Syllabus

Course Number:PSYH06202
Course Name: Psychology of the Athlete

Course Information
College: College of Health Sciences

Total Credit hours:

Lecture: 3
Lab: 0

Total Contact hours: 45

Instructor: Joseph E. Davis, M.S., Ph.D.

Email address: joseph.davis@logan.edu

Website: www.logan.edu

Campus: Online

Address: 1851 Schoettler Rd.

City/State/Zip: Chesterfield, MO 63017

Office Hours: Wednesdays 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Office Location: virtual

Office phone: (573) 268-4578

Beginning date: 1/09/2020

Number of weeks: 15

Class Meeting Times: virtual

Class Location: Canvas, Logan.Instructure.com

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 Course Description:
This course is a detailed study of the psychological and emotional aspects of competition and
its social stress, with focus on approaches to knowledge, goal setting, stress management,
psychological skills training, and review of current research.

Pre-requisites: None

Co-requisites: None

Required Textbooks:
Williams, J.M. (2014). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance
(7th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.

Recommended Textbooks:
Janssen, J. (2000). Peak performance playbook. Cary, NC: Winning the Mental
Game.

Janssen, J. (1999). Championship team building. Cary, NC: Winning the

Mental Game.

Required Equipment: None

Supplemental Materials: None

MS-NHP Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

1. Demonstrate effective communication skills and techniques
2. Evaluate the dynamic nature of nutrition that influence metabolism
3. Integrate evidence- based research information
4. Develop nutrition information to benefit individuals, societies and special population

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

1. Review the history of sport psychology.
Learning Objectives
a. Describe the future direction of sport psychology.
b. Review the history of sport psychology in Eastern Europe.
c. Examine the future directions in North American applied sport psychology.

2. Assess the concepts of feedback, its functions, and its use in skill learning and
performance.
Learning Objectives
a. Describe positive feedback.
b. Explain performance feedback.
c. Apply concepts in diagnosing and correcting errors.
d. Evaluate Janssen’s Seven Secrets to Coaching Success including character,
competence, commitment, caring, confidence, communication, and consistency.

3. Evaluate leadership concepts.

Learning Objectives
a. Analyze leadership theories and implications.

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 b. Describe authentic leadership.
c. Define the multidimensional models of leadership.
d. Identify decision making skills in coaching.
e. Apply the concept of leading ethically to given scenarios.
f. Propose a strategy to develop within a team.

4. Apply goal-setting research and theory.

Learning Objectives
a. Examine athletes’ and coaches’ uses of goal-setting.
b. Develop goal-setting guidelines.
c. Identify common problems in setting goals for athletes.
d. Describe the concept of the goal-setting staircase.

5. Appraise the nature of arousal.

Learning Objectives
a. Describe the relationship between arousal and motor performance.
b. Discuss how to identify an athlete’s optimal arousal for performance.
c. Apply muscle-to-mind relaxation skills and strategies.
d. Apply mind-to-muscle relaxation techniques.
e. Identify skills and strategies for learning how to increase activation.

6. Assess imagery.
Learning Objectives
a. Describe how imagery enhances athletic performance.
b. Identify how to setup an imagery training program.
c. Explain attentional control training principles.
d. Identify the types of attention.
e. Apply strategies to minimize external distractions.
f. Apply strategies to stay centered.

7. Construct a psychological skills training program.

Learning Objectives
a. Describe who will benefit from psychological skills training.
b. Identify who should conduct the psychological skills training program.
c. Identify when it’s best for athletes to learn psychological skills training.
d. Describe what psychological skills to include.
e. Evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
f. Discuss gender and sexuality in sport.

8. Identify when to refer athletes for counseling or psychotherapy.

Learning Objectives
a. Describe the difference between performance-related issues and more problematic
personal issues.
b. Demonstrate when to start the referral process.
c. Describe specific athlete-related issues including anxiety management, alcohol/drug
abuse, and identity issues.

