AASP Newsletter - May 2020

Michele Kerulis

The Media in Sport Special Interest Group was busy last year supporting our mission: to explore how sport psychology is represented in various aspects of the media like TV, film, newsprint, radio, the internet, and other technologies. It is dedicated to enhancing education, training, practice, and interest through a public understanding of sport psychology in the media. In addition to multiple media placements and presentations, members of the Media in Sport SIG are committed to sharing information with AASP members about utilization of the AASP Ethics Code when interacting with the media. 

Media in Sport SIG Presentations
The SIG has been a part of two well-received national presentations in recent months.

SIG members Dr. Michele Kerulis & Dr. Harold Shintizky presented a CE workshop called Ethical Media Interactions in Sport Psychology Analyzing Ethical Decision-Making in Modern Media at AASP’s 34th Annual Conference in Portland, OR. We believe it is important to remind practitioners how to utilize an ethical decision-making model, like Forester-Miller & Davis’ (2016) Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision-Making, and to review AASP’s decision-making tree. Additionally, we provided instruction on how to write and format blogs and white papers as a way to educate the public about important issues impacting our field. These tools, paired with respecting the confidentiality of our work, will help practitioners share their love for the field with a wider audience. 

In the summertime, SIG members Dr. Kerulis and Dr. Shintizky were joined by Dr. Joan Steidinger with contributions by Dr. Karen Cogan in their Division 47-Sponsored presentation at the American Psychological Association conference in Chicago called Unique Perspectives of the Impact of Media on Sport Psychology. In this presentation, we talked about gender differences, race in equalities, and ethics as they apply to our work educating the public about the practice of sport psychology. 

SIG Members Michele Kerulis, Joan Steidinger, and Harold Shinitzky. Photo credit: Dr. Michele Kerulis 2019

SIG Meetings and Successes
Media in Sport SIG members joined together at the conference for our yearly face-to-face meeting where we talked about podcasting, web presence, and social media. The SIG’s new Facebook group is open to AASP members and is a place to share ideas, relevant mainstream articles, and successes we have had both collectively and individually. We are excited that the momentum keeps building in this SIG. 

We believe it is important for practitioners to provide accurate portrayals of sport psychology in the media to help educate the public, clarify misconceptions, and help decrease the stigma related to seeking services. One example that was written with ethics and the wellbeing of the community in mind is COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips for Athletes, Coaches, Parents, and the Sport Community. Together, we can make an impact!