Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

Hi there! I was looking through the net for some sports psychology resources when I found your site. I would like to know if you know of any sites on the net that mention research methods in the sports psychology field. Can you help me? Thanks for your time!

Answer

I suggest that you go to a major library and conduct an extensive research on "Positive mental attitude and athletic performance". The ideal is to do your library research prior to starting your project to avoid duplicating efforts by designing and doing a study that someone else already did. A complete computer search will offer you information on previous studies, books, magazines and newspapers articles on your research topic. After you have learned about what has been done you can design a creative study that will generate new information and answer questions about your research topic. You can find some information on the internet, however in order to support your research you need a complete library search and use reference you can find in professional journals.

If you'd like to try some Internet libraries, please review our extensive list at this address.

If you would like to check for other information on Sport Psychology on the internet, go to the APA Division 47 Web site at http://www.psyc.unt.edu/

3/12/98

Cristina B. Versari, Ph.D. is a sport psychology and career consultant specializing in performance enhancement, career and life planning, and team building. She counseled professional athletes from 13 NBA teams in the areas of career and education, and was the psychologist for the Brazilian Men's Basketball Team for the 1992 Olympics and 1994 World Championship of Basketball. She is the president of the National Sports Counseling Network and a seminar speaker. Dr Versari has been studying the personality profile of elite athletes and designing training programs for peak performance for over ten years.

For information on training programs or consulting, she can be reached at: phone and fax (619) 658 0204, or P.O. BOX 22961, San Diego, California, 92122.