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Why We Do What We Do...

Joe Frontiera

Joe Frontiera is currently a doctoral student in Sport & Exercise Psychology at West Virginia University. Joe has a Masters degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, and current areas of interest include leadership, organizational climate, organizational dynamics and performance enhancement. Before graduate school, Joe was a top sales executive in the Silicon Valley for five years at two technology firms. Joe has co-founded the Division of Performance Improvement of the ICPE, which assists institutional leaders to further develop strengths, deepen awareness of organizational make-up, culture and human behavior, and improve motivational and confidence development strategies. Joe has survived cancer, three years of Division 1 Crew, and the WorldCom scandal, and is utilizing those experiences, as well as his education, to assist both athletic and corporate teams reach their potential.

Why I Do What I Do: I first became interested in sport & exercise psychology due to my experience in sport and business. I noticed that similar learned qualities and/or attributes in both mediums lead to success. As I have progressed in my studies, I have come to the conclusion that our field is too insular. Academics train others, who become academics that train others. At some point, there needs to be a significant outlet for the knowledge and research that our field has acquired through the years. Although we currently impact positive change, we look at sport and exercise psychology in a narrow context that makes it difficult for us to see and pursue opportunities outside of the traditional cognitive-behavioral approach used with individual athletes and teams. As of now, I see my career being spent broadening the scope of "performance psychology" to new areas within sport and to disciplines outside of sport.

In my opinion, the most effective way to impact change is to assist leaders in improving the overall climate in which their athletes/workers/staff perform. The faculty at West Virginia have been flexible enough to allow my colleague, Dan Leidl, and I to test this operating principle. Together, we have started the Division of Performance Improvement under the umbrella of the International Center for Performance Excellence at WVU. Not only have we spoken at numerous coaching conferences, but we also work with leaders in different fields, whether it be sport, business, non-profit, or government, to help them become more effective and empower those under them to be more efficient and productive. Although this Division has existed for less than one year, it has been monetarily and professionally successful, providing a truly unique growth opportunity for graduate students to hone their "craft" while still in school.

Calum Arthur

Calum Arthur graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor in 2000 with a BSc in Sport Science. I am currently nearing the end of a PhD program in Sports Psychology at the University of Wales, Bangor (part time) where I am also a research project officer working on leadership and coaching under the supervision of Professor Lew Hardy. This project is funded by the Army Recruitment and Training Division and involves designing studies, collecting, analyzing and interpreting data, running various workshops with military personal on aspects of leadership and coaching, and writing scientific reports. During this time I also lecture in the School of Sport Health and Exercise Sciences. Prior to the work with the military I ran performance enhancement and personal development programs and workshops with a variety of clients including; Fire Services, National Health Service, disadvantaged youths, and probationary schemes. I am currently working with a variety of athletes and I am part way through the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, sport psychologist accreditation scheme. Probably the most unusual and interesting experience I have had was taking responsibility for foster parenting orphaned triplets who were 16 years old. This involved ensuring that the day to day living, behavioral, and emotional needs of the boys were being met, whilst keeping the long term goal of socialization in sight (2001-2004).

I guess like many in this field I participated in sport to a reasonably high level, just not quite high enough! There are probably two main reasons why I wanted to pursue a career in sport psychology; 1) to find answers to the above, and 2) to work in an area that I am interested and passionate about. My academic career started at the University of Wales, Bangor where my knowledge, interest and passion were further enhanced. During this time I was becoming more aware of the wider applications of sport psychology to other domains, and also the diverse and challenging nature of the work. Interestingly, probably the most appealing aspect of sports psychology to me now is something that I did not fully appreciate when I embarked on this career. That is the diverse nature of the work. For example, currently my work is split approximately 10% lecturing to undergraduates, 50% applied and 40% research. Furthermore, the focus of my day to day work is approximately equally split between sport and the military. Having a diverse and challenging career is important to me, thus a career that involves research and opportunities to apply the research is important. Probably a career goal of mine would be to secure either a post doctorial research position or a lecturing position at a university.

Sarah Skopek

Sarah Skopek is a graduate student at American University. As I begin writing this, I hesitate because I am not sure what to tell you first, besides my name. This very dilemma however is indicative of how and why I found myself drawn to the study and practice of sports psychology. My family always encouraged me to be active and engaged with my mind and my body [Nintendo and TV were not part of the regular schedule!] So, as a toddler, I spent a good deal of time in my pink leotard and tutu, whether or not I was actually at ballet class or just at home dancing in my basement to Raffi. Eventually, I started wearing cooler clothes and dancing to Belinda Carlisle and Paula Abdul, later to the Beatles and Violent Femmes; I'll still dance just about anywhere as long as there's music.

