The use of sports psychology consultants in elite sports teams

Abstract

This study investigates the use of psychology services in teams of the top division Spanish leagues of handball, basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, soccer and field hockey. Personal interviews were conducted to determine the composition of the multidisciplinary teams. The response rate was 81.8% (77 of 94). Though most teams have different professionals employed on a full-time basis, only 15.6% of these teams have a sport psychologist. Moreover, only three teams have a full-time sports psychologist. These results indicate that, compared to other professional services, managers and/or coaches do not perceive the need for psychological services. We discarded the hypothesis that most of the teams do not hire psychologists due to financial reasons. Sport psychology associations should reinforce the importance of the psychologist to enhance sports performance.