Psychology and Sports

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
at Definition and
Importance ot Psychology in
Physical Education and Sportss
a2 Define and Differentiate between Growth
and
a3 Developmental Characteristics at Different Development
4.4 Adolescent Probiems and their
Stages of Development
Management

Ahasic knowledge ot psyehology 1s

essential for us, if we want to
nsychological aspects of physcal education The word understand the
of two Greek words psvche and logas. Psychology is a combination
Psyche' means soul and logas means
science.
So. psychology means the t n e of
was discarded because ther wa
soul After some time, this meaning of psychology
no
physcal identity of soul. Later on.
psychology was
considered as the sCenc t mind but this meaning of
hard task psychology was also rejected as it
wasa to know
about the mind of the other
person After that, psychology was
considered as the scence f cone1ousness With the
passage of time, this mean1ng of
psychology was also dicarded and now it i called the science of
the conelusion of Woodworth. First, pavchology lost its soul Then behaviour According too
it lost its
t lost its consc1ouaness I ttll hs beheat tour of a sort mind Then

9.1 DEFINITION AND IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGY IN PHYSICAL

EDUCATION AND SPORTS
Meaning and Definition of Psychology
According to Ross, "It the tnterpretatton and enplanation of beharour in mental or
1s

phys1cal terms
According to James Drever, "It 1a the seience uhich seeks to interpret in physical or
mental terms the behavour of luing organIsm so far as that is phvsically conditioned"
According to Pillsbury, "P'svchology 1s the science of human hehariour
According to Crow and Crow, "Pavchology is the study of the human tehatiour and
human relationsh1p
Woodworth, "Psvchology deals uith the actiuities of the indiuidual
According to in

relation
his enuironment.
to
Accord1ng to Watson, "Psychology is positiue science of behaviour.
 Meaning and Definition of Sports Psychology
orts physiology deals with the study of impact of exercise on human body, health
S p o r t s training, fatigue, energy for performance, ete. Sports biomechanics is the
tuayot various forces that act on human body and the effects that these forces producr
sO deals with the application of principles of physics to human motion and sports ohjet
motion, and the mechanical analysis of activities. These two sub-disciplines of physical
education play vital roles in the enhancement of
performance of sportspersons but only up
acertain limit. At this stage, the sports psychology is helpful andit plays a vital role
in the enhancement of sports performance of sportspersons, because it has no such limit
Indeed, sports psychology is the study of psychological factors that atfect the learning and
performance of motor skills. Due to its important role in the enhancement of performance
in sports field, it is
necessary for us to know the exact meaning of sports psychology. The
following definitions may enable us to understand the exact meaning of sports psychology
According to John Lauther, "Sports psychology is an area which attempts to apply
psychological facts and principles to learning performance and a880Ciated human behaviour
in whole field of sports."
According to K M Burns, "Sports psychology for physical education is that branch
psychology which deals with the physical fitness of an individual through his participationof
in games and
sports."
According to Singer, "Sports psychology explores one's behariour in athletics.
According to Clark and Clark, "Sports psychology is an
applied psychology. It is more
concerned with the personalities, emotional or motivational
aspects of sporis and physical
activities. It employs many of the
techniques used
According to Brown and
in
psycholog
Makoney, "Sports psyehology the study of the
ts

psychological principles sports and physical actuity, at all letvels of skill application of
to

"Sports psychology is the scientifie study of persons and their behau 1ours in improvement."
and the practical application of that sports contexts
knouledgr
"Sports psychology deals with increastng performance by
minimising the psychological effects of tnjuries and poor manag1ng emotions and
It is clear from the above-mentioned performance.
definitions that sports
behaviour and various psychological aspects in the field
psychology 1s the study of
of sports.
Importance of Sports Psychology
It is well-known fact that in the field of
a

biomechanics have achieved a very high level, andsports the sports

physiology and sports
the scope for further
to be less. For example, the development seems
strength, speed or endurance, which are the
physiology have reached almost at maximum aspects of sport
techniques has also reached near saturation.level. In
Further
the same way, the
development o
these aspects is less. So, the only
scope for further
development or improvement
depends upon psychological aspects of physical education improvement in sports performance
relation to sports and games, sports such as personality traits in
and development, motivation, emotions,
intelligence, motivation for physical activities.
interest, attitude, motor skill growtn
differences, etc. AS a mater ot
tact, sports learning, individusi
psvchology plays a very vital as well as a vast
148 SARASWATI HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION-XI
 ale
role in the field of physical education. The following
importance ot sports psychology. points may enable us to know the

