M1A3 Ethics in Sport Counseling

INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE

Ethics in Sport and Exercise Psychology

Edward F. Etzel and Jack C. Watson II Department of Sport and Exercise Psychology

West Virginia University

And yet, as Aristotle developed, and young men crowded about him to be taught and formed, more and more his mind turned from the details of science to the larger and vaguer problems of conduct and character. (Durant, 1973, p. 75)

The age old “problems of conduct and character” of everyday life and professional psychology represent both longstanding vagaries and daily challenges. Since the inception of this journal, numerous contributors from nearly all corners of the pro- fession have shared their thinking about ethics and other issues of conduct and character. This special issue of Ethics & Behavior is devoted to a rapidly emerging corner of professional psychology that some readers may be familiar with, whereas likely a majority are not—namely, sport and exercise psychology.

Although the field of sport psychology has been around for quite a long time (ap- proximately 100 years), it is a relative newcomer to psychology in this country. In fact, it was only in 1986 that the American Psychological Association (APA) ap- proved the creation of the Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology (Division 47) from a rather small special interest group of professionals (APA, 2005a). Recently, the APA’s Council of Representatives gave its approval to the establishment of a pro- fessional proficiency in sport psychology (APA, 2005b). Currently, Division 47 has approximately 1,100 members. Sister organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) and the International Society of Sport Psychology have hundreds of members, some of whom belong to Division 47. The stated mission of Division 47 is linked to advancing “the scientific, educa- tional, and clinical foundations of exercise and sport psychology” (APA, 2005b). From these recent (i.e., past 25 years) developments, it is possible for us to say that

ETHICS & BEHAVIOR, 16(1), 1–3 Copyright © 2006, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Correspondence should be addressed to Edward F. Etzel, School of Physical Education, West Vir- ginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6116. E-mail: [email protected]

sport and exercise psychology as a profession is growing and becoming much more popular among students, professionals, athletes, and coaches.

Sport and exercise psychology professionals’ backgrounds and practice do- mains are quite wide ranging. Many have roots in the so-called movement sciences such as physical education, motor learning, and kinesiology. Others are trained in the more traditional service delivery areas of psychology such as counseling coun- seling psychology, and clinical psychology. Currently, there is no established model for training nor is there licensure available specifically for sport and exer- cise psychology. Those professionals who provide services to the public can apply to become a Certified Consultant with AAASP. However, this title indicates only that the individual has completed specified requirements in terms of coursework and applied practice and does not require an assessment of knowledge.

What may be gleaned from the previous overview is that there is not a typical sport psychologist. Many professionals working in this field can be found em- ployed in a variety of academic positions in higher education, university counsel- ing centers, sports medicine clinics, and in private practices, which may or may not be solely focused on sport and exercise psychology service provision. Further- more, sport psychology professionals’ clientele may range from individual ama- teur and high-profile professional athletes, exercisers, coaches, amateur and pro- fessional sport teams, sports medicine patients (e.g., injured persons), youth sport parents, and performing artists (e.g., dancers).

As the reader might imagine, given the range of clientele noted in the previous paragraph, service provision does not always follow a traditional format nor is it often provided during the 50 min hour in an office. Clients may talk to their sport and exercise psychology professional at the pool deck, along the sidelines, on play- ing fields, in hotel lobbies, gyms, athletic training rooms, and elsewhere. Clients may also feel the need to talk with a service provider while they are training or competing out of state or country. Such interesting persons, meeting places, and times often lead to ethical quandaries that in many cases have been evaluated from a different perspective than those in traditional psychology.

This special issue of Ethics & Behavior focuses particular attention on these professional issues that are often challenges unique to those working in the field of sport and exercise psychology. These articles authored by experienced profession- als in sport and exercise psychology cover information related to multiple-role is- sues, the training in ethics of graduate students, the provision of exercise psychol- ogy services, the development a professional practice, and work and travel with elite Olympic-level sport teams. We understand that the perspectives raised in this journal issue may be at times contrary to normally held beliefs of practicing psy- chologists. However, we encourage you to consider the many issues presented with an open mind and hope that it will lead you, the reader, to a better understand- ing of the ethical nuances of sport and exercise psychology practice. We trust that you will enjoy this special issue of Ethics & Behavior!

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REFERENCES

American Psychological Association, (2005a). Purposes and goals. Retrieved from http://www.psyc. unt.edu/apadiv47/about_purposesandgoals.html

American Psychological Association, (2005b). Division projects. Retrieved from http://www.psyc. unt.edu/apadiv47/about_divprojects.html#past

Durant, W. (1973). The story of philosophy. New York: Simon & Schuster.

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