely recommend this major to a future student, the opportunities are great and a lot can come out of having this major. I also feel like it is important to get more sport psychologists in the world, not just with professional athletes, but college athletes as well as youth athletes. I highly recommend this major to an athlete that has gone through a severe injury and traumatic experience in their sport. Personal experience is very helpful in this field. I would recommend sports management to people interested in the sports world operations.
What are your future plans?
My future plans are to open a private practice that does both mental and physical rehabilitation of athletes during and after an injury, as well as therapy sessions to talk about the process of recovery. On the other hand I would also like to be a sports psychologist at a college, to bring more awareness to campuses.
Are there any particular experiences — in or out of the classroom — that have helped you identify that path?
Some experiences that have helped me identify this path are the Sports Psychology class I took at Cal Lutheran with Dr. Bruce GIllies. It helped me confirm my plans and educated me on the topics that would benefit the people I plan on helping. In addition, I have been working at a Physical Therapy Office for a year and a half, and seeing the progress of patients from day one to their last day is really inspiring. Lastly, I have noticed the lack of awareness on a lot of campuses for the mental health of their athletes and I want to educate and expand those resources to all universities.