1. Enhances Physiological Capacities: Sports psychology plays a very unique

in the enhancement of
physiological rolee
etc. Motivation capacities such as strength, speed, flexibility,
plays a major role in the enhancement of
sportspersons. It is a well-known as well as an established fact physical capacity ot
that psychological
capacities or powers can increase physiological
2. Assists to Learn Motor Skills: capacities of individuals.
of motor skills.
Sports psychology plays a major role in the learning
Learning of motor skills depends on the individual's level of readiness,
i.e., physiological readiness and
in children is the psychological readiness. Physiological readiness
as well as the
development of the necessary strength,
flexibility and endurance
development of various organ systems so that they may use
skills required in the motor
activity. Psychological readiness is related to the learner's
state of mind. It means the
desire and willingness to learn the
psychological readiness, sports psychology plays an important role.particular
skill. In
is also helpful in the Sports psychology
cognitive stage, the associative stage and the autonomous stage
of motor skill
learning.
3. Aids in Understanding Behaviour:
Sports psychology helps in understanding the
behaviour of athletes or
sportspersons engaged in competitive sports. Coaches also
come to know the
interest, attitude towards physical
personality of sportspersons. It plays an important role activity, instincts, drives and
not only in the
of behaviour but also in the modification
of behaviour in various
understanding
4. Helps in sports situations.
Controlling Emotions: Sports
psychology plays a very important role in
controlling the emotions of sportspersons during
practice as well as competition. Generally,
these emotions may bring
spontaneous
changesin the behaviour of
sportspersons.
These are anger, disgust, fear,
negative
self-thinking, feeling of ownership, etc. If
these emotions are not controlled well in
time, the performance of a sportsperson may
decrease. Sports psychology plays a vital role
at such a juncture. It Sports psychology-an essential
helps in balancing the science for sportsperson
arousal of emotions which further improves the
performance.
5. Prepares Athletes Psychologically for Competitions: Sports
plays an important role in preparing of athletes psychology also
psychologically for competitions. In
fact, it has become a trend to give psychological tips to athletes or team
competitions. That is why, sports psychologists' servicesplayers
and after the before
are required
for a national-level and international-level
teams. They create the
in the players. willpower 'to win'
6.
Supports Emotional Needs of Sportspersons: Stress, tension and anxiety are
natural during practice period and competitions or tournaments. There may be some
 frustration, anorexia, etc.T
panc,
Other emotional problems such as depression,
such situations. Techniques
nowledge of sports psychology may be helpful n

sportspersons wh0
are
faciny
relaxation and stress management can be applied on very vits
psychology plays a

such problems. Conclusively, it can be said that sports

It deals with the
various
menta
role in enhancing the performance ofsportspersons. control, commitment, et

confidence, emotional
qualities such as concentration, and games
performance in sports
which are important for successful

BETWEEN GROWTH AND

DIFFERENTIATE
9.2 DEFINE AND
DEVELOPMENT

Meaning of Growth and Development

of an individual So. the
The main physical education is the holistic development
aim of
in physical education. Withou
growth and development of human beings is truly important
achieved For this purpose, we
planning. the aim of physical education cannot be
systematie Those, who a r e engaged in
wl have to acquire the knowledge of growth and development.
knowledge of growth and developnent
the field of physical education, should have a vast
of individuals. If they do not have sufficient knowledge regarding the process of growth

and development of human beings, they cannot come to know about the physacal, mental

social and emotional development of their students

The knowledge of growth and development is necessary for parenta also because parents are

interested in the growth and development of their wards Parents can play an important