In grade school and middle school I picked up soccer, basketball, and running. I started downhill skiing in the winter and swimming in the summer. As time went on I took the opportunities to try whatever came my way including rollerblading, climbing, kayaking, yoga and heli-skiing. I can say that my high school basketball team went to the NY State Final Four, that I can climb a 5.8, that I can complete the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga, that I skiied 200,000 vertical feet in a week in British Columbia, that I've run a marathon... these are things I've done/can do, and while they tell you something about me, they do not tell you who I am. Who I am is something to be discovered... for you to discover, and even for me to discover... and rediscover!

I remind myself that athletics does not define me, even if it does help to describe me. When meeting people for the first time, it is easy to descibe ourselves by what do: "I am a ... student, doctor, consultant, teacher, athlete, volunteer..." And those are wonderful and beautiful things to do! But I believe we must also consider who we are, and that can be a more difficult question to answer.

Athletics has guided me in my journey to answer this question. Participating in athletics allows the self to be engaged in a unique symphony, a state that requires the mind and body to be both strong and flexible, relaxed and fierce, focused and open; athletics challenges us because it constantly requires a state of balance between opposing forces. On the court, field, mat, or wherever you play and practice, you train to achieve this balance. You also discover that balance is volatile, always-changing; once you think you've found it, it's gone. You must shift, adjust, and seek it again. This process excites and inspires me because it seems to mirror the process of daily life. It's a nearly perfect metaphor.

I want to help athletes apply the mental and physical skills they have gained from years of hard training in athletics towards developing the same symphonic balance in their lives outside of their sport. Being able to explore what you do may be a window to who you are. The athlete is a part of you, it is one instrument in your orchestra; hearing its melody is important as it tells you about that one part of you. However, its melody is not enough by itself. You must listen for the harmony created by all the sounds, all the parts of you. Herein you will find the balance... but only for a moment, before something shifts and your journey continues.

Caren Diehl

Caren Diehl is a graduate student at the University of Wolverhampton. Writing a biography always gets me to think about where home is and about my life. Not long ago I heard about the term Third Culture Kids (TCK) from a website. I read the definition and it was spot on. It described the feelings I had and asked the same questions I had been asking myself. They talked about the frustrations they felt when having to answer a simple question such as “where are you from?” or “where is home?” So this is my story I, Caren Diehl was born in Germany though at a young age my family and I moved to a town just outside of Tamale, Ghana, in West Africa. I spent nearly 6 years of my life there and then it was time to pack up and move again. The first stop was Germany for about 6 months so that my father could prepare for the next job, which took us to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in East Africa. I did all of my schooling there (12 years) and graduated from High School with an International Baccalaureate (IB). After having completed High School I went off on my own for the first time. My first stop was Pontypridd in Wales, UK. There I started the journey of studying Sport and Exercise Psychology. I spent three years in Wales at Glamorgan University. After having completed my Undergraduate in 2002 I took a year out during this year I applied to several Universities in the United States and finally started my Masters of Education in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. After finishing my Masters I went off to Ghana for 6 months to do an internship with one of the soccer teams in Accra as my parents had moved back to Ghana. During my time here in Ghana I started applying for a PhD program in the UK. I am currently doing my PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton.

There were two main reasons for why I decided to study Sport and Exercise Psychology; one was when I was working at an orphanage in Dar es Salaam (which was part of my IB) I ended up meeting this amazing little boy who never smiled never spoke a word until one day he and I started kicking around a ball. This may not exactly be what sport psychology is about but that was the way I started readying up on sports therapy and while searching on the internet learned more about sport psychology also the mother of a friend told me about it and she was the other inspiration I had to start learning more about the field. The journey then began in the UK. It was a rough start having to not only get used to being away from my friends and family but also being in a new country and in a totally different culture. There were times where I was not sure if this was what I wanted but reading up on the topic, the case studies and learning more and more in my lectures I just always thought I should just stick with it a little longer. I went to the US and started my masters part of the masters program was to complete an internship program. This was when I knew that this is what I wanted to do.

Seeing people smile when they achieve their goals or accomplish something reaching their peak performance, being able to help people was just a great feeling. Coming to Ghana and working here just strengthened it I knew this was what I wanted to do. I also always knew that I couldn’t purely live of just doing applied work so while doing my PhD I tried to combine the love I have for working with people and the love for research so most of my research is based on applied work. I know that one day I would like to work back in Africa even if it is just for a while to give back to the continent that gave me so much and to do the job that I enjoy which is working with athletes and helping them research their peak performance. I would also like to carry on conducting research especially in the areas that are being neglected such as disabled sports or cultural sport psychology. I have started following both of those goals. My PhD is on Emotional Intelligence, Mood States, Performance and Athletes with a Disability and on the side of that I am doing a bit of research in Emotional Intelligence, Mood States, Performance and Ghanaian soccer players.

