“Sport & Exercise Psychology under.. the leaning Tower”

“Sport & Exercise Psychology under.. the leaning Tower” Working Group on Sport Psychology Tuscany Order of Psychologists Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Short story of the Working Group The Working Group on Sport Psychology is born in 2014, after a study of 2012 about Tuscany psychologists working in the sporting environment. • Itaims to: • a) promote sport psychologistsas a professionalspecialized in fulfillingspecificrequirementscoming from sport clubs • b) promotepsychologyapplied to sport amongotherpsychologistsas a new career prospect • c) to contrastunauthorizedpsychologicalinterventionscarried out by peopledevoid of law requirements

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Psychologists and the sporting environment: Tuscany situation The 2012 study (published on the magazine “Movimento”) was conducted through a questionnaire sent to all Order members to know: • number of psychologists working in the sporting environment • methodologies they are using to work • their level of professionalism • kind of educational path they followed • target of their job (introduction to sport, amateur or pro level)

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Participants • N = 422 (10% of the members) • Prevalent age < 40 yrs. (40% of sample) • Professional profiles reported: • Sport psychologist (46.8%) • Development psychologist (23.4%) • Coach/Trainer (19.1%) • Mental coach (4.3%)

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Education

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Target of their job

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Users’ sport level

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Other infos reported… • Expertise level: 75% of psychologists work in sporting environment since 5 yrs.; • Working hours in sporting environment: less than 5 hours a week in 75% of the sample; • Salary: reported to be 10% of their total earnings.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Discussion: • Who is more experienced in sport has a more specific education and, at the same time, has longer working hours and greater income; • It seems fair to say that permanent education and committment promote a good positioning in the field; • It seems necessary to promote the awareness of the role of the sport psychologist; Federations appear to be the primary recipient of an eventual marketing activity aimed to better explain sport psychologists’ role and the specific services they are offering.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Protocol agreement CONI and TOP:

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Specific objectives 1. to promote social wellbeing as an healthy way of life through sport and physical activities (not just at a pro level) 2. to spread the sporting spirit promoting behaviours which are fair-play and respect inspired 3. to promote the role of the psychologist as a professional who can add more value to personal, relational and sporting growth of each athlete, club and sport institution 4. to contrast unauthorized psychological interventions carried out by people devoid of law requirements

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it For this purpose, the Tuscany Regional CONI Committee and the Tuscany Order of Psychologists agreed to create a permanent working table (without economic bonds) to put the protocol agreement into effects and to realize a questionnaire about the Sport Psychologist role, which was sent to all Federations Presidents. Results were presented during an event organized in association of the two institutions, with the purpose to show members and political institutions the importance of this collaboration.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Development Thanks to the protocol agreement between Tuscany Regional CONI Committee and Tuscany Order of Psychologists it has been possible to conduct a research on the role of the Sport Psychologist among Federations, Institutions and Associated Disciplines.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it • The questionnaire • Aimedto investigate both the presence and the kind of activities the sport psychologistcarried out in Federations, Institutions and AssociatedDisciplines. • Online form, accessiblethrough a link sent via e-mail with the advertisement of the protocolratification. • Made of 15 questions, including a filterquestion: Doesyourassociation/federationhas a sport psychologist?.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Participants • N=28 • Gender: 4 females + 24 males • Role: 16 RegionalPresidents; differentfigures,also with multiple roles(mainly coach, n=7; secretary, councilor, representative, collaborator) • Period of compilation: Beginning of June – beginning of October 2015; additional data gatheringduring the meeting atRegional CONI Committeeheadquarters.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 1. Do you know the role of the sport psychologist?

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 1b. How do you know it?

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 2. According to you, whatdoes the SP deal with? • 31 = ATHLETES: wellbeing and balance, mentalaspectsaffecting sport performance (anxiety, motivation, learning, concentration, mentaltraining, differentproblems), post-injurysupport and rehabilitation. • 10 = MANAGEMENT of sport clubs for internal and externalcommunication, athletes’ needsanalyses, ingroupdynamics, interaction and empathy with othermembers of the sportingenvironment. • 9 = COACH to handleanxiety, planning training sessions based on the athletes’ needs, how to relate to athletes, support in managingrelationships with athletes’ parents. • 4 = teaching and education. • 3 = sport consequences on everyday life; physicalactivity benefits.

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 3. After the meeting, new opinions on the SP? • No new opinion (2) • Betterunderstanding of whatthiskind of professional can do (2) • Itis an essentialrole: • Social aspect(1) • For training staff and athletes(3) • Personal psychological help (1)

Tuscany Order of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 4. Associated or federated clubs use the SP?

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 5. Are there any other figures taking care of mental aspects?

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 5b. Which other figures? - Qualified training staff - People making sport their profession - Social workers - Educators and psychologists with other educational careers - Doctors

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it 6. Does your Federation has a SP?

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Florence Marathon 2015 • Objectives: To analyzerunners’ mentalabilitiesMethods: QuAM-2ofGerinBirsaandBandino (2010) + socio-anagraphicform

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Florence Marathon 2015: participants • n = 514 • Age M = 43,64 (ds = 9,37)

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Florence Marathon 2015: Results • “Do youknow the role of the SP?” • 34,5% knows the role of the SP • 64,7% doesnotknow • 97,7% neverasked for a SP intervention • 51% thinkstheycould be useful for: • 1. motivationimprovement • 2. managingpre-race anxiety • 3. post-injurysupport • 4. passing the “30Kwall” • 5. mental training • 6. performance improvement

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Florence Marathon 2016

TuscanyOrder of Psychologists www.psicologia.toscana.it Working Group members Representative: Viviana Pistolesi Coordinator: Simona Pecchioli Raffaele Bini Isabella Ciacci Enrico Compiani Francesca Denaro Giovanna Di Bartolo Monica Palla Alessandra Piantini Maria Sansone Marta Vagaggini

“Sport & Exercise Psychology under.. the leaning Tower”