9. Identify drugs banned in sport.

Learning Objectives
a. Describe the rationale for antidrug policy in sport.
b. Identify the likely causes of drug use in sport.
c. Develop strategies for controlling drug abuse.

10. Evaluate the relationship between burnout, dropout, overtraining, and staleness.

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 Learning Objectives
a. Identify the signs, symptoms, and consequences of burnout.
b. Compare the theories and models of burnout in sport.
c. Identify how to monitor for burnout in sport.
d. Describe various interventions to cope with burnout.

11. Examine psychological considerations of injury risk and rehabilitation.

Learning Objectives
a. Discuss the factors that predispose athletes to injury.
b. Identify interventions to reduce injury vulnerability.
c. Describe potential reactions to injuries of athletes.
d. Discuss responses appropriate to injured athletes.
e. Apply specific psychological rehabilitation strategies.

12. Discuss career transitions among athletes.

Learning Objectives
a. Describe the theoretical perspectives of career transitions.
b. Examine the conceptual model of career transitions.
c. Discuss the causes of career terminations.
d. Describe the factors related to adaptation to a career transition.
e. Identify available resources for adaptation to career transitions.
f. Develop intervention tactics for career transitions.

13. Analyze the concept of exercise psychology.

Learning Objectives
a. Relate exercise to mental health.
b. Discuss plausible mediators or mechanisms.
c. Examine physical activity behavior changes.

14. Utilize Logan University’s Learning Resources Center (LRC) to locate credible
resources that support student work. .
Learning Objectives
a. Find the online LRC.
b. Identify helpful resource pages in the online LRC.
c. Utilize library databases to identify peer-reviewed articles that support student work.
d. Evaluate sources for credibility.

Guidelines for Success

Logan University Policies

Please refer to the current student handbook and academic catalog for more information on
all college policies and procedures including, but not limited to
• Academic Appeal Process
• Academic Honors, Standing, and Satisfactory Progress Policies
• Special Accommodations Procedure
• Withdraw/Refund Procedure
• Attendance Policies
• Dress Code Policies, if applicable
• Electronic Devices and Resources Policy
• Complaint and Investigation Procedure
• Record Retention Policy and Procedure
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 Special Accommodations

Logan University is committed to providing accommodations for all persons with documented
disabilities. Students who believe that, due to a disability, they could benefit from academic
accommodations are encouraged to contact the Associate Dean of Student Success by phone at
(636) 230-1817, or by visiting Ste. #137 in Rm. 143, the Office of Student Affairs. Confidentiality
will be observed in all inquiries. Course instructors support student accommodation requests
when an approved letter from Student Affairs has been received and when students discuss
these accommodations with the instructor after receipt of the approved letter.

Withdrawal Dates

A student may withdraw from a course from the Tuesday of the third week (second week for
FAST) through the Monday of the eleventh week (sixth week for FAST) of a term. After the
Monday of the eleventh week (sixth week for FAST), course withdrawal is not allowed, and the
student must remain enrolled in the course for the duration of the term.

To withdraw from a course, a student must obtain an electronic course withdraw form, from the
Academic Success Coach and submit the completed form by the Monday of the eleventh week
(sixth week for FAST) of a term. A course grade of “W” will appear on the student’s academic
transcript.

Simply ceasing to attend a class does not constitute a course drop or withdrawal and will result in
a course grade of “F” on the student’s academic transcript. If a student drops or withdraws from a
course, his/her future financial aid eligibility, anticipated graduation date, or ability to complete
the degree program within the maximum time period allowed may be compromised.

Course Policies

ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES/LATE WORK

Weekly topics will run from Mondays through Sundays, with weeks ending Sunday at 11:59 PM
(Central Time Zone). Students are required to participate in the course throughout the week.
Unless otherwise noted, deadlines are at 11:59 PM (Central Time Zone) on the day indicated.

You may want to access the World Fixed Clock at

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html to check on the specific time that the
assignment would be due in your time zone.