Cara Hammond

Cara Hammond recently graduated from UNC-Greensboro with a dual degree in Exercise and Sports Science (ESS Sports Medicine) and Psychology. I also competed on the varsity women’s soccer team for four years. During my intercollegiate career at UNCG, I also played semi-professional women’s soccer in New Jersey, playing along side National, Olympic and World Cup athletes from all over the world. In 2004, I completed an independent study which included extensive coding of data. I worked with one of UNCG’s senior Ph.D students and co-authored on a paper that was presented at one of AASP’s national conferences. Currently, I am a performance coach at a sports facility and I am still assisting with research at the University. In the Fall of 2007, I will be attending UNCG to continue my education as a first year M.S. student.

I always had an interest in psychology but I also had a huge interest in kinesiology and, somehow, wanted to combine the two fields. That’s when I was introduced to the field of sport and exercise psychology. As an undergraduate at UNCG, I became actively involved with the graduate program; assisting numerous M.S. and Ph.D students with their research and their studies. By attending numerous conferences and meetings, my eyes have been opened to the many ways in which I could pursue my career within the sport psychology field and what is required to be a successful graduate student. I am interested in the interaction between the mind and the body and how they can work together to produce positive results in sports performance and in injury recovery. I want to be able to help other athletes achieve their peak performance by training them physically and mentally. I believe in creating a “full” athlete and that includes developing their physical skills as well as their mental skills in order to maximize their performance results. My career goal is to be a strength and conditioning coach who can also assist athletes in developing the necessary mental skills to perform their best in every competition or match. As I enter into my graduate program, I hope to obtain the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue my goals of becoming a successful sports consultant for athletes of all ages.

Christine Sanchez

Hello, everyone my name is Christine Sanchez, and just like many of you out there, I aspire to become an Applied Sport Psychologist. I grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, right outside of Washington D.C. In 2001 I completed my undergraduate degree in Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!). While at Virginia Tech, I competed on the varsity swimming and rowing teams. After graduating Virginia Tech in 2001 I worked in the D.C. consulting arena for three years and decided that engineering wasn’t for me and I hated sitting at a desk. They say we’ll have at least five different careers in our life, well in 2004 I was ready to start career #2. I decided to follow my fascination in Sport Psychology and entered a master’s program at Temple University in Exercise and Sport Psychology that fall. Two years later I found myself at Florida State University working towards my doctoral degree in Sport Psychology. Along the way I have completed applied internships at the Center for Enhanced Performance (United States Military Academy, West Point, NY), Drexel University ACHIEVE Center (Philadelphia, PA), and IMG Academies (Bradenton, FL). I still enjoy competitive sports, and just finished my first Half Ironman triathlon this past May.

After my sophomore year of college I saw a Sport Psychologist (Dr. Michael McDermott) in the D.C. area to help me out of a slump I was experiencing with swimming. Three little sessions made such a huge impact on my swimming, that I instantly became hooked on the field of Sport Psychology. I found it fascinating how changing our mindset could greatly enhance our performance in sport and in life. From that moment on, I thought how wonderful could it be to help others hurdle their own mental roadblocks impeding success. My career ambitions include working in the Applied Sport Psychology setting. I am interested in consulting with athletes and youth development programs, as well as, other performance scenarios such as the military and business industry. For my dissertation study I hope to take the field of Applied Sport Psychology into other arenas by examining the effects of a mental toughness training program on U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers.

Enid Amelia Rodriguez

My name is Enid Amelia Rodriguez and I come from Puerto Rico, a small but beautiful island in the Caribbean. I received my B.A. in Physical Educational from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Mayaguez Campus and my M.S. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology major from the University of North Texas. Currently, I am a PhD. student in Sport and Exercise Psychology at University of North Carolina, Greensboro. I was part of the national swimming team of Puerto Rico for 12 years. Professionally, I have helped established a program that disseminates effective strategies to decrease violence in sport, and I also work as a professor of physical education at the UPR, Mayaguez Campus.

Myfirst experience with sport psychology was as an athlete. Sport psychology is not a big field in my country, but I fell in love with sport psychology at the end of my athletic career. After 10 years on the national team, I had my first encounter with a sport psychologist, and I realized the importance sport psychology had on me, as a person and as an athlete. I want athletes and exercisers (not only elite athletes) to have a similar realization of the importance of sport psychology. In my country, we do not have a sport psychology specialization. So, I moved to the United State to pursue my goal. My goal and commitment with sport psychology is to promote a humanistic approach which integrates other, forgotten areas of sport, such as violence and sexual harassment in sport. I think we have a great opportunity to make a change in people’s lives, integrating individual differences (race, ethnic and social class) through sport, and contributing to the improvement of their quality of sport and exercise experience.