rolein the development of their children because they have maximum impact on the
children. So, for proper growth and development of a child, both teachers as well as parents
must have the basic knowledge of growth and development
Definitions of Growth and Development
Generally. growth and development are usecd as nynonyma Ifwe tr tounderstand the meaning
of growth and development, we come to know that there ia hardly any specific difference
As a matter offact. growth means the growth ofphysical organs whether it is in shape, size.
height or weight, whereas, development has a detailed meaning In fact. growth is a part of
development. Development means not only growth but it is something more than that
According to Hurlock, "Tevrlopment is not limited to grouing larger, inatead if consists of
a progressive series of changes of an orderly. coherent type touards the goal
of maturt
According to Gesell, "Tevelopment is more thana concept It can he obserivd, appraised
and to some extent even measured in three major manifestations, i.e., anatomic, physiologic
and behavioural.. Behaviour signs, however constitute a most comprehensiue index of
developmental status and developmental potentials
In conclusion, it can be said that growth 18 used physically Generally. it is related to an
individual's size. height and change in weight. Indeed, changes in quantitative aspects are
incuded in the scope of growth. On the other hand, development is related to all types of
changes in shape or structure, which enhance the working efficiency of an individual. These
hanges are more related to qualitative aspects than quantitative aspects
nifferences between Growth and Development
ar Comprehensive knowledge
a about growth and development, it is vital for us to know
about their differences. These differences are stated below:
1, Growth can be measured, whereas, development presents
behaviour, efficiency
and capability. It is not an
a multiple change in
easy job to measure this type of
change in development. It can only be observed.
2. Growth is limited up to a definite age.
Generally after maturity, growth does not take
place, whereas, development is a life-long process.
3. Growth is a part of development,
whereas, development is very comprehensive.
Growth is included in development. Development is holistic such
as physical
development,mental development, social
development and emotional development.
4. Growth is related to the
changes in height, weight, shape and size of an individual,
whereas, development is related to the changes in all aspects of an individual.
5. Development does not
necessarily take place along with growth. If we take more
food, our body weight can be increased but it is not necessary that our
or capability will also be
efficiency
increased. So it can be said that the development is not
necessarily according to the growth. It has also been observed that without physical
growth, mental, social and emotional development may usually take place. Although,
it is also a fact that holistic
development cannot take place in the absence of proper
physical growth. So, Plato said, "A sound mind is in a sound body."
6. Growth is related to one
aspect of personality and its scope is also limited,
whereas, development is related to all the aspects of personality and its is scope
also very wide.
As a matter of fact,
both growth and development differ from each other but in
wider and
practical sense both the terms are used to denote changes in the individual's
well as functional behaviour. These changes, which cover physical aas
and emotional aspects of human life, are changes in
physical, intellectual, social
size, proportion and features. All
the above-mentioned changes have qualitative and
quantitative aspects. Hence, it can be
alluded that growth and development go hand in hand and these two terms
are generally
used collectively. These are not poles apart.

9.3 DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF

DEVELOPMENT
First of all, it is really essential for all of us to know-whatare the
meaning of growth and
development? Generally, growth and development are used synonymously. If we try to
understand the meaning of growth and development, we come to know that there is
hardly
any specific difference. But the reality is that there is a clear-cut difference
between the
two words. As a matter of
fact, growth means the growth of physical organs whether it is
n shape, size, height or weight, whereas development has a detailed meaning in itselt. In
1act, growth is a part of development. The development does not mean only growth but it
is more than that.
ACCording to Hurlock, "Development is not limited to growing larger instead it consists of
POgressive series of changes of an orderly, coherent type towards the goal of maturity."
 In fact, growth is related to the change: i
HEIGHT AND AGE weight and height of any individual, wh
HEIGHT development is related to the changes in
aspects of an individual such as
al
development, mental
physica
development,
nt, 50c1a
development, emotional development, mt
development, etc. Growth is limited u oor
certain age. Generally, ater maturity gror
does not take place, whereas the process
development is a long process, which contin
tinues
throughout the life. It appears that the direction
and pattern of growth and development
12 children approximately remain the same. But
Stages of development in reality the growth and development of every
child take place according to his own schedule. It means every child has his own pattern
of growth and development. During the different stages of growth, various changes related
to physical, mental, social, emotional and motor development take place. For ease od
understanding the stages of growth and development can be classified into the following
stages along with their characteristics.
Infancy
The stage from birth to the end of 2 years of age is called infaney. At this stage. the grasping
power of an infant's brain becomes very fast. His/her power of nemory also increases. His
her thinking ability also increases. He/she understands the language clearly and speaks
accordingly. His/her capability to know new words increases He she starts understanding
the simple conversation of adults. At this stage. the curos1ty drive of the child also
increases. They try to ask various questions and are easily satisfied by the answers
elder persons.
Children are emotional at this stage but they do not have their control over emotions.
They usually exhibit or display their emotions through motor skill activities In daily ife
they forget their emotions such as sorrow and happness, after some time At this stage
the behaviour of children depends upon magnatons Ther keep themselves busy in such
activities in which they can use their imaginatons Ther l1ke to isten or watch the fairy
tale stories. At this stage, they learn activities related to motor skill such as walking.
running. jumping. catching. throwing. etc. In this Way. they start using their physical
and
organs, internal organs and sensory organs in a balanced way Social sentiments
emotions related to self-love become st rong in them Thev do, what they ike and leave
aside what they don't like.