Each discussion, assignment, paper, etc. provides specific details on how it is to be submitted.
All assignments should be completed by the deadlines indicated in each course. The most recent
version of the assignment submitted prior to the deadline will be considered ready for grading. It
is strongly recommended that students not wait until the last minute to submit assignments in
anticipation of personal issues that may arise. The late policy for discussion boards is program
specific (see rubrics and/or announcements located in Canvas). For all other assignments, a
minimum of 10% of the total assignment points will be deducted for each day the assignment is
late and no assignment will be accepted if submitted more than five days past the due date. The
point deduction for lateness is in addition to any grading related deductions. Quizzes and exams
will not be accepted after the due date. A score of zero (0) will be given if quizzes and exams
are not done by the due date unless a University excused absence is documented by and
received from Student Affairs, or there is other extenuating circumstances and you have worked
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 with your instructor prior to the quiz/exam.

Refer to the academic calendar for a list of Logan University approved holidays and
breaks (http://www.logan.edu/academics/academic-calendar). Students enrolled in
compressed courses (e.g., 7-8 weeks) do not take a spring break.

Students with medical or bereavement issues should first contact the Office of Student
Affairs for guidance and verification at (636) 230-1870.

Assignment feedback and grades will generally be posted prior to the next week’s
assignments’ due dates. Grades and comments will be viewed in Canvas only.

PARTICIPATION

Regular and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process regardless
of course delivery methodology. This will require interaction throughout the week and not just
one to two days: see the discussionboard rubric for more detail.

The instructor will record participation weekly via Canvas.

When campus closes for inclement weather, online classes do not close.

COMMUNICATION

Students should check both Logan email and the course Canvas site daily for course
information and announcements, as students are responsible for the content of all forms of
communication.

Emails and phone calls will generally be answered by the instructor within 24 hours no more
than five days a week and usually in the part of the week when the faculty member has an
active presence (discussion boards, etc.). Students are expected to respond to emails sent
by the instructor within 24 hours.

The instructor’s office hours are posted on page one of the syllabus. General questions related
to content or assignments from this course may be posted on the Q&A discussion board.

NETIQUETTE

Students are expected to follow rules of common courtesy and be respectful and tolerant of
other people’s ideas, opinions, and beliefs in all email messages, threaded discussions and
chats. Threads of discussions should continue to the end and students should maintain
professional language in posts and responses. No personal criticism is permitted and no
inappropriate language is permitted. Students should refer to the student disruptive behavior
policy in the student handbook at http://www.logan.edu/home/student-and-faculty-resources.

STUDENT HONOR CODE

Logan University has long recognized that professional growth and development of students is
central to its educational purpose. Consequently, Logan University seeks to provide all
students with an environment conducive to professional growth, academic achievement,
individual responsibility, and respect for the rights and privileges of others. Logan University
takes very seriously any misconduct or unprofessional behavior of its students. Therefore,
Logan University administration, the faculty, and the student body have adopted an honor
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 code.

All students must review the student honor code in the student handbook at
http://www.logan.edu/home/student-and-faculty-resources.

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, dishonesty in any
form, buying or selling an examination or other instrument for ranking and evaluation without
authorization, acting as a substitute for another person or using another person as a substitute
in any academic evaluation process; knowingly permitting one’s work to be submitted or
reproduced by another person without the faculty member’s permission, and collaboration on
coursework without the faculty member’s permission.
Any breach of the student honor code will be reported to the program director by the faculty
member. Decisions about violations of the student honor code will be determined by
program director in collaboration with the faculty member and in accordance with Logan
University policy and procedures.

STUDENT SUCCESS

A 3-credit hour, 15-week graduate-level course will require a minimum of 5-7 hours per
week of most students’ time.

Tips for online student success are described in the online student orientation. Students
should contact their academic success coach to seek ways to improve performance in this, or
any other course.