Childhood
Childhood stage begins from the 3rd year and ends by the end of the 12th year. At th
stage, the
stage, the children are able to have enough control on their muscles. Their developme
becomes very fast during the first three years and later on. i.e.. till 12th year thet
ti
development becomes strongand vigorous. At this stage, children spend most of their
plaving. Their neuro-muscularcoordination becomes eficient enough. At this stage
concentration power of the children increases, but they cannot concent rate for a long ti
Their thinking abinty incteases at a faster rate. Their power of memory. logic. thinking a
 siuf aking 1ncrea e remarkably Tll the end of this stag, they learn to controi their
gona Emotionally, they become stable and optimustic They also learn to control their
hehav1our ln childhood, they do not ike any question on their self-esteem and self respect
During this stage, socal qualites develop in them very quickly They like to play with
huldren of their age They are able to adjust their behaviour in the socety. owing to the
appropriate development of social qualities
At this stag children are more courageous, imaginative, resourceful and adventurous
They usuallv blindly follow the persons whom they admire They like to copy the deeda and
actions of their famous heroes about whon they hear, read or watch At this stage, they
have the best motor learning ability

Adolescence
Adolescence 1s a stage of complex changes, which begins after childhood and ends before
adulthood. Generally, it 1s supposed that the adolescent stage begins from 13 years and
emains tull 19 Dur1ng this stage, the growth of adolescent becomes spontaneous
years
The different characteristics of ths stage are depicted below
1. Physical Characteristics: At this stage, the growth beecomen very fat. In adolescent
period. many physeal changes take place pontaneoualy The development of
internal and external sexual organa bergana Many physcal changes take place n gris
and boys from the very berganningof thas atag During the perod of 13 to 14 years
varous changes can be sren npe zally an garla The vosce of guris becomes sodt. sweet
and hght Moustarhes and bearda start appear1ng on the face of boys Generally. the
heght, wenght, bones mucle perwer and other phyucal organs of beoys and giris be_gin to
mature As adoleseenta do net have a umplete knw iedge about suach pBrysacal change
they become restlenn impatietit wurredd and upmet naturally
Mental Characteristicx hy sxal growth and mental erowth go hand in hand
but it is not appliecable for all the adolerenta It has been seen in case of some
adolescents that they lag hhuret n riental grum th in the carlber stages
thonugh
they achieve phy aucal maturty muwh carlier In fact they achieve mental growth
later on. when they are able t g nto the depth of things Adolecents become
interested in vIewing and reading thrilling novea and atorves maginatave
stories and cartoona and fictaona During adoleacence. the absluty to citscae
and take dectaion and the eagerness or rurioaity for novel thorughts and deals
are developed They are curioua to k now more and more about the people
places and prineiples They demand elf respert dignity and seif-independence
t this stage. they remain under streas and tenason They become worned
Some are unable to adjust with other people They have high aspirations They a l
Indulge in day dreaming They remain mentally absent in the ciasnes and aimo at
home At this stage. they are nether children nor adult Sometimes thesr bebavoeur
eeome aggress1ve Thev themselves do not know what to do and where to go for
guidance as well as directons or advce in the matters of their personal needs As
a matter of fact. they need a healthv environment. proper gudance and a e t e
of direction
Emotional Characteristics: The hfe of an adolescent is full of emetxo
t h nfluence of such emotions. he/she performs such uphill t a s k s , whwh w m t

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