TECHNOLOGY

Canvas is the learning management system (LMS) used by Logan University. The Canvas iOS
app does not support all Canvas functionalities. Access Canvas using

a. “Canvas” on the Student & Faculty Resources page at

http://www.logan.edu/home/student- and-faculty-resources; or
b. The direct Canvas login at https://logan.instructure.com/login/ldap.

Students are expected to send emails either through the Logan webmail system or the course
Canvas Inbox. Emails sent from accounts outside of Logan will not be accepted. Faculty
will not send email to a student’s personal email account.

Except in the instance of a Canvas outage, students are responsible for arranging a back-up
plan in case of technical difficulties. Libraries, Internet cafes and other options may be
necessary if a personal computer and/or Internet connection are/is not functioning.

Planned or unexpected university network outages may occasionally occur. Be sure to check
your Logan email for planned outages and modify your schedule accordingly. For unexpected
Canvas outages that impact assignment submission, the instructor will indicate any revisions to
the deadline.

For Logan IT support, contact 636-207-2475 or help@logan.edu.

Contact Canvas technical support at 844-707-8849 (available 24 hours daily). Additional

Canvas support is under “Help” on every Canvas course page.

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 The Logan information technology page is located at http://www.logan.edu/home/student-and-
faculty- resources.

WRITING STYLE

All writing must be at a professional level with complete, grammatically correct sentences (no
texting language). All work should be formatted in APA style. To learn more about the basics
of APA style and view a video tutorial, visit http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-
tutorial.aspx. Additional information about APA style is located in the program-specific
research guides available through the Learning Resource Center website at
http://libguides.logan.edu/

GRADING INFORMATION –

Refer to the University Catalog for details about grading policies. Course grades will be
assigned as follows:

• End of course grades are rounded to the nearest whole number (examples:
69.51% = 70%; 69.44% = 69%) Grade point averages are not rounded.

Logan University uses a 4.0 grade scale to calculate grade point averages.

GRADING SCALE

A 90.0 - 100 4.0

B 80.0 - 89 3.0
C 70.0 - 79 2.0
F < 70.0 0.0

Evaluation Procedures

Grade Categories Description of the Requirements % of Grade

Unit Exams Midterm and Final Projects 25%
Assignments Discussion boards 45%
Outline/PowerPoint 25%
Week 3 Quiz 3%
Minute Papers 2%
Total: 100%

Course Schedule/Outline
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 Week Topic Readings/activities
1 Intro to sports psychology Chapter 1
Post to week 1 Introductions
Post to week 1 Discussion Board
(DB)
2 Chapter 2, 3
The Psychology of Coaching
Post to week 2 DB
3 Post to Week 3 DB
Learning Resources
Complete Week 3 Quiz
4 Chapter 6
Leadership Principles
Post to week 4 DB
5 Chapter 11
Goal Setting in Sport
Post to Week 5 DB
Submit S.M.A.R.T. Goals Paper
6 Chapter 12
Anxiety Management for Athletes
Post to Week 6 DB

7 Chapter 13,15
Imagery and Focus
Post to Week 7 DB
Midterm Exam Due End of Week 7
MIDTERM EXAM
8 See W8 Summary
Crisis Intervention for Athletes
Post to Week 8 DB

9 Chapter 19
Athlete Referral
Post to Week 9 DB

SPRING BREAK
10 Chapter 20
Substance Abuse in Sport
Post to Week 10 DB

11 Chapter 21
Burnout in Sports
Post to Week 11 DB
Submit Burnout PowerPoint
12 Chapter 22
Injury and Rehabilitation
Post to week 12 DB
13 Chapter 23
Career Transition for Athletes
Post to week 13 DB
14 Chapter 24
Exercise Psychology
Post to week 14 DB
15 Final Exam FINAL EXAM
The syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor to accommodate
instructional and/or student needs, emergency situations, and unexpected
circumstances. All changes will be posted in the announcements section on Canvas.
Students must keep abreast of all announced changes to the syllabus.

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